Projected Changes to the Trophodynamics of PCBs in the Western Lake Erie Ecosystem Attributed to the Presence of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (24) ◽  
pp. 3862-3867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. Morrison ◽  
Frank A. P. C. Gobas ◽  
Rodica Lazar ◽  
D. Michael Whittle ◽  
G. Douglas Haffner
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Projected Changes ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Dramatic Decline of Unionid Bivalves in Offshore Waters of Western Lake Erie After Infestation by the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 2234-2242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don W. Schloesser ◽  
Thomas F. Nalepa
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Dramatic Decline ◽  
Heavy Infestation ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Unionid bivalves and attached epizoic zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were collected at one index station in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and at 17 stations in 1991 in offshore waters of western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Sampling at the index station revealed that the proportion of live unionids declined from 53% in September 1989 to 17% in May–June 1990 and to 0% in September 1990: this 100% mortality coincided with heavy infestation by zebra mussels. Quantitative sampling with a Ponar grab at the 17 stations in 1991 revealed a widespread and dramatic reduction in unionid populations. In 1982, five unionid species occurred at 35% of the stations at a density of 4/m2, whereas in 1991, no live unionid species were found. Qualitative sampling with an epibenthic sled at the 17 stations in 1991 yielded only 4 live specimens of 2 species (Amblema plicata plicata and Fusconaia flava) and 187 dead specimens of 10 species. These and other results indicate that unionid populations are being negatively affected by zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Similar impacts on unionids are expected to occur where zebra mussels become abundant throughout North America.

A seasonal energy budget for zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 2743-2751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann M Stoeckmann ◽  
David W Garton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Energy Budget ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Shell Growth ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Metabolic Costs ◽  
Western Lake Erie

We constructed a balanced energy budget for zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from the western basin of Lake Erie during the active growth and reproductive season (May-October). We measured metabolic costs (oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion), body mass change, and feces production weekly and marked mussels to quantify shell growth. Costs of reproduction were measured by inducing spawning four times using serotonin and collecting gametes. After conversion to calories, all energy budget components were combined with published length-frequency distributions and mussel densities to estimate population consumption. We estimated that individual zebra mussel consumption averaged 3.16 cal ·day-1 (1 cal = 4.1868 J). Metabolic costs account for >90% of energy consumption. Mussels <15 mm increased in body mass whereas mussels >15 mm allocated energy to reproduction in lieu of somatic growth. Our estimates of population consumption were sensitive to mussel size distribution, with the most abundant size-class responsible for the greatest proportion of population consumption. Based on published estimates for primary production in western Lake Erie, our energy budget estimated that zebra mussels (10 000 - 50 000 mussels ·m-2) potentially consume an equivalent of 10-50% of summer primary production.

Filtering impacts of larval and sessile zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

Oecologia ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J. MacIsaac ◽  
Gary Sprules ◽  
Ora E. Johannson ◽  
J. H. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Increased deposition of organic matter, polychlorinated biphenyls, and cadmium by zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1131-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan P Dobson ◽  
Gerald L Mackie
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Suspended Material ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Biodeposition of organic matter, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and cadmium (Cd) by zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) was investigated at five stations in the western basin of Lake Erie during the summer of 1992. Biodeposition rates at the five stations were determined by using sediment traps and converted to per unit area values to facilitate comparisons with natural sedimentation rates. Biodeposition of suspended material by zebra mussels was up to 8 times greater than sedimentation in the traps. Concentrations of organic matter, PCBs, and Cd were determined for the biodeposits and the sedimented material. There were no significant differences in concentration of organic matter, PCBs, or Cd between the two types of material. Biodeposition rates per unit area of organic matter, PCBs, and Cd were 8-10 times greater than corresponding values for natural sedimentation; therefore, the natural sedimentation processes of these factors appear to be greatly accelerated in the presence of zebra mussels. Results support the possibility that zebra mussels are altering contaminant movement in western Lake Erie, as well as clarifying the water column by removing suspended material.

scholarly journals Ingestion of Small-Bodied Zooplankton by Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha): Can Cannibalism on Larvae Influence Population Dynamics?

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 2051-2060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J. Maclsaac ◽  
W. Gary Sprules ◽  
J. H. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Settlement Patterns ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Larval Settlement ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Incidental Predation ◽  
Western Lake Erie

The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha established populations in western Lake Erie in 1986 and achieved densities exceeding 3.4 × 105 individuals∙m−2 during 1990. We assessed apparently incidental predation on Lake Erie and Erindale Pond zooplankton by adult mussels. Dreissena larvae and small rotifers (Polyarthra spp., Keratella spp., Trichocerca) sustained moderate to high predatory mortality whereas larger taxa (Bosmina, Scapholeberis) were invulnerable to predation. Larval Dreissena almost always sustain > 99% mortality in European lakes. While mortality has been ascribed primarily to lack of suitable settling substrate and unfavourable environmental conditions, it may be confounded by larval predation by adults. We demonstrate using STELLA™-modelling that with a larval mortality rate of 99%, settled mussel densities observed in western Lake Erie during 1990 would not be achieved until at least 1994. A model that combines a lower rate (70%) of abiotic mortality with larval predation by adult mussels correctly predicts 1990 mussel densities. This model of Dreissena population growth is also consistent with larval settlement patterns in Lakes Erie and St. Clair and some European systems.

Pumping Rates and Projected Filtering Impacts of Juvenile Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Western Lake Erie

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 1017-1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Bunt ◽  
Hugh J. Maclsaac ◽  
W. Gary Sprules
Keyword(s):  
Shell Length ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Pumping Rate ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Pumping Rates ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Small-bodied (2–11 mm), settled zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas) comprise up to 90% of individuals inhabiting reefs in western Lake Erie. We assessed pumping rates of these size classes of D. polymorpha by injecting an inert dye into inhalant filtering currents and monitoring exhalant flows using high-resolution videography. Pumping rates ranged between 0.20 and 4.45 mL∙ind−1∙h−1 and increased in relation to mussel shell length. Based on 1990 size–frequency distributions for reefs in western Lake Erie and our pumping rate – shell length regression, small settled D. polymorpha were theoretically capable of pumping between 39 and 96% of the water column daily. Small-bodied mussels inhabiting Sunken Chicken Reef were collectively capable of processing between 110 and 400% of the values previously reported for Daphnia. Recent changes in water quality in western Lake Erie could be primarily related to zebra mussel filtering activities, including those of small-bodied individuals.

scholarly journals Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) selective filtration promoted toxic Microcystis blooms in Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) and Lake Erie

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1208-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry A Vanderploeg ◽  
James R Liebig ◽  
Wayne W Carmichael ◽  
Megan A Agy ◽  
Thomas H Johengen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Saginaw Bay ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Filtering Rates

Microcystis aeruginosa, a planktonic colonial cyanobacterium, was not abundant in the 2-year period before zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) establishment in Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) but became abundant in three of five summers subsequent of mussel establishment. Using novel methods, we determined clearance, capture, and assimilation rates for zebra mussels feeding on natural and laboratory M. aeruginosa strains offered alone or in combination with other algae. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that zebra mussels promoted blooms of toxic M. aeruginosa in Saginaw Bay, western Lake Erie, and other lakes through selective rejection in pseudofeces. Mussels exhibited high feeding rates similar to those seen for a highly desirable food alga (Cryptomonas) with both large ( >53 µm) and small (<53 µm) colonies of a nontoxic and a toxic laboratory strain of M. aeruginosa known to cause blockage of feeding in zooplankton. In experiments with naturally occurring toxic M. aeruginosa from Saginaw Bay and Lake Erie and a toxic isolate from Lake Erie, mussels exhibited lowered or normal filtering rates with rejection of M. aeruginosa in pseudofeces. Selective rejection depended on "unpalatable" toxic strains of M. aeruginosa occurring as large colonies that could be rejected efficiently while small desirable algae were ingested.

Elimination rate constants of 36 PCBs in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and exposure dynamics in the Lake St. Clair - Lake Erie corridor

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 2574-2582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Morrison ◽  
Rodica Lazar ◽  
G. Douglas Haffner ◽  
Tamara Yankovich
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Rate Constants ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Elimination Rate ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Elimination Kinetics ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Kinetics Of

The elimination kinetics of 36 PCB congeners, ranging in log octanol–water partition coefficients (log Kow) from 5.60 to 7.50, were determined in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) with shell lengths from 1.0 to 1.5 cm. Elimination rate constants, based on lipid-normalized data, ranged from 0.172 to 0.042 day−1 and exhibited a significant negative regression with log Kow. Time to 95% steady state ranged from 17.5 to 71.0 days and was used to determine the period over which mussels integrated exposure concentrations. Bioavailable PCB congener concentrations, calculated with a steady-state model, were determined from mussels collected offshore of Middle Sister Island in western Lake Erie. Chemical concentrations in water, estimated using mussels, were within an order of magnitude of direct measurements for congeners with log Kow < 6.6. The rapid elimination kinetics of zebra mussels suggests that these organisms can closely track temporal fluctuations in ambient chemical concentrations, and therefore have the potential to regulate contaminant cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

Impacts of zebra mussel on walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) reproduction in western Lake Erie

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 578-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Fitzsimons ◽  
J. H. Leach ◽  
S. J. Nepszy ◽  
V. W. Cairns
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Egg Viability ◽  
Egg Deposition ◽  
Adverse Impacts ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Total Coverage ◽  
Western Lake Erie

A walleye spawning shoal (Sunken Chicken Reef) in western Lake Erie was sampled during the spring of 1990 and 1991 to assess the abundance of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and to determine its impact on walleye reproduction. Mussel abundance ranged from 76 500/m2 at 1.5 m depth to 344 300/m2 at 4.5 m depth at the shoal (1990). Despite the almost total coverage of spawning beds walleye continued to spawn at the shoal, with no apparent effect of the mussels on egg deposition, egg viability, and interstitial dissolved oxygen. Although preinvasion data for walleye egg deposition are not comparable to data from this study, deposition appears adequate based on good indices of recruitment of young-of-the-year walleye derived from resource agency trawling during 1990 and 1991. Thus there appears to have been no adverse impacts of zebra mussel on walleye reproduction in western Lake Erie during 1990 and 1991.

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