Community Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) data for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Dataset

Each summer, environmental community groups collect important data to determine if groupings of fish, shrimp and crab – what is called a community- can be used as an indicator of the health status of bays and estuaries. Sampling was conducted from May through September for the first years then from June through August. In 2018 and 2019, the sampling was conducted just once in each estuary. Community group members and staff sample six stations once a month in their designated estuary.

Fish, shrimps and crabs are collected with a beach seine net and later released live back to the water once identified and counted. From this, the community groups provide important information to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, including:

- identification and numbers of fish, shrimp and crab species;
- water conditions and samples;
- information on aquatic plants;
- sediment samples.

With this information, Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists working with government agencies and universities can conduct analyses to determine the suitability of indicators to assess the health of bays and estuaries.

PARAMETERS COLLECTED:
Parameters: abundance, species richness, species developmental stage (young-of-the-year or adult), water temperature, water salinity, water dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nutrient (nitrate, nitrite, phosphate), sediment % organic content, sediment % humidity content and sediment mean grain size, % submerged aquatic vegetation cover

NOTES ON QUALITY CONTROL:
Data entry into Excel and first quality control verification is done by CAMP summer students. A second quality control verification is done by DFO staff. See publ # 2823 attached to this record.

In 2018, the historical data was migrated into a relationship database. From this year on, annual data will be entered into the database using a custom application. The application front end has numerous QC elements built-in.

SAMPLING METHODS:
Please see the following URL for sampling details: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/319437.pdf