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Home > Research by Programs > Aquatic Invasive Species > AIS Projects List
Complete Listing of Aquatic Invasive Species Projects
Biomass, Condition of Western Lake
Erie Dreissenids
The introduction
and expansion of dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussel) has led to large-scale changes
in nutrient dynamic and food webs in the Great Lakes. A fundamental need in assessing present
and potential impacts is knowledge of dressenid abundance and biomass, and rates of population
change. The latter can be predicted by examining trends over time, and by assessing the
relative physiological condition of the population. This project will estimate dreissenid
biomass and assess relative physiological condition of populations in western Lake Erie.
Comparisons will be made to the condition of mussel populations in other regions of the Great Lakes.
Changes in the Pelagic Food Web
of Southern Lake Michigan: A Food Web Under Stress from Non-indigenous Species?
There has been a decline of the commercially valuable inshore fishery for perch and a decline in a number of forage
fishes important for salmon and lake trout in Southern Lake Michigan. This project examines
whether invasive species are the cause of these declines, studying events such as the disappearance
of Diporeia, increases in nearshore benthic algae, alewives washing up on beaches,
and taste and odor problems at municipal water intakes.
Coastwise ANS: Assessment of Coastwise
Traffic Patterns and Management of Aquatic Nonindigenous Species
This project will produce a predictive model based on the environmental tolerances, abundance,
and life history characteristics of species and environmental characteristics of key Atlantic
and Great Lakes ballast-related ports. It will discriminate between those species that have
been successful versus unsuccessful at spreading among low salinity habitats along the eastern
US and the Great Lakes Region. If successful, it will provide an additional tool towards reduction
of risk of new species introductions, thus serving to enhance the protection and integrity
of the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Effects of non-indigenous invertebrates
on the pelagic food web of Lake Michigan
Our goal is to evaluate the status of the pelagic food web in Lake Michigan at sites where we also have access to
historical data. This project encompasses four separate projects to help elicit the status and changes in the
pelagic food web of Lake Michigan.
Evaluation of the Hazard of
Microcystis Blooms for Human Health through Fish Consumption
This project will establish methods at GLERL for the analysis of microcystin
in fish and begin an exploratory phase to determine whetherconcentration in popular sports
fish can exceed the totaldaily intake (TDI) concentrations based on a normal daily meal.
Food Web Response to Invasive
Species and Hypoxia in Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay Lake Huron and Southeast Lake Michigan
By understanding how invasive species and hypoxia may alter energy flow and trophic linkages in
food webs, we will be able to better predict the ability of Great Lakes ecosystems to produce
healthy and sustainable fishery stocks. A food web analysis will enable us to predict energy
flow to fish prey and fish under scenarios of invasive species (dreissenid spp, round goby)
or hypoxia. We will support the food web model analysis with historic databases and data
collected during related monitoring and research studies off Muskegon in Lake Michigan
(Pothoven and Vanderploeg, Muskegon River watershed study), Saginaw Bay
(Vanderploeg, MultiStressor project), and Lake Erie (IFYLE/Ecofore).
Genetic and environmental
factors influencing Microcystis bloom toxicity
The toxicity of blooms of the cyanobacteria Microcystis
is related to both environmental factors (such as light, nutrients, grazing)
and the proportion of toxic vs. nontoxic strains present. This project
seeks to identify and quantify the toxic Microcystis strains present
in western Lake Erie using molecular-based methods.
Great Lakes
Aquatic Invasive Species (GLANSIS) Database
This project aims to develop a database detailing all aquatic invasive species in the
Great Lakes. The project will seek informal or formal partnership with
the SERC-USGS national database program and merge the Great Lakes regional
database, when developed sufficiently, with their national database.
Implications of Cercopagis
and Bythotrephes to Alewife Recruitment and Stability of the Lake Michigan
Pelagic Food Web
The proposal of this project is to develop a general model from experimental observations
of prey selection and feeding for the invading predatory cercopagid cladocerans
Cercopagis pengoi and Bythotrephes longimanus that will
be useful for predicting predatory impact of these cercopagids. The information
will be combined with field observations of population dynamics, production
and spatial distribution of zooplankton and fishes collected in this and
related projects to describe and understand invasion dynamics of Cercopagis
and determine if these cercopagids have disrupted the Lake Michigan food web.
Influence of Trace Metals and Zebra
Mussels on Microcystis Growth and Toxin Production
In order to develop forecasts for the presence of toxic blooms, it is essential to
know what environmental and ecological factors contribute to Microcystis growth and
toxin production. The results of this research can provide input for a biophysical model
that will couple Microcystis growth and toxin production to basin hydrodynamics to provide
forecasts that will be useful for monitoring and managing toxic blooms.
In situ Monitoring of
Cyanobacterial HABs in Western Lake Erie using Buoy-mounted Sensors
Developing an in situ monitoring system for cyanobacterial blooms and their toxins will
be a significant benefit to protecting human and ecosystem health in this region. The
ultimate goal is to forecast the presence, extent and timing of cyanobacterial HAB blooms in
Lake Erie. Initially, an in situ autonomous monitoring system would be used as an indicator of
when a bloom begins which would then trigger ship-based sampling at the appropriate locations.
Eventually, a combination of model predictions confirmed with an in situ monitoring platform
would be the most effective in protecting human health from toxic HAB blooms.
Long Term Trends in
Benthic Populations in Lake Michigan
This is a long term monitoring project that documents changes in the benthic
macroinvertebrate community in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. The
decline in the amphipod Diporeia is a unique event that was discovered in this project.
Mapping the Condition of Diporeia:
Insights into Mechanisms of Declines
The ramifications of the Diporeia decline in Lake Michigan have been far reaching, affecting
a series of ecologically and economically important fish and fisheries. Understanding the
mechanistic causes of this decline is necessary before any potential management actions can
be put forth. A large scale field survey in conjunction with lab work to characterize metabolite
profiles should contribute towards improving such mechanistic understanding and hopefully
facilitate future hindcasting/forecasting.
Oceans and Human Health (OHH):
Microcystins in the Great Lakes
Relatively high concentrations of microcystin have been found in Saginaw Bay, western Lake Erie,
and in the western region of Lake Ontario. During most of the summer of 2007, microcystin
concentrations in Saginaw Bay and western Lake Erie routinely exceeded the 1 ug/l standard.
Mechanistic models for predicting cyanobacteria abundance in the Great Lakes have a long history
of use, and only need to be updated by including the filtering activities of non-indigenous mussels.
These modeling efforts, coupled with satellite imagery from NOAA-GLERL's
CoastWatch site, will serve as an operational
and proactive, predictive facility on which to base (and initiate) event-response resource
Status of Macroinvertebrates
in Lake Ontario
The population increase and spread of dreissenids in Lake Ontario has led to changes in the
food web including large impacts on important commercial and recreational fisheries. This project
will provide information on changes in the temporal and spatial populations of important
benthic species, including Diporeia and dreissenid mussels. Ecosystem forecasting the impacts
of dreissenids, an exotic species, in the Great Lakes is critical to managing the
fisheries in Lake Ontario.
