Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

CS40 Nutrients, Primary Production, and Aquatic Ecosystems

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 4:15:00 PM

Location: La Cienega

Constant, S, A, University of Michigan-Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences, Ann Arbor, USA, steconst@umich.edu

Goad, L, M, University of Michigan-Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences, Ann Arbor, USA, lgoad@umich.edu

Julius, M, L, University of Michigan-Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences, Ann Arbor, USA, mjulius@umich.edu

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EPISODIC STORM EVENTS ON PHYTOPLANKTON POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN DURING SPRING AND FALL CIRCULATION

The number, extent, and duration of highly turbid recurrent coastal plume (RCP) events have a significant impact on phytoplankton processes and seasonal variability within phytoplankton communities. Linkages between the duration and intensity of the RCP regulate Lake Michigan phytoplankton growth during the spring and fall isothermal periods. In this study, RCP events are simulated in the laboratory for comparison with field data. Surface sediments and sediment trap material collected from stations in Southern Lake Michigan were resuspended in varying environmental conditions, simulating the spring and fall circulation. Factors controlled included silica, light/dark cycle, and temperature. Phytoplankton species were counted for each simulation using a .5mL Palmer cell under a light microscope and compared with phytoplankton samples collected during RCP events and spring diatom bloom. Correlating population data between these field and lab samples identified factors effecting community structure after major plume events. Identification of population trends between experimental data and field data sets are an important first step in understanding environmental triggers influencing diatom blooms due to RCP events and diatom blooms.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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