Atlantic salmon in mainland Nova Scotia have declined significantly in recent decades, with warming rivers as a contributing factor behind population loss. Stock assessment activities (e.g., juvenile electrofishing, smolt wheels) have been conducted for decades in these rivers, but the lack of landscape and local habitat data makes it challenging to understand what environmental factors are driving river temperature regimes.

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Our study objectives are to: (i) identify the main environmental factors driving riverine thermal variability in two index watersheds of the Southern Uplands region in Nova Scotia, Canada; and (ii) examine habitat suitability for Atlantic salmon focused on temperature regimes in the ~2,213 km river network comprising the two studied watersheds. Based on our findings we will provide recommendations for riverine conservation and restoration for cold-water fishes, using Atlantic salmon as an indicator species.

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