Habitat supply for Yellow Perch (Actinopterygii, Percidae) varies with space, time, and life stage in Lake Erie

Exploring species-environment relationships to identify essential habitat areas is recognized as an effective way for resource conservation and management. Because of ecological and economic importance of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) in Lake Erie, it is essential to develop appropriate habitat models to analyze habitat supply of this species. Empirical species-environment models for two age-groups (juveniles and adults) at two depth strata were developed based on a long-term (27 years) gillnet survey data. Models incorporated interactive terms indicate a high degree of prediction accuracy and satisfied the assumption of residual independence. As a benthivorous species, high-quality habitat is mainly distributed in the bottom waters. Suitable habitat for adults is also found in the mid-waters in the central and east basins. Weighted suitability index per unit area differs significantly among years, basins, and vertical strata. Currently, quota allocation among jurisdictions is determined by using GIS applications of jurisdictional surface area of waters within each management unit. The outputs from our study can be used to revise the current quota allocation schemes and habitat-based quota allocation protocol will provide more scientific and rational total allowable catch for each jurisdiction.