Oakland Lake Eel

American eels (Anguilla rostrata) spawn in an unknown location in the Sargasso Sea. The larvae travel thousands of kilometres into fresh, estuarine, and marine waters along the western North Atlantic coastline. Seaward migration back to natal spawning grounds occurs in the fall.

Eels play an important ecological role in aquatic communities, both as predator and prey, and are harvested in commercial, recreational, and aboriginal fisheries. Population declines have occurred in recent years, most notably in Ontario and Quebec, due to a combination of factors. In 2012, COSEWIC designated American eel as a threatened species, prompting the need for more information on their habitat use and abundance throughout their range.

Since 2009, Oakland Lake, a protected water shed in Nova Scotia with restricted human access, has been an ideal study site for a long-term eel monitoring program. Using acoustic telemetry technology and lake bathymetry, seasonal and diel three-dimensional habitat use of eight American eels in Oakland Lake between July and October 2012 will be characterized.