Crustacean Plankton and the Eutrophication of St. Lawrence Great Lakes

Fourteen copepod and 13 cladoceran species were found in the summer plankton of lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Cyclops bicuspidatus thomasi was the most abundant species in lakes Huron, Ontario, and Erie, and Diaptomus sicilis in Lake Superior. A general trend was seen from oligotrophic Lake Superior to eutrophic Lake Erie: the diminishing significance of calanoids (Diaptomus sicilis and Diaptomus ashlandi) accompanied by the increasing predominance of cyclopoids and cladocerans (Cyclops bicuspidatus thomasi, Mesocyclops edax, Daphnia retrocurva, Daphnia galeata mendotae, Bosmina longirostris, and Bosmina coregoni coregoni). The average crustacean abundance varied from 43 individuals/cm2 in Lake Superior to 400/cm2 in Lake Erie, and was related to both the heat and chlorophyll content of the water.Total phosphorus loadings for the five Great Lakes were calculated using Vollenweider's criteria based on phosphorus exports from soils and human population densities in the drainage basins. They amounted to 0.03 g total P/m2∙year for Lake Superior, 0.15 for Lake Huron, 0.29 for Lake Michigan, 0.86 for Lake Ontario, and 0.98 for Lake Erie. The lake-average summer chlorophyll-a concentrations as well as Secchi disc visibilities were closely related to the phosphorus loading rates. Crustacean abundance was then indirectly related to the phosphorus loading rates. Based on the correlations found, predictions were made about changes in Secchi disc visibility and chlorophyll concentration with increasing human population densities in the drainage basin.

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Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) Fluctuations in the Great Lakes and Possible Causes, 1800–1975

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f77-254 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 34 (10) ◽

pp. 1878-1889 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

J. C. Schneider ◽

J. H. Leach

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Lake Huron ◽

Stizostedion Vitreum ◽

Spawning Habitat ◽

Green Bay ◽

Western Lake ◽

Foreign Species ◽

Western Lake Erie

Changes in walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) stocks in the Great Lakes from 1800 to 1975 were linked to proliferation of foreign species of fish and culturally induced sources of stress — exploitation, nutrient loading, alteration of spawning habitat, and toxic materials. During the 1800s, three small spawning stocks (and probably many others) were damaged or destroyed because of either overfishing or elimination of spawning habitat through logging, pollution, or damming.During 1900–40, stocks in the Michigan waters of Lake Superior, southern Green Bay, the Thunder Bay River of Lake Huron, the North Channel of Lake Huron, and the New York waters of Lake Ontario declined gradually. Pollution, in general, and degradation of spawning habitat, in particular, probably caused three of the declines and overexploitation was suspected in two instances. In addition, the decline of three of these stocks occurred when rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) were increasing.During 1940–75, stocks in seven areas declined abruptly: Saginaw Bay (1944), northern Green Bay (1953), Muskegon River (mid-1950s), western Lake Erie (1955), Nipigon Bay (late 1950s), Bay of Quinte (1960), and Black Bay (mid-1960s). The decline of each stock was associated with a series of weak year-classes. The stocks were exposed to various sources of stress, including overexploitation, pollution, and interaction with foreign species, which, if not important in the decline, may be suppressing recovery. Only the western Lake Erie stock recovered, in part due to a reduction in exploitation and, possibly, because of the relatively low density of smelt and alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the nursery areas.Relatively stable stocks persisted in five areas: Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior, Lake St. Clair — southern Lake Huron, eastern Lake Erie, northern Lake Huron, and parts of Georgian Bay. Pollution problems were relatively minor in these areas and exploitation was light during recent decades. Apparently these stocks were more capable of withstanding the additional stresses exerted by alien species. Key words: population fluctuations, Percidae, Stizostedion, Great Lakes walleye, history of fisheries, summary of stresses, harvests, management implications

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Periodic structures of Great Lakes levels using wavelet analysis

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.2478/v10098-011-0002-z ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 24-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Taner Cengiz

Keyword(s):

Wavelet Transform ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Level ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Lake Michigan ◽

Periodic Structures ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Great Lakes Region ◽

Continuous Wavelet ◽

Lake Levels

Periodic structures of Great Lakes levels using wavelet analysisThe recently advanced approach of wavelet transforms is applied to the analysis of lake levels. The aim of this study is to investigate the variability of lake levels in four lakes in the Great Lakes region where the method of continuous wavelet transform and global spectra are used. The analysis of lake-level variations in the time-scale domain incorporates the method of continuous wavelet transform and the global spectrum. Four lake levels, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior in the Great Lakes region were selected for the analysis. Monthly lake level records at selected locations were analyzed by wavelet transform for the period 1919 to 2004. The periodic structures of the Great Lakes levels revealed a spectrum between the 1-year and 43- year scale level. It is found that major lake levels periodicities are generally the annual cycle. Lake Michigan levels show different periodicities from Lake Erie and Lake Superior and Lake Ontario levels. Lake Michigan showed generally long-term (more than 10 years) periodicities. It was shown that the Michigan Lake shows much stronger influences of inter-annual atmospheric variability than the other three lakes. The other result was that some interesting correlations between global spectrums of the lake levels from the same climatic region were found.

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Epizootics of thyroid hyperplasia in Lake Superior and Lake Erie pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum))

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z88-393 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 66 (12) ◽

pp. 2676-2687 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Douglas B. Noltie ◽

John F. Leatherland ◽

Miles H. A. Keenleyside

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Body Size ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Pink Salmon ◽

Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha ◽

Thyroid Hyperplasia

All Lake Superior and Lake Erie pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum)) collected exhibited thyroid hyperplasia. Samples from British Columbia, however, were unaffected. In fish from Lake Superior, lesion sizes increased through a graded series and were correlated with increased body size. In contrast, almost all Lake Erie fish exhibited extreme hyperplasia regardless of body size. Pink salmon lesion histopathology differed markedly from that shown by Great Lakes coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)) and chinook (Oncorhynchus ishawytscha (Walbaum)) salmon. Among Great Lakes populations, males and females were equally afflicted. Greater proportions of females entered their spawning streams with immature gonads in Lake Erie, where fish exhibited larger lesions. Indications are that males showed poorer secondary sexual character development there as well. Gonad weights in Lake Erie males were proportionally smaller than in Lake Superior males, and liver weights in Lake Superior fish were smaller than in British Columbia specimens. Thyroid hormone levels and lesion sizes were negatively correlated, providing evidence of hypothyroidism. These findings warn of potential water quality problems in Lake Superior, and suggest a useful means of assessing the goitrogenic potential of Great Lakes systems. Despite its negative effects, however, thyroid hyperplasia has not prevented the increase of pink salmon numbers and distribution in the Great Lakes.

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Coping with Great Lakes Flood and Erosion Hazards: Long Point, Lake Erie, vs. Minnesota Point, Lake Superior

Journal of Great Lakes Research ◽

10.1016/s0380-1330(92)71272-6 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 29-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Harun Rasid ◽

Dale Baker ◽

Reid Kreutzwiser

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Erosion Hazards

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Zebra Mussels as Biomonitors for Organic Contaminants in the Lower Great Lakes

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.1996.023 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 411-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Michael E. Comba ◽

Janice L. Metcalfe-Smith ◽

Klaus L.E. Kaiser

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Organic Contaminants ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Soft Tissues ◽

Lake Ontario ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Zebra Mussels ◽

Organic Contamination ◽

Contamination Levels ◽

St Lawrence River

Abstract Zebra mussels were collected from 24 sites in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River between 1990 and 1992. Composite samples of whole mussels (15 sites) or soft tissues (9 sites) were analyzed for residues of organochlo-rine pesticides and PCBs to evaluate zebra mussels as biomonitors for organic contaminants. Mussels from most sites contained measurable quantities of most of the analytes. Mean concentrations were (in ng/g, whole mussel dry weight basis) 154 ΣPCB, 8.4 ΣDDT, 3.5 Σchlordane, 3.4 Σaldrin, 1.4 ΣBHC, 1.0 Σendosulfan, 0.80 mirex and 0.40 Σchlorobenzene. Concentrations varied greatly between sites, i.e., from 22 to 497 ng/g for ΣPCB and from 0.08 to 11.6 ng/g for ΣBHC, an indication that mussels are sensitive to different levels of contamination. Levels of ΣPCB and Σendosulfan were highest in mussels from the St. Lawrence River, whereas mirex was highest in those from Lake Ontario. Overall, mussels from Lake Erie were the least contaminated. These observations agree well with the spatial contaminant trends shown by other biomoni-toring programs. PCB congener class profiles in zebra mussels are also typical for nearby industrial sources, e.g., mussels below an aluminum casting plant contained 55% di-, tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls versus 31% in those upstream. We propose the use of zebra mussels as biomonitors of organic contamination in the Great Lakes.

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Loading rates of nutrients discharging from a golf course and a neighboring forested basin

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1999.0535 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 39 (12) ◽

pp. 99-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Takao Kunimatsu ◽

Miki Sudo ◽

Takeshi Kawachi

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Loading ◽

Chamaecyparis Obtusa ◽

Phosphorus Loading ◽

Golf Course ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Golf Courses ◽

Japanese Cypress ◽

Arithmetic Average ◽

Loading Rates ◽

Runoff Rate

In the last ten years, the number of golf courses has been increasing in some countries as the game gains popularity. This indicates, a need to estimate the nutrient loading from golf courses in order to prevent the eutrophication of water bodies. Nutrient concentrations and flow rates of a brook were measured once a week from 1989 to 1990 at two sites: Site A of a brook flowing out from D-golf course (53 ha) and Site B of the same brook discharging into the golf course from an upper forested basin (23 ha) covered mainly with planted Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa SIEB. et ZUCC). The bedrock of the area was granite. The annual values of precipitation and mean temperature were 1947 mm and 13.5°C in 1989, respectively. The arithmetic average values of discharge from the forested basin and the golf course were 0.392 and 1.26 mg/l total nitrogen (TN), 0.0072 and 0.145 mg/l total phosphorus (TP), 0.82 and 3.53 mg/l potassium ion (K+, 5.92 and 8.24 mg/l sodium ion (Na+), 2.1 and 9.9 mg/l suspending solid (0.001–2.0 mm, SS), 0.087 and 0.147 mS/cm electric conductivity (EC), and 0.031 and 0.037 m3/km2•s specific discharge, respectively. The loading rates of the forested basin and the golf course were 5.42 and 13.5 TN, 0.133 and 3.04 TP, 8.84 and 33.9 K+, 55.0 and 73.0 Na+, and 54.3 and 118 SS in kg/ha•y. The leaching and runoff rate of nitrogen in the chemical fertilizers applied on the golf course was calculated as 32%. These results indicated the importance of controlling the phosphorus loading for the management of golf courses.

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Lake-to-Lake Cloud Bands: Frequencies and Locations

Monthly Weather Review ◽

10.1175/2007mwr1960.1 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 135 (12) ◽

pp. 4202-4213 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Yarice Rodriguez ◽

David A. R. Kristovich ◽

Mark R. Hjelmfelt

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Great Lakes ◽

Satellite Imagery ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Great Lakes Region ◽

Lake Effect ◽

Time Period ◽

High Resolution Satellite Imagery

Abstract Premodification of the atmosphere by upwind lakes is known to influence lake-effect snowstorm intensity and locations over downwind lakes. This study highlights perhaps the most visible manifestation of the link between convection over two or more of the Great Lakes lake-to-lake (L2L) cloud bands. Emphasis is placed on L2L cloud bands observed in high-resolution satellite imagery on 2 December 2003. These L2L cloud bands developed over Lake Superior and were modified as they passed over Lakes Michigan and Erie and intervening land areas. This event is put into a longer-term context through documentation of the frequency with which lake-effect and, particularly, L2L cloud bands occurred over a 5-yr time period over different areas of the Great Lakes region.

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