Summer Distribution of the Nearshore Fish Community near a Thermal Generating Station as Determined by Acoustic Census

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Abstract
The relation between thermal plumes and fish abundance and distribution was studied at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, Lake Ontario, using simultaneous digital echo counting and temperature monitoring systems during summer thermal stratification of the lake.Fish relative abundance varied from 20.8/10,000 m3 to 1,037/10,000 m3 and both these extreme density estimates occurred in the 7.5–12.5-m depth shell. Also, changes in distribution of the nearshore community were apparent during the study period, July–October. The fish community in July was pelagic and selected 10–11 C and 14–16 C. That same community later appeared to become segregated into benthic and pelagic communities. Thermal plumes, either well defined or diffuse, appeared to have little effect on the pelagic community either because fish were not available to elevated temperatures by habitat selection or because fish failed to respond to increased surface temperatures.

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