scholarly journals Dispersal and emerging ecological impacts of Ponto-Caspian species in the Laurentian Great Lakes

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 1209-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry A Vanderploeg ◽  
Thomas F Nalepa ◽  
David J Jude ◽  
Edward L Mills ◽  
Kristen T Holeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Nutrient Ratios ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts

We describe, explain, and "predict" dispersal and ecosystem impacts of six Ponto-Caspian endemic species that recently invaded the Great Lakes via ballast water. The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, continue to colonize hard and soft substrates of the Great Lakes and are changing ecosystem function through mechanisms of ecosystem engineering (increased water clarity and reef building), fouling native mussels, high particle filtration rate with selective rejection of colonial cyanobacteria in pseudofeces, alteration of nutrient ratios, and facilitation of the rapid spread of their Ponto-Caspian associates, the benthic amphipod Echinogammarus ischnus and the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, which feeds on zebra mussels. The tubenose goby,Proterorhinus marmoratus, which does not feed on zebra mussels, has not spread rapidly. Impacts of these benthic invaders vary with site: in some shallow areas, habitat changes and the Dreissena [Formula: see text] round goby [Formula: see text] piscivore food chain have improved conditions for certain native game fishes and waterfowl; in offshore waters, Dreissena is competing for settling algae with the native amphipod Diporeia spp., which are disappearing to the detriment of the native deep-water fish community. The predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi may compete with small fishes for zooplankton and increase food-chain length.

Impacts of the Eurasian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) on benthic communities in the upper St. Lawrence River

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Kipp ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
River System ◽  
Benthic Algae ◽  
Large River ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Benthivorous Fish ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts ◽  
St Lawrence River

An invasive benthivorous fish, the Eurasian round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) is abundant throughout the lower Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system. We examined the round goby’s potential to alter benthic communities on cobble substrates in the upper St. Lawrence River. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, macroinvertebrates and benthic algae were sampled across sites with varying goby densities. Archived data from various sites in 2004–2006 (prior to invasion) were available for comparison. Macroinvertebrate community composition varied significantly among samples grouped into categories based on goby density and time since invasion. Macroinvertebrate diversity and dominance by large-bodied taxa declined with increasing goby density. Surprisingly, dreissenid biomass did not vary consistently with goby density, in contrast to studies in the Great Lakes. The biomass of all non-dreissenid taxa was negatively correlated with increasing goby density across sites and over time at three of four sites. Negative effects were most pronounced on the biomass of gastropods. Benthic algal biomass increased with goby density across sites, suggesting a trophic cascade driven by the impacts of gobies on gastropods and other algivores. Our study highlights the potential ecosystem impacts of an expanding goby population in a large river.

Response of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in Oneida Lake, New York, to the establishment of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 742-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M Mayer ◽  
A J VanDeValk ◽  
J L Forney ◽  
L G Rudstam ◽  
E L Mills
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Oneida Lake ◽  
Zooplankton Size ◽  
Adult Growth

We used long-term data on Oneida Lake, New York, to evaluate hypotheses about the effects of introduced zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on yellow perch (Perca flavescens). We detected no change in survival, diet, or numbers of young-of-the-year (YOY) yellow perch. YOY growth increased in association with zebra mussel introduction and was marginally correlated with zooplankton size, which increased after zebra mussel introduction. Low numbers of YOY in recent years did not explain their increased growth rate. The percentage of age 3 and older yellow perch that consumed zooplankton and benthos increased after zebra mussel introduction. Water clarity, which has increased since zebra mussel introduction, was inversely related to the percentage of the adult population with empty stomachs and positively related to the percentage that consumed benthos. The percentage of adult yellow perch that consumed zooplankton was positively related to zooplankton size. Despite the increase in percentage of adults consuming both types of invertebrate prey, we detected no changes in adult growth associated with zebra mussel introduction. This suggests that the principal effects of zebra mussels on yellow perch in Oneida Lake were not via benthic pathways but through modifications of water clarity and zooplankton. Thus far, these effects have not been negative for the yellow perch population.

Dispersal strategies, secondary range expansion and invasion genetics of the nonindigenous round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, in Great Lakes tributaries

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1845-1859 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER E. BRONNENHUBER ◽  
BRAD A. DUFOUR ◽  
DENNIS M. HIGGS ◽  
DANIEL D. HEATH
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Secondary Range ◽  
Invasion Genetics

scholarly journals Eurasian tench (Tinca tinca): the next Great Lakes invader

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunčica Avlijaš ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi ◽  
Nicholas E. Mandrak
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Tinca Tinca ◽  
Benthic Fishes ◽  
Tench Tinca Tinca ◽  
Natural Dispersal ◽  
St Lawrence River

A globally invasive fish, Eurasian tench (Tinca tinca) is spreading through the St. Lawrence River and poses an imminent invasion threat to the Great Lakes. Following its illegal release into a tributary of the St. Lawrence River in 1991, tench has spread throughout the river’s main stem over the past decade, and its abundance in commercial fishing bycatch in the river has grown exponentially. The tench is a generalist benthic consumer with largely undocumented ecological impacts in North America. Reports from other invaded regions indicate that it can compete with other benthic fishes, host a diverse assemblage of parasites and pathogens, degrade water clarity in shallow lakes, limit submerged macrophyte growth, reduce gastropod populations, and promote benthic algal growth through top-down effects. Risk assessments and climate-match models indicate that the Great Lakes are vulnerable to tench invasion, and they signal the need for timely comprehensive actions, including development and implementation of monitoring and rapid-response protocols, including prevention or slowing of natural dispersal through canals.

Predicting the identity and impact of future biological invaders: a priority for aquatic resource management

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1759-1765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ricciardi ◽  
Joseph B Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
Ballast Water ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
River System ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Inland Waterways ◽  
Donor Region ◽  
Aquatic Resource ◽  
Biological Invaders

The identification and risk assessment of potential biological invaders would provide valuable criteria for the allocation of resources toward the detection and control of invasion threats. Yet, freshwater biologists have made few attempts at predicting potential invaders, apparently because such efforts are perceived to be costly and futile. We describe some simple, low-cost empirical approaches that would facilitate prediction and demonstrate their use in identifying high-risk species from an important donor region: the Ponto-Caspian (Black, Caspian, and Azov seas) basin. This region is the source of several freshwater organisms already invading North America, including the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis), ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus), and round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Based on a thorough literature review, we identify 17 additional Ponto-Caspian animals that have recent invasion histories and are likely to be transported overseas in ship ballast water; moreover, their broad salinity tolerance could allow them to survive an incomplete ballast-water exchange. These results suggest that, unless current vectors are more effectively controlled, the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River system and other North American inland waterways will continue to receive and be impacted by invasive Eurasian species.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variability in energetic condition of alewife and round goby in Lake Michigan

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 1982-1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Bunnell ◽  
Steven A. Pothoven ◽  
Patricia M. Armenio ◽  
Lauren Eaton ◽  
David M. Warner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
Prey Fish ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Energetic Condition

Pelagic-oriented alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and benthic-oriented round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) are two important prey fishes in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In 2015, we evaluated their seasonal total energy (TE) across nine Lake Michigan transects. Round goby contained at least 48% more kilojoules of TE than alewife of equal length during spring and summer. TE varied spatially for both species, but only large alewife exhibited a consistent pattern, with higher values along the eastern shoreline. Variation in TE was not explained by site-specific prey densities for either species. Round goby energy density (ED) was higher in Lake Michigan than in central Lake Erie, but comparable to other regions of the Great Lakes. Alewife ED in 2015 was similar to that in 2002–2004 in Lake Michigan, with the exception of November (small alewife ED was 21% higher) and April (large alewife ED was 30% lower). Despite oligotrophication, our study suggests that starvation of juvenile and adults has not been directly contributing to overall declining prey fish abundance, although future research should evaluate the potential for overwinter starvation.

scholarly journals Do zebra mussels (dreissena polymorpha) alter the water chemistry in a way that favours Microcystis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Bykova
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Cyanobacterial Bloom ◽  
N:P Ratio ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Nutrient Ratios ◽  
Lake Ecosystems ◽  
Total Dissolved Nitrogen ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations

Many factors may contribute to cyanobacterial bloom formation. This study examined possible relationships between the presence of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and Microcystis spp. abundance. Experiments were conducted in twelve microcosms designed to mimic shallow lake ecosystems. Zebra mussels significantly reduced nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen, and total dissolved nitrogen concentrations, and had no effect on ammonia, phosphate levels, or dissolved organic carbon. Consequently, the N:P ratio was reduced in microcosms with zebra mussels to 6:1, which is below the Redfield ration of 16:1. Zebra mussels also increased the abundance of Microcystis and Microcystis: Pseudokirchneriella biovolume. In experiments done without zebra mussels, nutrient ratios were manipulated and low N:P caused a similar increase in Microcystis and Microcystis: Pseudokirchneriella biovolume. The shift in N:P in the presence of zebra mussels were related to higher rates of nitrate flux into sediments and reduced flux of phosphate into sediments. It is this shift in N:P, and possibly some level of selective feeding, that is believed to have driven changes in the relative abundance of Microcystis. Finally, in order to compare the experimental results with changes caused by zebra mussel invasion in the natural environment, the data from 15 Wisconsin lakes before and after the zebra mussel invasions were analysed.

scholarly journals Ecological responses to elevated water temperatures across invasive populations of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Great Lakes basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Bauer Reid ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
St Lawrence River

Climate warming is expected to alter the distribution, abundance, and impact of non-native species in aquatic ecosystems. In laboratory experiments, we measured the maximum feeding rate and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of an invasive Eurasian fish, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), acclimated to a range of temperatures (18–28°C) reflecting current and projected future thermal conditions for the nearshore Great Lakes. Fish were collected from four distinct populations along a latitudinal gradient from the western basin of Lake Erie to Hamilton Harbour (Lake Ontario) and the upper St. Lawrence River. Thermal tolerance increased with acclimation temperature for populations in lakes Erie and Ontario. However, the St. Lawrence River populations had lower acclimation capacity and exhibited an unexpected decline in CTmax at the highest acclimation temperature. Maximum feeding rates peaked at 18–24°C and declined with temperatures above 24°C. Northern populations in the basin appear poorly adapted to elevated temperatures such that their performance and impact could be reduced by climate warming. Thermal response data from latitudinally distributed populations are needed to inform invasive species risk assessment.

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