Performance and competitiveness of red vs. green phenotypes of a cyanobacterium grown under artificial lake browning

Increasing inputs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to northern lakes is resulting in ‘lake browning.’ Lake browning profoundly affects phytoplankton community composition by modifying two important environmental drivers—light and nutrients. The impact of increased DOM on native isolates of red and green-pigmented cyanobacteria identified as Pseudanabaena, which emerged from a Dolichospermum bloom (Dickson Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada) in 2015, were examined under controlled laboratory conditions. The genomes were sequenced to identify phylogenetic relatedness and physiological similarities, and the physical and chemical effects of increased DOM on cellular performance and competitiveness were assessed. Our study findings were that the isolated red and green phenotypes are two distinct species belonging to the genus Pseudanabaena; that both isolates remained physiologically unaffected when grown independently under defined DOM regimes; and that neither red nor green phenotype achieved a competitive advantage when grown together under defined DOM regimes. While photosynthetic pigment diversity among phytoplankton offers niche-differentiation opportunities, the results of this study illustrate the coexistence of two distinct photosynthetic pigment phenotypes under increasing DOM conditions.

Cisco diversity in a historical drainage of glacial Lake Algonquin

Cisco (Coregonus artedi (sensu lato) Lesueur, 1818) forms matching in appearance to Blackfin Cisco from the Laurentian Great Lakes occur in four lakes in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada, a historical drainage of glacial Lake Algonquin (precursor of lakes Michigan and Huron). Their occurrence may represent colonization from glacial Lake Algonquin drainage patterns 13 000 calibrated years BP or independent evolution within each lake. Gill-raker numbers, temperature at capture depth during lake stratification, and hurdle models of habitat distribution are summarized. Blackfin (nigripinnis-like) in the four lakes had higher gill-raker numbers than artedi-like cisco captured in nearby lakes or within the same lake. Two lakes have a bimodal gill-raker distribution that indicate co-occurrence of two forms. Blackfin occupied the hypolimnion with a peak depth distribution at 20–25 m. Maximum depth for blackfin was 35–40 m. The presence of the opossum shrimp (Mysis diluviana Audzijonyte and Väinölä, 2005) appears necessary for the occurrence of cisco diversity in lakes but not sufficient in all cases. The presence of two forms of cisco in at least two lakes points to the possibility of the colonization hypothesis or the ecological speciation hypothesis as accounting for this phenomenon. Genetic analysis is needed to determine which of these hypotheses best accounts for the occurrence of blackfin in Algonquin Park.

The Cabot Head Archipelago: evidence of glacial Lake Algonquin on the Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

The occurrence of abandoned shoreline bedrock erosional features at the edge of the Niagara Escarpment at Cabot Head indicates the existence of a group of islands in glacial Lake Algonquin during early postglacial time, referred to herein as the Cabot Head Archipelago. The abandoned shoreline features are situated as much as 80 m above the level of contemporary Georgian Bay. The range of abandoned shoreline bedrock erosional features, including shoreline cliffs, adjacent wave-cut platforms, wave-cut notches, shore stacks, shore caves, and other features, are described. The occurrence of these features is thought to be the result of the interaction between wave action in glacial Lake Algonquin and two distinct lithological facies representing the Wiarton – Colpoy Bay and Lions Head members of the Amabel Formation. The exceptional development of the abandoned shoreline bedrock erosional features in massive reefal dolostone between elevations of ∼250 and 255 m above sea level (asl) is interpreted as representing the relatively long-lived and stable Main stage of glacial Lake Algonquin (∼11 000–10 200 years BP). Shoreline erosional forms at elevations between ∼240 and 250 m asl may be indicative of declining lake levels partially controlled by bedrock structural factors. The final abandonment of the glacial Lake Algonquin shoreline in this area occurred when the eastern outlets of the lake became ice-free and its level dropped rapidly some 10 200 years BP. The Cabot Head Archipelago and the associated suite of raised and abandoned shoreline bedrock erosional features represent a rare assemblage of landforms within the Great Lakes basin, and possibly within Canada.

Geomorphological and vegetation interaction and its relationship to slope stability on the Niagara Escarpment, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

The stability of the face of the Niagara Escarpment is a critical issue in the possible development of this important natural resource. In an attempt to provide background data for future resource management strategies a pilot study was initiated in the Hope and Barrow Bay section of the Bruce Peninsula. Results indicate that most of the initial erosion and steepening of the slopes resulted from the movement of glacial ice over the upper Escarpment. These steep slopes were maintained by low water stages of Lake Algonquin which resulted in the concentration of erosion in the relatively weak Fossil Hill Formation. At present instability is localized to certain parts of the Escarpment and appears to be both spatially random and sporadic, but is generally associated with certain conditions. Instability is usually found where outcrops of more resistant beds are being presently undercut by the weathering and mass wasting of weaker shale and heavily jointed dolomite beds. This activity is recognizable by lack of vegetation or by the dominance of Thuja occidentalis.