Long-term trends and drivers of zooplankton productivity in western Lake Erie

Session: Poster Session

Lyndsie Collis, The Ohio State University, [email protected]
James Hood, Aquatic Ecology Lab, The Ohio State University, [email protected]

Abstract

Multiple human-induced stressors have impacted western Lake Erie over the last several decades, leading to increases in Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), shifts in community composition, and altered food web interactions. Although zooplankton play a key role in energy and nutrient transfer within lakes, we lack knowledge of how zooplankton productivity is shaped by these human-induced stressors. We used a long-term time series of zooplankton productivity (1995-2017) to examine how HABs and planktivores influence zooplankton production during August. Because zooplankton biomass has increased both over time (since 1995) and with HABs extent (Briland 2018), we predicted that secondary productivity would exhibit similar relationships mediated by changes in water temperature and zooplankton community composition. Zooplankton production in August increased in western Lake Erie over the last 20 years, largely driven by increases in cladoceran productivity. Total zooplankton productivity was positively correlated with HAB extent. Because secondary production methods often yield different estimates, we also evaluated how three approaches influence productivity estimates for major taxonomic groups. Our results further our understanding of zooplankton dynamics in Lake Erie, which will enhance our ability to predict how food webs and ecosystem-level processes will respond to future global change.

Twitter handle of presenter
LyndsieC