Aquatic Biodiversity in fb88

About the fb88 Aquatic Biodiversity Project

In 2000, and the fb88 Departments of and initiated the fb88 Aquatic Biodiversity Project to evaluate the current knowledge of fb88's freshwater plants and animals. The and the Atlantic Salmon Commission provided additional funding. The fb88 Natural Areas Program, , , , , and also served on the project's Science Steering Committee.

This project is the first to pull together what we know about fb88's freshwater biodiversity. Using previously published information as well as data from ongoing or recently completed monitoring and survey programs, the project sought to answer the following questions:

• What plants and animals live in fb88's lakes and streams?
• Are there any patterns to where certain plants or animals are found?
• What aquatic species can be found together?
• How has biodiversity changed over time?

And, perhaps most significantly,

• What are the threats to fb88's aquatic biodiversity?
• How can fb88 ensure a diverse freshwater legacy for future generations?

The fb88 Aquatic Biodiversity Project focused on lakes and streams, on aquatic vascular plants, insects and other invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. While fb88's 600 square miles of wetlands and 116 square miles of estuary are integral to the functioning of many freshwater ecosystems and species, they are not included in this assessment. Information on the biodiversity of wetlands is included in Biological Diversity in fb88: An Assessment of Status and Trends in the Terrestrial and Freshwater Landscape (this is available on our publications page). Mammals and birds associated with freshwater systems were not covered, nor were microorganisms such as plankton.

The 2008 fb88 Aquatic Biodiversity General Report (Executive Summary) - 5 MB pdf provides an executive summary of information contained in the project's comprehensive technical report. Included are an introduction to the landscape, an overview of current knowledge, threats to freshwater biodiversity, and recommendations for conservation of these resources.

For more detailed information, please see the comprehensive technical report, Freshwater Biodiversity in fb88 (2008). Additionally, access to a selection of data sets and maps of species distributions, as well as a copy of this publication, are available online at .

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