Changes in Nearshore Zooplankton Associated with Species Invasions and Potential Effects on Larval Lake Whitefish <i>(Coregonus clupeaformis)</i>

Fernandez, Randolph J.; Rennie, Michael D.; Sprules, W. Gary

doi:10.1002/iroh.200811126

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Bythotrephes could elevate consumer TPs directly, as it commonly reaches abundances greater than those of native invertebrate predators (Foster and Sprules 2009), and is a common prey item of planktivorous fishes following invasion (Coulas et al 1998;Mills et al 1992;Parker Stetter et al 2005). Bythotrephes may also elevate consumer TPs indirectly, as invasion has generally resulted in major changes in zooplankton community composition, characterized by declines in crustacean zooplankton abundance, richness, biomass, and productivity (Barbiero and Tuchman 2004;Boudreau and Yan 2003;Fernandez et al 2009;Strecker and Arnott 2008;Yan et al 2002). In most instances, zooplankton composition shifts to a more copepod dominated assemblage as Bythotrephes seems to have the greatest negative effect on cladoceran zooplankton (Strecker et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Bythotrephes invasion elevates trophic position of zooplankton and fish: implications for contaminant biomagnification

2011

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We estimated the effects of Bythotrephes longimanus invasion on the trophic position (TP) of zooplankton communities and lake herring, Coregonus artedi. Temporal changes in lacustrine zooplankton communities following Bythotrephes invasion were contrasted with non-invaded reference lakes, and along with published information on zooplankton and herring diets, formed the basis of estimated changes in TP. The TP of zooplankton communities and lake herring increased significantly following the invasion of Bythotrephes, whereas TP in reference lakes decreased (zooplankton) or did not change significantly (lake herring) over a similar time frame. Elevated TP following Bythotrephes invasion was most prominent in lakes that also supported the glacial relict, Mysis diluvania, suggesting a possible synergistic interaction between these two species on zooplankton community composition. Our analysis indicated that elevated TPs of zooplankton communities and lake herring are not simply due to the presence of Bythotrephes, but rather reflect changes in the zooplankton community induced by Bythotrephes; namely, a major reduction in the proportion of herbivorous cladoceran biomass and a concomitant increase in the proportion of omnivorous and/or predatory copepod biomass in invaded lakes. We demonstrated that increases in TP of the magnitude reported here can lead to substantial increases in fish contaminant concentrations. In light of these results, we discuss potential mechanisms that may be responsible for the disconnect between empirical and theoretical evidence that mid-trophic level species invasions (e.g., Bythotrephes) elevate contaminant burdens of consumer species, and provide testable hypotheses to evaluate these mechanisms.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Bythotrephes invasion elevates trophic position of zooplankton and fish: implications for contaminant biomagnification

2011

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recent declines in growth rate and condition of Great Lakes lake whitefish have been widely documented (Pothoven et al 2001, Lumb et al 2007, Rennie et al 2009a), as has lake herring recruitment failure (Bronte et al 2003). Coincident with these changes are the successful colonization of Bythotrephes longimanus (Bronte et al 2003), and in the lower Great Lakes, dreissenids (Pothoven et al 2001), leading to concern regarding the impact of these invasive species on the growth, condition and recruitment of coregonid fishes (Fernandez et al 2009, Rennie et al 2009a).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in fish condition and mercury vary by region, not Bythotrephes invasion: a result of climate change?

Rennie¹,

Sprules²,

Vaillancourt³

2010

Ecography

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We compared changes in body condition (relative weight) and mercury concentrations ([Hg]) in two species of coregonid fish (lake herring Coregonus artedi, lake whitefish C. clupeaformis) among discrete populations in Ontario between 1967 and 2006. Temporal comparisons among populations were made to determine whether 1) the establishment of Bythotrephes longimanus had affected coregonid populations, or 2) if changes in body condition or [Hg] were related to regional differences in the degree of climate change during the time period investigated. Climate data from northwestern, northeastern and southern Ontario showed a general warming trend in all regions over the period of study. However, greater temporal changes in climate were observed in the northwest where growing degree days >5°C (GDD) increased and precipitation declined over the study period compared with relatively little change in southern or northeastern Ontario. Correspondingly, northwestern Ontario coregonid populations demonstrated significantly greater declines in body condition relative to those from northeastern or southern Ontario. Declines in [Hg] of both species were also greater among northwestern populations compared with those from northeastern or southern Ontario but only significantly so for lake herring. These declines were independent of the invasion of non‐native Bythotrephes, and declines in [Hg] were opposite predictions based on the hypothesis that Bythotrephes invasion lengthened aquatic food chains. Based on our findings and further evidence from the literature, we propose that warming regional climates are capable of contributing to declines in both condition and [Hg] of fishes. Because fish condition affects both reproductive success and overwinter survival, observed condition declines of the magnitude reported here could have profound implications for the structure of future aquatic ecosystems in a warming climate.

show abstract

“…To generalize, Lake Superior (the least productive, deepest, and coldest lake) has been dominated by calanoid copepods, whereas cladocerans and cyclopoids have been relatively more abundant in the lower four lakes (Barbiero et al, 2001;Patalas, 1972). Over the past decade, however, the zooplankton communities in Lakes Michigan and Huron have changed with cladocerans and cyclopoids declining in abundance (Barbiero et al, 2009a;Fernandez et al, 2009;Kerfoot et al, 2010), while calanoid copepods are either remaining stable or even increasing (Barbiero et al, 2009b;Fernandez et al, 2009). Possible explanations for these changes include: 1) ongoing declines in offshore nutrient concentrations (Barbiero et al, 2009a;Evans et al, 2011;Mida et al, 2010) and the resultant competitive advantages to calanoids (McNaught, 1975;Richman and Dodson, 1983;Santer, 1994); 2) the expansion of quagga mussels and their filtering of phytoplankton (Fahnenstiel et al, 1995;Vanderploeg et al, 2010) and microzooplankton (Kissman et al, 2010;MacIsaac et al, 1991;Pace et al, 1998) that herbivorous and omnivorous cladocerans and cyclopoids feed upon; 3) excessive planktivory from invertebrate predators such as Bythotrephes longimanus (Bunnell et al, 2011;Lehman, 1991;Lehman and Cáceres, 1993) that prefer herbivorous cladocerans (Schulz and Yurista, 1999;Vanderploeg et al, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Comparing seasonal dynamics of the Lake Huron zooplankton community between 1983–1984 and 2007 and revisiting the impact of Bythotrephes planktivory

Bunnell

Keeler

Puchala

et al. 2012

Journal of Great Lakes Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in Nearshore Zooplankton Associated with Species Invasions and Potential Effects on Larval Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

Cited by 14 publications

References 44 publications

Bythotrephes invasion elevates trophic position of zooplankton and fish: implications for contaminant biomagnification

Bythotrephes invasion elevates trophic position of zooplankton and fish: implications for contaminant biomagnification

Changes in fish condition and mercury vary by region, not Bythotrephes invasion: a result of climate change?

Comparing seasonal dynamics of the Lake Huron zooplankton community between 1983–1984 and 2007 and revisiting the impact of Bythotrephes planktivory

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About