Changes in spring phytoplankton communities and nutrient dynamics in the eastern basin of Lake Erie since the invasion of Dreissena spp.

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1549-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard P Barbiero ◽  
David C Rockwell ◽  
Glenn J Warren ◽  
Marc L Tuchman
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Silica Content ◽  
Eastern Basin ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs ◽  
Centric Diatoms ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
High Silica ◽  
Stephanodiscus Hantzschii

Distinct changes have occurred in the size and composition of the spring phytoplankton community in the eastern basin of Lake Erie following the introduction of Dreissena. Since 1996, total phytoplankton biovolume has decreased to approximately 20% of pre-Dreissena levels, whereas postinvasion concentrations of spring soluble nutrients, particularly silica, have been substantially elevated compared with earlier years. Spring dominance has shifted from a mix of pennate and large centric diatoms and pyrrophytes to three centric diatoms with high silica requirements: Aulacoseira islandica, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, and Stephanodiscus parvus, and the overall diversity and species richness of the spring phytoplankton community has declined significantly. In addition, current April silica concentrations are approximately twice as high as historical (i.e., 1960s–1980s) winter maxima, indicating that the silica content of the lake has increased since the dreissenid invasion. These results suggest that the severe silica depletion caused by increased anthropogenic inputs of nutrients during the last century has been mitigated through a decrease in diatom production, most likely brought about by dreissenid grazing.

Cultural Impact on the Geochemistry of Sediments in Lake Erie

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. W. Kemp ◽  
R. L. Thomas ◽  
C. I. Dell ◽  
J.-M. Jaquet
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Cultural Impact ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Eastern Basin ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
North Shore ◽  
The North ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs ◽  
Sediment Mass ◽  
Anthropogenic Loading

The chemical and physical characteristics of six cores from Lake Erie are described. The concentrations of Si, Al, K, Na, and Mg, which represent the major mineral species in the sediment, were uniform in each core. Surface enrichments of Hg, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Organic-C, N, and P were observed at each location, due mainly to the increasing anthropogenic loading of these elements to the sediments since 1850. Concentration profiles for Mn, Fe, and S were related to sediment Eh and are due to mobilization of these elements in the pore waters.Natural and anthropogenic inputs of nutrients and heavy metals were calculated. About 60% of the total loading of these elements is being deposited in the Eastern basin. It is calculated that 30 million metric tons of fine-grained sediment accumulates in the offshore basins of the lake, each year. The major source of the sediment input is erosion of the shoreline bluffs, with the north shore between Erieau and Long Point contributing 21 million metric tons annually. A sediment mass balance suggests that a large part of this bluff material is transported up to 150 km and is deposited in the Eastern basin.

Differences between Nearshore and Offshore Phytoplankton Communities in Lake Ontario

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2155-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Algal Biomass ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Eutrophic Species

Differences between nearshore and offshore phytoplankton biomass and composition were evident in Lake Ontario in 1982. Phytoplankton biomass was characterized by multiple peaks which ranged over three orders of magnitude. Perhaps as a consequence of the three times higher current velocities at the northshore station, phytoplankton biomass ranged from 0.09 to 9.00 g∙m−3 compared with 0.10 to 2.40 g∙m−3 for the midlake station. Bacillariophyceae was the dominant group at the northshore station until September when Cyanophyta contributed most to the biomass (83%). Although Bacillariophyceae was the principal component of the spring phytoplankton community at the midlake station, phytoflagellates (49%) and Chlorophyceae (25%) were responsible for summer biomass, with the Chlorophyceae expanding to 80% in the fall. The seasonal pattern of epilimnetic chlorophyll a correlated with temperature. While chlorophyll a concentrations were similar to values from 1970 and 1972, algal biomass had declined and a number of eutrophic species (Melosira binderana, Stephanodiscus tenuis, S. hantzschii var. pusilla, and S. alpinus) previously found were absent in 1982.

Factors influencing the growth of Mougeotia in experimentally acidified mesocosms

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L Klug ◽  
Janet M Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Little Rock ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Mesocosm Experiments ◽  
Potential Factors

Acidification causes profound changes in species composition in aquatic systems. We conducted mesocosm experiments in three northern Wisconsin lakes (Trout Lake, Little Rock - Reference, Little Rock - Treatment) to test how different phytoplankton communities respond to acidification. Major differences exist among these lakes in water chemistry and phytoplankton community composition. In each lake, three pH treatments (control, press (sustained pH 4.7), and pulse (alternating pH 4.7 and ambient pH)) were maintained for 6 weeks. We observed a striking increase in species in the genus Mougeotia in all systems. Mougeotia is a filamentous green alga often found in acidified lakes. The magnitude of the Mougeotia increase differed among lakes and treatments, and we used an autoregressive model to identify potential factors responsible for these differences. Our results suggest that biotic factors such as competition with other algae played a relatively minor role in regulating Mougeotia dynamics. Instead, pH and abiotic factors associated with changes in pH (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon) were important predictors of Mougeotia dynamics.

scholarly journals Timing of sea ice retreat can alter phytoplankton community structure in the western Arctic Ocean

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1705-1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fujiwara ◽  
T. Hirawake ◽  
K. Suzuki ◽  
I. Imai ◽  
S.-I. Saitoh
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Phytoplankton Community Structure ◽  
Western Arctic Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Ice Retreat ◽  
Western Arctic ◽  
Sea Ice Retreat

Abstract. This study assesses the response of phytoplankton assemblages to recent climate change, especially with regard to the shrinking of sea ice in the northern Chukchi Sea of the western Arctic Ocean. Distribution patterns of phytoplankton groups in the late summers of 2008–2010 were analysed based on HPLC pigment signatures and, the following four major algal groups were inferred via multiple regression and cluster analyses: prasinophytes, diatoms, haptophytes and dinoflagellates. A remarkable interannual difference in the distribution pattern of the groups was found in the northern basin area. Haptophytes dominated and dispersed widely in warm surface waters in 2008, whereas prasinophytes dominated in cold water in 2009 and 2010. A difference in the onset date of sea ice retreat was evident among years–the sea ice retreat in 2008 was 1–2 months earlier than in 2009 and 2010. The spatial distribution of early sea ice retreat matched the areas in which a shift in algal community composition was observed. Steel-Dwass's multiple comparison tests were used to assess the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the four clusters. We found a statistically significant difference in temperature between the haptophyte-dominated cluster and the other clusters, suggesting that the change in the phytoplankton communities was related to the earlier sea ice retreat in 2008 and the corollary increase in sea surface temperatures. Longer periods of open water during the summer, which are expected in the future, may affect food webs and biogeochemical cycles in the western Arctic due to shifts in phytoplankton community structure.

scholarly journals Feeding patterns in Eubranchipus grubii (Dybowski 1860) (Branchiopoda: Anostraca) and its potential influence on the phytoplankton communities of vernal pools

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Celewicz ◽  
Michał Jan Czyż ◽  
Bartłomiej Gołdyn
Keyword(s):  
Cell Volume ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Filter Feeder ◽  
Algal Communities ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Fairy Shrimps ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Control

Filtration patterns in the fairy shrimp Eubranchipus grubii were analysed under laboratory conditions using water containing phytoplankton from their actual locality in western Poland. After 48 hours of feeding, we compared the structure of algal communities in water samples in treatments with males, females and control. The mean filtration rate for E. grubii was relatively high (14,488 mL h-1) in comparison to other crustacean filter feeders and was higher for females than for males. Fairy shrimps grazed effectively on all 11 dominant phytoplankton taxa and there was no sign of overall preferences with regard to taxon, cell volume, length or shape. Female fairy shrimps removed significantly more cells of three taxa (Cryptomonas erosa, C. ovata and Trachelomonas volvocina). The differences between sexes did not depend on the cell volume or length of particular phytoplankton taxa but were significantly related to their initial abundance, initial biomass and shape. The higher the abundance and biomass of the algal taxa, the more intensively it was grazed by females than by males. Females were also observed to graze more on spherical and elongated cells. In conclusion, our results show E. grubii to be an effective, generalist filter feeder capable of significantly influencing the phytoplankton community of a vernal pool. Possible implications of such grazing pressure are also discussed.

scholarly journals Phytoplankton community structure in Menjer Lake, Central Java

2021 ◽  
Vol 869 (1) ◽  
pp. 012037
Author(s):  
F Sulawesty ◽  
G P Yoga ◽  
L Subehi ◽  
R Rosidah
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Phytoplankton Community Structure ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Central Java ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Ecological Pressure

Abstract The occurrence of land changes around Lake Menjer, Central Java Province will affect the condition of water quality subsequently will affect biota, including phytoplankton. The purposes of study was to analyze the composition and abundance of phytoplankton in Menjer Lake regarding to nutrient content i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus. Observations on the phytoplankton community were conducted in July and October 2019 at six locations in Menjer Lake. Water samples were taken at the water surface as much as 10 L filtered using plankton net. Identification was carried out under the inverted microscope Diaphot 300. The abundance was calculated using the Sedgwick Rafter cell counting (SRCC) method. Analysis of the phytoplankton community structure was derived by calculating the Diversity Index, Evenness Index, and Simpson Dominance Index. The nutrient content in Menjer Lake influences the structure of phytoplankton communities quantitatively and qualitatively. Observation showed that the diversity of phytoplankton was low and there was one species dominanted, the result explained that the phytoplankton community in Menjer Lake is unstable and there is ecological pressure on the community. It can be concluded that the improvement of environmental conditions around Menjer Lake is the basis for the sustainable management of Menjer Lake.

scholarly journals Summer aspect of phytoplankton communities in some Montenegrin lakes: Are there changes after more than two decades?

2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 745-755
Author(s):  
Jelena Rakocevic
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Phytoplankton Composition ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Environmental Monitoring System ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Second Period

Qualitative and quantitative phytoplankton compositions of 10 Montenegrin lakes were investigated in the summer of 2007. The obtained results were compared with a previous study-period that was undertaken two decades ago. In the first period, diatoms numerically dominated the phytoplankton community in all studied lakes, while in the second period, the same was observed only in three of the ten lakes; in other studied lakes the relative contributions of green algae, dinoflagellates and/or cyanobacteria increased, while the contribution of diatoms decreased. The shift observed in phytoplankton composition and diversity in some of the studied lakes indicates an increase in the trophic level over the two decades. The sustainable management plan of the aquatic ecosystems in Montenegro should include the establishment of an environmental monitoring system in order to record any alterations that may take place in water quality.

Iron plays a role in nitrate drawdown by phytoplankton in Lake Erie surface waters as observed in lake-wide assessments

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya M. Havens ◽  
Christel S. Hassler ◽  
Rebecca L. North ◽  
Stephanie J. Guildford ◽  
Greg Silsbe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Thermal Stratification ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
Sampling Depth ◽  
Phytoplankton Pigment ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Dissolved Iron ◽  
Continuous Surface

Phytoplankton interactions with iron (Fe) were examined in surface waters of Lake Erie during summer thermal stratification. Lake-wide sampling in June and September 2005 was conducted using a continuous surface water sampler (1 m sampling depth) and in July at 18 hydrographic stations (5 m sampling depth). In situ measurements of photosynthetic efficiency (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II) and phytoplankton community composition were measured using fast repetition rate fluorometry and a phytoplankton pigment-specific fluorometer, respectively, during June and September. High ratios (73%–85%) of intracellular Fe to particulate Fe coincident with increases in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations in the western and central basins in June and July imply that the majority of Fe in these regions was associated with intracellular pools. Correlations between intracellular Fe and Chl a were frequently observed when Heterokontophyta and Pyrrophyta dominated the phytoplankton community. Assimilation of Fe by the phytoplankton strongly influenced its partitioning between the dissolved and particulate phase. Dissolved iron (<0.45 µm) concentrations were proportional to Chl a concentrations and both dissolved iron and Chl a were inversely proportional to nitrate concentrations in July and September, suggesting that dissolved iron influenced both nitrate drawdown and Chl a concentrations in Lake Erie surface waters in summer.

Invasion of Lake Erie Offshore Sediments by Dreissena, and Its Ecological Implications

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 2298-2304 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Dermott ◽  
M. Munawar
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Quagga Mussel ◽  
Central Basin ◽  
Eastern Basin ◽  
Fine Sediments ◽  
Ecological Implications ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Hard Substrates

Large populations of the exotic rounded (noncarinate) shelled mussel of the genus Dreissena were found to exist on soft sediments collected throughout the central and eastern basins of Lake Erie during July and August 1992. Two different phenotypes were present on fine sediments (<150 μm) in the eastern basin. An elongated white morph was common on the profundal sediments beyond 40 m depth, while the "quagga" mussel was common on sand and sandy silt at depths between 10 and 30 m. Together with the carinated zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, which is very abundant on hard substrates in the sublittoral region, at least 80% of Lake Erie's bottom sediments have been invaded by Dreissena. Only that region of the central basin (near Cleveland) which undergoes periodic summer anoxia was not inhabited by this genus.

scholarly journals Does behavioural thermoregulation underlie seasonal movements in Lake Erie walleye?

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham D. Raby ◽  
Christopher S. Vandergoot ◽  
Todd A. Hayden ◽  
Matthew D. Faust ◽  
Richard T. Kraus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Seasonal Migration ◽  
Central Basin ◽  
Behavioural Thermoregulation ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Eastern Basin ◽  
Temperature Records ◽  
Thermal Preferences

Thermoregulation is presumed to be a widespread determinant of behaviour in fishes, but has not often been investigated as a mechanism shaping long-distance migrations. We used acoustic telemetry and animal-borne thermal loggers to test the hypothesis that seasonal migration in adult walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Erie is size- and (or) sex-specific and related to behavioural thermoregulation. Female walleye migrated out of the warm, shallow western basin earlier than did males and were 1.8 times more likely to be detected on acoustic receivers in the deeper and cooler eastern basin. The few fish that remained in the western basin were restricted to a smaller range of higher temperatures (≥20 °C) than those that migrated to the central and eastern basins (∼16–21 °C). However, temperature records from walleye in the central basin were nearly indistinguishable from those in the eastern basin, suggesting thermal preferences alone could not explain migration to the eastern basin. As such, our effort to understand the mechanisms that cause migratory behaviours has generated mixed evidence on the role of temperature and that factors like foraging opportunities may have synergistic roles in the migration.

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