Great Lakes Cladophora Into the 21 st Century: Same Alga – Different Ecosystem.
Shining Light on Cladophora in the Great LakesShining Light on Cladophora in the Great Lakes Anika...
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Shining Light on Cladophora in the Great Lakes Anika Kuczynski and Martin T. Auer Civil and Environmental Engineering, Great Lakes Research Center Lake Erie Photo courtesy: Scott Higgins Unsightly Problems Investigating Phosphorus Nearshore Management Approach Lake Ontario Clogged water intakes Beach fouling Habitat for pathogens Great Lakes Water Quality Protocol (2012) We cannot manage light , but we can manage phosphorus . 1) To achieve the Lake Ecosystem Objective of “[maintaining] the levels of algal biomass below the level constituting a nuisance condition,” we must define nuisance conditions . 2) To avoid nuisance conditions, the Protocol demands development of “Substance Objectives for phosphorus concentrations for nearshore waters […].” We propose development of a phosphorus standard based on stored P , representing growth potential due to phosphorus availability, which can be related to soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations in nearshore waters using the Great Lakes Cladophora Model (Tomlinson et al. 2010). The Golden Horseshoe region along the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario is heavily impacted by urban discharges. Stored P in algae samples taken along the Ajax, ON nearshore reveal that algae growing in close proximity to a wastewater tre atm ent plant outfall have an elevated stored P content, which indicates an increased production potential. 0.00 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.20 79.1647 79.1571 79.1496 79.1469 79.1417 79.1320 79.1241 79.1194 79.1094 79.0948 79.0715 79.0602 79.0482 79.0405 79.0275 79.0210 79.0104 79.0048 78.9938 78.9816 78.9719 78.9668 78.9602 78.9492 78.9280 78.9154 78.9023 78.8950 78.0078 Stored P (as % dry weight) Longitude (Decimal Degrees) Duffin Creek WPCP Highland Creek WPCP Corbett Creek WPCP Investigating Light The resurgence in Cladophora beach fouling is due to an increase in colonizable “real estate” through improved light conditions at locations where phosphorus (P) is provided. Bottom detection depth limit (visibility off shore) and bottom classification at Ajax in 1983 and 2011 (Landsat data processing by the Michigan Tech Research Institute). Photo source: http://www.100thmeridian.org/photobank/US_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service /Zebras/JustMussels.jpg Invaders of the 1990s: Filter feeding dreissenid mussels remove light- disturbing particulate from the water column. Apart from favorable light conditions, Cladophora requires phosphorus to grow. Ajax, ON Image sources: Google Earth and Google Maps Reference: Tomlinson, Lisa M., et al. "The Great Lakes Cladophora model: development, testing, and application to Lake Michigan." Journa l o f Great Lakes Research 36.2 (2010): 287 - 297. This work was supported in part by Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, based in Toronto, ON.
Transcript of Shining Light on Cladophora in the Great LakesShining Light on Cladophora in the Great Lakes Anika...
Shining Light on Cladophora in the Great LakesAnika Kuczynski and Martin T. Auer
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Great Lakes Research Center
Lake Erie
Photo courtesy: Scott Higgins
Unsightly Problems
Investigating Phosphorus
Nearshore Management Approach
LakeOntario
Clogged water intakes
Beach fouling
Habitat for pathogens
Great Lakes Water Quality Protocol (2012)
We cannot manage light, but we can manage phosphorus.
1) To achieve the Lake Ecosystem Objective of “[maintaining] the levels of algal biomass below the level constituting a nuisance
condition,” we must define nuisance conditions.
2) To avoid nuisance conditions, the Protocol demands development of “Substance Objectives for phosphorus concentrations for
nearshore waters […].”
We propose development of a phosphorus standard based on stored P, representing growth potential due to phosphorus
availability, which can be related to soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations in nearshore waters using the Great Lakes
Cladophora Model (Tomlinson et al. 2010).
The Golden Horseshoe region along the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario is heavily impacted by urban discharges.
Stored P in algae samples taken along the Ajax, ON nearshore reveal that algae growing in close proximity to a wastewater treatment
plant outfall have an elevated stored P content, which indicates an increased production potential.
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tored P
(as %
dry w
eig
ht)
Longitude (Decimal Degrees)
Duffin Creek
WPCPHighland Creek
WPCP
Corbett Creek
WPCP
Investigating Light
The resurgence in Cladophora
beach fouling is due to an
increase in colonizable “real
estate” through improved light
conditions at locations where
phosphorus (P) is provided.
Bottom detection depth limit (visibility off shore) and
bottom classification at Ajax in 1983 and 2011 (Landsat
data processing by the Michigan Tech Research Institute).
Photo source: http://www.100thmeridian.org/photobank/US_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service/Zebras/JustMussels.jpg
Invaders of the 1990s:
Filter feeding dreissenid mussels remove light-
disturbing particulate from the water column.
Apart from favorable light conditions, Cladophora requires phosphorus to grow.
Ajax, ON
Image sources: Google Earth and Google Maps
Reference: Tomlinson, Lisa M., et al. "The Great Lakes Cladophora model: development, testing, and application to Lake Michigan." Journal of Great Lakes Research 36.2 (2010): 287-297.
This work was supported in part by Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, based in Toronto, ON.
