Biomonitoring using invasive species in a large Lake: Dreissena distribution maps hypoxic zones

Journal of Great Lakes Research
By: , and 

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Abstract

Due to cultural eutrophication and global climate change, an exponential increase in the number and extent of hypoxic zones in marine and freshwater ecosystems has been observed in the last few decades. Hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, can produce strong negative ecological impacts and, therefore, is a management concern. We measured biomass and densities of Dreissena in Lake Erie, as well as bottom DO in 2014 using 19 high frequency data loggers distributed throughout the central basin to validate a three-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological lake model. We found that a deep, offshore hypoxic zone was formed by early August, restricting the Dreissena population to shallow areas of the central basin. Deeper than 20 m, where bottom hypoxia routinely develops, only young of the year mussels were found in small numbers, indicating restricted recruitment and survival of young Dreissena. We suggest that monitoring Dreissenadistribution can be an effective tool for mapping the extent and frequency of hypoxia in freshwater. In addition, our results suggest that an anticipated decrease in the spatial extent of hypoxia resulting from nutrient management has the potential to increase the spatial extent of profundal habitat in the central basin available for Dreissena expansion.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Biomonitoring using invasive species in a large Lake: Dreissena distribution maps hypoxic zones
Series title Journal of Great Lakes Research
DOI 10.1016/j.jglr.2017.08.001
Volume 44
Issue 4
Year Published 2018
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Description 11 p.
First page 639
Last page 649
Country United States
Other Geospatial Lake Erie
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