Long term changes in nutrients, chloride, and phytoplankton density in the nearshore waters of Lake Erie

Winter, Jennifer G.; Palmer, Michelle E.; Howell, E. Todd; Young, Joelle D.

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2014.11.028

Cited by 16 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In comparison to Lake Superior, nitrate levels in Lake Erie do not exhibit the decadal large increases in nitrate. In Lake Erie, nitrate levels decline from the western basin to the central basin (Winter et al 2015), possibly due to N sinks such as denitrification in the hypoxic deep waters of the central basin (Knowles et al, 1981). Winter et al (2015) report central basin NO 2 -+ NO 3 concentrations averaging below 15 M, These differences in nitrate trends and concentrations between the two lakes prompted us to examine key taxa involved in the N cycles of these trophically distinct lakes, primarily focusing on pelagic nitrifiers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification, enumeration and diversity of nitrifying planktonic archaea and bacteria in trophic end members of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Mukherjee

Ray

Post

et al. 2016

Journal of Great Lakes Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oligotrophic Lake Superior and mesotrophic Lake Erie are trophic end members of the hydrologically connected Laurentian Great Lakes system, and as such exhibit different profiles of dissolved nitrogen species. Nitrification in Lake Superior has led to increasing nitrate concentrations over the past century, as opposed to Erie, where nitrate inventories have declined due to denitrification. In this study, we examined the abundance and diversity of nitrifying microbes involved in the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate. By in situ hybridization methods, we enumerated the major planktonic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) during a July 2011 cruise from Lake Superior to Lake Erie. In Lake Superior, AOA dominated compared to AOB, typically exceeding 5 X 10 3 mL-1 , whereas in Erie, AOB were more abundant than AOA. These data parallel prior work on Lake Superior and Lake Erie sediments, in which AOA are far more abundant in Superior, but AOB dominate in Erie. The lakes were sampled during stratification, and AOA and AOB were largely restricted to the hypolimnion, consistent with the observation that ammonia oxidizers are photoinhibited in surface waters. In Lakes Superior and Erie, we also detected nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in a pattern paralleling AOA/AOB abundance. Phylogenetic analysis of archaeal 16S rRNA revealed that the planktonic archaea of Lake Superior are members of the ammonia oxidizing Group I.1a Thaumarcheota most closely related to Nitrosoarchaeum limnia. These AOA are distinct from the Group I.1a AOA in Lake Superior sediments. The major AOB of Lake Erie form a subcluster within the genus Nitrosospira.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification, enumeration and diversity of nitrifying planktonic archaea and bacteria in trophic end members of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Mukherjee

Ray

Post

et al. 2016

Journal of Great Lakes Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As with other Great Lakes winter data, most available information on C, nutrients, and other elements in the winter are from lakes Erie and Michigan, with some additional data from drinking water treatment facilities along the Canadian shorelines of lakes Erie, Ontario, Huron, and Superior (Winter et al., 2015). Ontario's Lake Water Quality at Drinking Water Intakes program provides a long‐term (starting in 1964 at some locations) and temporally resolved (bi‐weekly sampling throughout the year) record of nutrients and phytoplankton (Ontario Open Data Team, 2020).…”

Section: Winter Biogeochemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Changing Face of Winter: Lessons and Questions From the Laurentian Great Lakes

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Among its many impacts, climate warming is leading to increasing winter air temperatures, decreasing ice cover extent, and changing winter precipitation patterns over the Laurentian Great Lakes and their watershed. Understanding and predicting the consequences of these changes is impeded by a shortage of winter-period studies on most aspects of Great Lake limnology. In this review, we summarize what is known about the Great Lakes during their 3-6 months of winter and identify key open questions about the physics, chemistry, and biology of the Laurentian Great Lakes and other large, seasonally frozen lakes. Existing studies show that winter conditions have important effects on physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes, not only during winter but in subsequent seasons as well. Ice cover, the extent of which fluctuates dramatically among years and the five lakes, emerges as a key variable that controls many aspects of the functioning of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Studies on the properties and formation of Great Lakes ice, its effect on vertical and horizontal mixing, light conditions, and biota, along with winter measurements of fundamental state and rate parameters in the lakes and their watersheds are needed to close the winter knowledge gap. Overcoming the formidable logistical challenges of winter research on these large and dynamic ecosystems may require investment in new, specialized research infrastructure. Perhaps more importantly, it will demand broader recognition of the value of such work and collaboration between physicists, geochemists, and biologists working on the world's seasonally freezing lakes and seas. Plain Language SummaryThe Laurentian Great Lakes are the world's largest freshwater ecosystem and provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of people. Affected by multiple interacting stressors, this system is the target of extensive restoration and management efforts that demand robust scientific knowledge. Winter limnology represents a key knowledge gap that limits understanding and prediction of the function of the Great Lakes and other large temperate lakes. Here, we summarize what is known about the Great Lakes during their 3-6 months of winter, identify key questions that must be addressed to improve understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological functioning of large lakes in winter, and suggest ways to address these questions. We show that ice cover is a "master variable" that OZERSKY ET AL.

show abstract

“…Freshwater environments worldwide are impacted by non-point pollution of agricultural phosphorus (P) (Withers et al 2014 ), with loads from croplands estimated to range from 10.4–26.4 Tg P yr −1 (Liu et al 2008 ; Quinton et al 2010 ; Yuan et al 2018 ). Watersheds of the American/Canadian lower Great Lakes’ Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC) are no exception, with nutrient loadings often correlating with the number and extent of cyanobacterial blooms and water column anoxia in both Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair (Michalak et al 2013 ; Kane et al 2014 ; Winter et al 2015 ). The St. Clair, Thames, and Detroit River have been identified as the primary water courses that channel P through the HEC (Bocaniov et al 2019 ), however, the nature of the upland sources of P to these rivers is not well documented.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical Processes and Microbial Dynamics Governing Phosphorus Retention and Release in Sediments: A Case Study in Lower Great Lakes Headwaters

Falk

Droppo

Drouillard

et al. 2023

Environmental Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The ability of headwater bed and suspended sediments to mitigate non-point agricultural phosphorus (P) loads to the lower Great Lakes is recognized, but the specific biogeochemical processes promoting sediment P retention or internal P release remain poorly understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, three headwater segments located within priority watersheds of Southern Ontario, Canada, were sampled through the growing season of 2018–2020. The study employed equilibrium P assays along with novel assessments of legacy watershed nutrients, nitrogen (N) concentrations, sediment redox, and microbial community composition. 20-year data revealed elevated total P (TP) and total Nitrogen (TN) at an inorganic fertilizer and manure fertilizer-impacted site, respectively. Overall, sampled sites acted as P sinks; however, agricultural sediments exhibited significantly lower buffering capacity compared to a reference forested watershed. Collection of fine suspended sediment (<63 µm) through time-integrated sampling showed the suspended load at the inorganic-fertilized site was saturated with P, indicating a greater potential for P release into surface waters compared to bed sediments. Through vertical microsensor profiling and DNA sequencing of the sediment microbial community, site-specific factors associated with a distinct P-source event were identified. These included rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO) across the sediment water interface (SWI), as well as the presence of nitrate-reducing bacterial and ammonia-oxidizing archaeal (AOA) genera. This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of P in headwaters, shedding light on P retention and release. Understanding these processes is crucial for effective management strategies aimed at mitigating P pollution to the lower Great Lakes.

show abstract

Long term changes in nutrients, chloride, and phytoplankton density in the nearshore waters of Lake Erie

Cited by 16 publications

References 51 publications

Identification, enumeration and diversity of nitrifying planktonic archaea and bacteria in trophic end members of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Identification, enumeration and diversity of nitrifying planktonic archaea and bacteria in trophic end members of the Laurentian Great Lakes

The Changing Face of Winter: Lessons and Questions From the Laurentian Great Lakes

Biogeochemical Processes and Microbial Dynamics Governing Phosphorus Retention and Release in Sediments: A Case Study in Lower Great Lakes Headwaters

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About