Invasion of Lake Ontario by the Ponto–Caspian predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J MacIsaac ◽  
Igor A Grigorovich ◽  
James A Hoyle ◽  
Norman D Yan ◽  
Vadim E Panov
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Resting Eggs ◽  
The Body ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Neva Estuary ◽  
Cercopagis Pengoi ◽  
Source Populations

Cercopagis pengoi, a waterflea native to the Ponto-Caspian region, was discovered during 1998 in Lake Ontario. Individuals were found throughout the lake during summer snagged on sportfishing lines. The population included parthenogenetic (92%) and sexual (2%) females and males (6%). Cercopagis has a very long caudal appendage that is more than five times the body length and terminates in a distinctive loop. Females and males from Lake Ontario were significantly smaller than individuals from the Neva Estuary, Baltic Sea. In Eurasia, C. pengoi occurs in relatively warm fresh and brackish waters (0-14‰) at population densities usually <3000 individuals·m-3; mean and maximum population densities in Lake Ontario were 170 and 322 individuals·m-3, respectively. The presence of females with resting eggs indicates that Cercopagis will likely establish in Lake Ontario. As with other recently introduced invertebrates, Cercopagis likely was transported to the Great Lakes in ballast water from eastern Europe. The rapid influx of Ponto-Caspian species into the Great Lakes warrants further study including identification of source populations, mechanisms of dispersal, impacts on recipient ecosystems, and efficacy of ballast water exchange programs.

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

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-432 ◽  
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.

A probabilistic assessment of the impairment status of areas of concern in the Laurentian great lakes: How far are we from delisting the Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario, Canada?

2021 ◽  
pp. 101271
Author(s):  
Ariola Visha ◽  
Alexander Lau ◽  
Cindy Yang ◽  
Satyendra P. Bhavsar ◽  
David Depew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Probabilistic Assessment ◽  
Hamilton Harbour ◽  
Areas Of Concern

The Chlorination of Ballast Water on Great Lakes Vessels

1932 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 256 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water

Considerations in the Design of the Primary Treatment for Ballast Systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (01) ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
Michael G. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Primary Treatment ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Secondary Treatment ◽  
Bulk Carrier ◽  
Ballast Water Treatment ◽  
Mechanical Separation ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Investigations are currently underway to establish effective primary and secondary ballast water treatment methods to minimize the potential for the introduction of additional nonindigenous aquatic species into the Great Lakes and other U.S. coastal waters. This treatment could be used in place of mid-ocean ballast exchange currently required by the U.S. Coast Guard for all vessels entering the Great Lakes in ballast from beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Primary and secondary treatment could provide environmental protection for both Ballast On Board (BOB) vessels, which are required to perform mid-ocean ballast exchange before entering the Great Lakes, and No Ballast On Board (NOBOB) vessels, which are currently exempt from any ballast exchange requirements. Primary treatment using some form of mechanical separation to 100 urn or 50 um followed by secondary treatment using 254 nm UV irradiation or some form of chemical treatment are currently leading candidates. Over the past six years, the Great Lakes Ballast Technology Demonstration Project (GLBTDP) has undertaken the full-scale evaluation of 340 m3/h (1500 U.S. gpm) ballast water mechanical separation using an automatic backwashing screen filter, hydrocyclone, and automatic backwashing disk filter. This experience provides the basis for the investigation of various ballast system design issues that must be considered in the selection and design of the primary ballast water treatment. This investigation is based upon the ballast system of a typical Seaway size bulk carrier using port and starboard 2000 m3/h (8800 U.S. gpm) main ballast pumps. A discrete multicriterion optimization tradeoff study using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is also presented to illustrate a rational method for determining the best choice for primary ballast water treatment for such a Seaway size bulk carrier.

EVALUATING AN INVASIVE SPECIES POLICY: BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE IN THE GREAT LAKES

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Costello ◽  
John M. Drake ◽  
David M. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Water Exchange ◽  
Invasive Species Policy

20. The Description to Look Down on All Opposition”: The Remains of HMS St. Lawrence

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Styba
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
War Of 1812 ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Nuclear Bomb ◽  
Joint Investigation ◽  
Queen's University ◽  
Parks Canada

In one of the most ignominious wars in history, a combined force of British and Canadian soldiers, sailors and civilians constructed the largest wooden warship ever built in the western hemisphere. Engaged with the Americans in a desperate game of cat-and-mouse upon Lake Ontario, the massive warship HMS St. Lawrence swung the balance of power firmly in favour of the British and thereby hastened the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, bringing the War of 1812 to a sputtering halt.This colossal warship, over 200 feet long, crewed by 700 and carrying 112 cannon, was completed at Kingston, Ontario in little over 9 months. Patrolling Lake Ontario, HMS St. Lawrence immediately caused the Americans to flee to their harbour. Astoundingly, and in a very Canadian fashion, she never fired a shot in combat.After the war ended, years of disrepair and dereliction left HMS St. Lawrence as a hulk of her former self. Sold to a local entrepreneur for a measly £25, she found herself towed to a location near Queen’s University. Mysteriously, she then disappeared from history. After the consideration of several theories, the hope is that this presentation, based upon the research conducted in a joint investigation by Parks Canada, the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes and Queen’s University, will help determine the fate of this “nuclear bomb of her age.”This presentation will outline the fascinating origins of HMS St. Lawrence, how she was archaeological documented, what the investigation tells us, and why investigating naval heritage is a worthy undertaking.

Dynamics and short-term survival of toxic cyanobacteria species in ballast water from NOBOB vessels transiting the Great Lakes—implications for HAB invasions

Harmful Algae ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina A. Doblin ◽  
Kathryn J. Coyne ◽  
Johanna M. Rinta-Kanto ◽  
Steven W. Wilhelm ◽  
Fred C. Dobbs
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Toxic Cyanobacteria ◽  
Short Term Survival

Genetic Identification and Implications of Another Invasive Species of Dreissenid Mussel in the Great Lakes

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1501-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernie May ◽  
J. Ellen Marsden
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Acute Angle ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Genetic Identification ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Allozyme Loci ◽  
Dreissenid Mussel

In this paper we report the discovery and implications of a second nonindigenous species of dreissenid mussel in the Great Lakes. This species was detected in a routine screening of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) for allozyme variability. The two species differ at allozyme loci (Nei's I = 0.30 using 12 loci) and in their shell morphology (the second species lacks the acute angle, or carina, between the ventral and dorsal surfaces of the shell of the zebra mussel). As a working name, at least until its species identity is discovered, we have called the new species the "quagga mussel." Currently, this mussel occurs in Lake Ontario in equal frequencies with D. polymorpha. Its low frequency of occurence in neighboring waters (e.g. the Erie canal, Niagara River, and outlet to Onondaga Lake) and lack of occurrence in any of the other Great Lakes suggest that (1) its point of introduction to North America was in Lake Ontario and (2) its range may expand.

Modeling ships' ballast water as invasion threats to the Great Lakes

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 1245-1256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J MacIsaac ◽  
Thomas C Robbins ◽  
Mark A Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Invasion Process ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Invasion Models ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Shipping Traffic

The spread of nonindigenous species (NIS) in aquatic ecosystems provides an opportunity to develop new perspectives on the invasion process. In this paper we review existing invasion models, most of which were developed to describe invasions of terrestrial habitats, and propose an alternative that explores long-distance invasions mediated by discharge of contaminated ballast water by ships inbound to the Great Lakes. Based on current knowledge of shipping traffic to the Great Lakes, our model predicts that mid-ocean exchange of ballast water lowers propagule delivery by approximately three to four orders of magnitude relative to unexchanged ballast water. Propagule pressure of individual ships that enter the Great Lakes loaded with cargo and that declare "no ballast on board" (NOBOB) is typically one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of vessels that exchange ballast. Because NOBOB vessels dominate (~90%) inbound traffic into the Great Lakes, these vessels collectively appear to pose the greatest risk of new introductions, even though their individual risks are low.

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