Ecology of the Bay of Quinte: Health, Management and Global Implications

Project Quinte, which was launched in 1972 and lasted until 2018, is the longest ecosystem-based data set in the Great Lakes. A collaborative initiative of several Canadian agencies, the project generated a special bulletin of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries Science in 1986 and two special issues of Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management more recently. This monograph encompasses a broad sweep of the many facets of aquatic ecosystem structure and function that were explored in efforts to define and solve the challenges to ecosystem health in the Bay of Quinte ecosystem, with the aim of sustaining it far into the future. Many chapters of this meticulously peer reviewed monograph provide a long-term perspective that highlights the need to maintain monitoring programs while increasing our basic knowledge. Long-term studies of ecosystems like Quinte continually reveal new questions and challenges beyond the scope of controlled laboratory experiments. The health of the Bay of Quinte is much improved as a result of the long-term commitment of people, time, and resources reflected in this book. Through twenty-six in-depth chapters representing the contributions of approximately 100 scientists, the monograph opens a wide panorama for productive exploration and application of the ecosystem approach, with much remaining to be done by those that follow in these footsteps. This collection of papers will provide readers with ideas, approaches, tools, and techniques they can use as they mount new efforts to restore and protect their essential ecosystems.