Abstract. The Green Edge initiative was developed to investigate the processes controlling the primary productivity and fate of organic matter produced during the Arctic phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) and to determine its role in the ecosystem. Two field campaigns were conducted in 2015 and 2016 at an ice camp located on landfast sea ice southeast of Qikiqtarjuaq Island in Baffin Bay (67.4797∘ N, 63.7895∘ W). During both expeditions, a large suite of physical, chemical and biological variables was measured beneath a consolidated sea-ice cover from the surface to the bottom (at 360 m depth) to better understand the factors driving the PSB. Key variables, such as conservative temperature, absolute salinity, radiance, irradiance, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll a concentration, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and taxonomy, and carbon stocks and fluxes were routinely measured at the ice camp. Meteorological and snow-relevant variables were also monitored. Here, we present the results of a joint effort to tidy and standardize the collected datasets, which will facilitate their reuse in other Arctic studies. The dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.17882/59892 (Massicotte et al., 2019a).

Abstract. The Green Edge initiative was developed to investigate the processes controlling the primary productivity and the fate of organic matter produced during the Arctic phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) and to determine its role in the ecosystem. Two field campaigns were conducted in 2015 and 2016 at an ice camp located on landfast sea ice southeast of Qikiqtarjuaq Island in Baffin Bay (67.4797N, 63.7895W). During both expeditions, a large suite of physical, chemical and biological variables was measured beneath a consolidated sea ice cover from the surface to the bottom at 360 m depth to better understand the factors driving the PSB. Key variables such as temperature, salinity, radiance, irradiance, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll-a concentration, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and taxonomy, carbon stocks and fluxes were routinely measured at the ice camp. Here, we present the results of a joint effort to tidy and standardize the collected data sets that will facilitate their reuse in other Arctic studies. The dataset is available at http://www.seanoe.org/data/00487/59892/ (Massicotte et al., 2019a).

Electrofishing surveys provide important information on watershed health, and the status of imperiled and recreationally important stream fishes. Concerns about the harmful effects of electrofishing on the endangered redside dace Clinostomus elongatus have resulted in restrictions on its use in sampling activities in the province of Ontario, Canada. However, the effectiveness of these restrictions is unproven. We undertook a paired sampling gear study in 2018-2019 to test whether an alternate gear (seine nets) or a change in electrofishing timing (autumn rather than summer) reduced harm to stream fishes. The study took place in streams located in the Greater Toronto Area. We found large differences in the frequency and magnitude of sampling-related mortalities between sampling gear and seasons. During individual surveys, electrofishing mortality never exceeded 9% in the summer or 4% in the autumn, while seining-related mortality reached 60% at two stream sites. Overall, autumn electrofishing resulted in mortality rates that were 5.6 and 15 times lower than summer electrofishing and summer seining. These results indicate that survival of Ontario stream fishes can be improved by delaying electrofishing until early autumn.

. 2016. Remnant freshwater mussel diversity in Rondeau Bay, Lake Erie. canadian Field-naturalist 130(1): 76-81.in 2014 and 2015, 27 sites in Rondeau Bay, ontario, canada, were surveyed for freshwater mussels. Rondeau Bay is a large coastal wetland on the north shore of Lake Erie. twenty-three species were identified from 120 live mussels, 15 fresh whole shells, 329 weathered whole shells, and 1121 weathered valves. Live individuals of the following species were collected: Eastern pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta; endangered in canada), Giant Floater (Pyganodon grandis), Round pigtoe (Pleurobema sintoxia; endangered in canada), and three-ridge (Amblema plicata). Fresh whole shells of the Mapleleaf (Quadrula quadrula; threatened in canada) were also found. Most species (78%), including 7 species at risk, were collected only as weathered shells. these results indicate a substantial decline in freshwater mussel diversity since the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion of Lake Erie. Evidence shows that a viable population of only Giant Floater remains.