Changes in relative abundance, variability, and stability of fish assemblages of Eastern Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte—the value of long-term community sampling

摘要: Abstract Intensive long-term index sampling of the fish communities eastern Lake Ontario (outlet basin—gill netting, 1958–98, average annual effort 16.3 km netting; bottom trawling, 1972–98, 23.0 km; Bay Quinte—bottom 12.8 km) provided extensive summer catch data that we used to calculate indices assess relative abundance, variability, and a combination two reflect stability, or status. One unique valuable attributes these sets is they use community-assessment approach, which includes ecologically important small species values on all equally. These series confirm during past decade, most major in both lake bay have undergone dramatic, somewhat synchronous change, unprecedented almost three decades, including catastrophic winterkills late 1970s. Abundance increased record-high levels 1980s early 1990s, then decreased abruptly, yea...