Summary of IMC IAGLR 2015 Session Talks
EDER, T. andJENSEN, E.S., Great Lakes Commission, 2805 S. Industrial Hwy., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA.Overview of the Invasive Mussel Collaborative: Connecting People, Science and Management.
For more information, contact Erika Jensen,
Scientists have been searching since the early 1990s for effective methods to control invasive zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorphaandD. rostriformis bugensis, respectively) as a way to help mitigate their negative impacts. Recent advances in biocontrol technology represent an exciting potential technique to manage invasive mussels. These advances are also leading to new questions and opportunities for managers and scientists. In light of this new opportunity, diverse management goals must be identified and understood and knowledge gaps addressed in order to move forward with a joint and strategic approach to managing invasive mussels. This presentation will focus on a new Invasive Mussel Collaborative, initiated in late 2014, that is providing a framework for communication and coordination to share information and lessons learned, guide supporting research, and inform management actions. This collaborative approach is helping to identify the needs and objectives of resource managers, prioritize the supporting science, recommend communication strategies, and ultimately align science and management goals into a common agenda.
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HUBERT, T., USGS, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd., LaCrosse, WI, 45602, USA.An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management.
For more information, contact Terry Hubert,
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LUOMA, J.A.1, WALLER, D.L.1, WEBER, K.L.1, SEVERSON, T.J.1and MAYER, D.A.2,1USGS-UMESC, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, LaCrosse, WI, 54603, USA;2NYSED, 51 Fish Hatchery Road, Cambridge, NY, 12816, USA.Efficacy and Application of Zequanox® in USGS Field Trials.
For more information, contact Jim Luoma,
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WALLER, D.L.1, LUOMA, J.A.1, WEBER, K.L.1, SEVERSON, T.J.1, WISE, J.A.1and MAYER, D.A.2,1USGS-UMESC, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA;2New York State Museum's Field Research Laboratory, 51 Fish Hatchery Road, Cambridge, NY, 12816, USA.Evaluation of the Impacts of Zequanox® to Nontarget Organisms.
For more information, contact Diane Waller,
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NICHOLSON, M.E.1, JOHNSON, T.B.2and ARNOTT, S.E.1,1Queen's University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3J9, CANADA;2Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, R.R.#4, 41 Hatchery Lane, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0, CANADA.Community-level Response to Zequanox® in Aquatic Mesocosms.
For more information, contact Michele Nicholson,
Zequanox® is an emerging biopesticide for Dreissenid mussel control, and may be widely used to control zebra and quagga mussel infestations in open water systems in North America. Previous research has shown that Zequanox® is highly effective and specific (Molloy et al. 2013; Meehan et. al. 2014), but has yet to characterize non-target effects at a community scale. We carried out a 43-day experiment in aquatic mesocosms to determine the potential direct and indirect community-level responses (effects and recovery) of zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and algae to manufacturer-prescribed Zequanox® treatment at 100 mg/L (a.i.). Results of this study will be discussed.
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KASHIAN, D.R.1, RAM, J.L.2, BOEGEHOLD, A.G.1, ALAME, K.I.1and JOHNSON, N.S.3,1Wayne State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA;2Wayne State University, Department of Physiology, Detriot, MI, 48201, USA;3USGS, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI, 49759, USA.Cyanobacteria limits dreissenid sperm mobility and fertilization success.
For more information, contact Donna Kashian,
Interactions between phytoplankton and mussel species are largely unknown and likely complex. Moreover, increased frequencies of toxic cyanobacteria blooms (e.g.Microcystis aeruginosa) in the Great Lakes since the invasion of zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena) may influence mussel reproduction. Spawning in dreissenids is stimulated by an abundance of nutritious green algae; yet it is unknown if toxic cyanobacteria such asMicrocystiscan inhibit reproduction. Although a biocide (Zequanox®) has been recently discovered to control dreissenids, a multifaceted management program combining several control methods to attack dreissenids is preferred.Microcystiswas tested for its effects on dreissenid reproduction in mussels collected from the Detroit River, MI. Spawning assays were run against a known spawning inducer while fertilization was tested by mixing female and male gametes. AlthoughMicrocystisdid not influence spawning, sperm motility and fertilization were significantly reduced compared to controls (p<0.05). If the chemical compound that disrupts mussel reproduction is different from the agent that is toxic to other organisms, a chemical tool for reducing dreissenid reproduction might be derived from cyanobacteria to be used in tandem with other biocides.
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MOLLOY, D.P., Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany (SUNY), 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.The Future of Dreissenid Control in Open Waters.
For more information, contact Dan Molloy,
There is a growing interest in the selective control of dreissenids in open waters. Unfortunately there is currently no dreissenid-specific control method capable of drastically reducing populations throughout an entire lake. Small high-value areas within lakes, however, like beaches, boat ramps, and unionid restoration beds will likely see increased use of the highly specific biological control agent Zequanox®. But these isolated control efforts will likely have little effect on the continual spread of dreissenids from lake to lake nor will they significantly reduce the ecological perturbations a dreissenid population is causing in the lake as a whole. In addition, no matter how dreissenid-specific a control agent is, organizations such as lake associations will rarely have the financial resources needed to treat an entire water body even once, much less annually. Ideally a control agent is needed that is applied just once, is self-spreading throughout an entire water body, and subsequently gives multi-year lake-wide control. This presentation will discuss the need for such an "entire-lake control agent" and will suggest that the only hope for such a powerful control agent is a highly virulent, highly-specific lethal parasite that when introduced into a lake would become established and self-spreading.
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COLLIS, L.M.1, WATKINS, J.M.1, RUDSTAM, L.G.1, O'MALLEY, B.P.2, SAAVEDRA, N.E.1, and WEIDEL, B.C.3,1Cornell Biological Field Station, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 900 Shackelton Point Rd., Bridgeport, NY, 13030, USA;2Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Burlington Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA;3U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Lake Ontario Biological Field Station, 17 Lake St., Oswego, NY, 13126, USA.Determining the spatial and temporal distribution ofDreissenaveligers in Lake Ontario.
For more information, contact Lyndsie Collis,
The early life ecology (i.e., veliger stage) of the invasive zebra and quagga mussel (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) is not well understood, despite these mussel’s significant impact on the Laurentian Great Lakes since their introduction in the late 1980s. Multiple nearshore and offshore zooplankton tows were taken in the epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion of Lake Ontario between April 2013 and October 2013. Veliger size, density, and biomass was estimated for each month in each strata to determine the seasonal spatial distribution of Dreissena veligers within the water column and throughout the lake. Additionally, the proportion of Dreissena veliger biomass to crustacean zooplankton biomass was calculated to determine the relative importance of zebra and quagga mussel larvae in the Lake Ontario zooplankton community. Results indicated that veligers were more abundant in eastern Lake Ontario than western Lake Ontario, with the greatest abundance occurring in the southeastern portion of the lake. Veligers were evenly distributed throughout the water column early in the season, and their distribution became increasingly epilimnetic from August into October. Depending on the month, veligers comprised on average between 0.2% and 5.8% of the zooplankton biomass, but proportions were highly variable across stations. The distribution and abundance of veligers throughout Lake Ontario and across seasons may be explained by Dreissena adult distribution, surface currents, water temperature, and phytoplankton composition, among other environmental factors. The results of this study will further the understanding of the early life history of Dreissenids and their impacts on the lower trophic levels of freshwater systems.
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GINN, B.K., Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, 120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket, ON, L3Y4X1, CANADA.Quaggas Rising: Shifting Benthic Dominance from Zebra to Quagga Mussels in Lake Simcoe (ON, Canada).
For more information, contact Brian Ginn,
Lake Simcoe is the largest inland lake in southern Ontario that, like Lake Champlain, can serve as a proxy for environmental studies on the Great Lakes. Since 2010, we have recorded a rapid decline in the population of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), an invasive species that since their arrival in 1995, has increased complexity in benthic habitats, shunted energy cycling toward the nearshore and benthos, and extirpated native mussels. As in some Great Lakes (Erie, Michigan, Ontario), the decline in zebra mussels has coincided with the expansion of its congener, the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis bugensis). Using annual monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrates, we have tracked the consequences of this change in the dominant, ecological engineering, species on other benthic taxa; as well as the implications of another invasive species, the Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus), expanding through the ecosystem, and the effects these changes have on our strategy to restore this lake to an ecologically sustainable state.
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HETHERINGTON, A.L.1, ZHAO, A.S.2, HUNN, J.M.1, SCHNEIDER, R.S.1, RUDSTAM, L.G.1, HIPSEY, M.R.3and BRUCE, L.C.3,1Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA;2The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Nagahama, 529-0412, JAPAN;3University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, AUSTRALIA.Comparison of Zebra and Quagga Mussel Clearance Rates across Annual Lake Temperatures.
For more information, contact Amy Hetherington,
Invasive zebra,Dreissena polymorpha, and quagga,Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, mussels impact the structure and function of freshwaters globally by filter feeding, thereby increasing water clarity. Since quagga mussels are replacing zebra mussels in several lake ecosystems, total mussel filtration as well as seasonal patterns of filtering may have changed. Through replicated, laboratory microcosm experiments, we measured clearance rates of zebra and quagga mussels over a range of temperatures from 2-30°C using Chlamydomonas reinhardiias the food source. Temperature dependence of clearance rates was similar for the two mussel species peaking at 18°C for zebra mussels and 20°C for quagga mussels. Zebra and quagga mussels actively fed from 4-30°C, but not at 2°C. Clearance rates of zebra mussels exceeded those of quagga mussels at most temperatures. Based on these results, replacement of zebra by quagga mussels would not result in any change in the seasonal pattern of filtration and would lower lake-wide mussel filtration rates unless the replacement also includes an increase in mussel biomass. These results were included in a mussel module for the open source, 1D lake water quality model, GLM-FABM-AED, to predict changes in mussel lake-wide clearance rates as affected by abundance and distribution.
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WHITTEN, A.L.1andMCNAUGHT, A.S.2,1Annis Water Resources Institute, 740 W. Shoreline Dr., Muskegon, MI, 49441, USA;2Central Michigan University, 153 Brooks Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA.A Mesocosm Investigation of the Direct Effects of Quagga Mussels on Lake Michigan Zooplankton.
For more information, contact Andrya Whitten,
Quagga mussels in the Great Lakes have increased and surpassed zebra mussels within the past decade. These dreissenid mussels are known to disrupt the base of the food web by filter feeding on phytoplankton; however, they can also directly ingest zooplankton. The objective of this study was to assess the direct effects of dreissenid feeding on the composition and size structure of Lake Michigan zooplankton assemblages. We conducted 2 mesocosm experiments in summer 2013 using quagga mussels and zooplankton collected near Beaver Island, MI. Mesocosms were sampled daily and zooplankton taxa were enumerated and sized using microscopy and FlowCAM® imaging. In experiment 1, quagga mussels had an immediate negative effect on veligers and copepod nauplii and a delayed effect on rotifers and copepods. In experiment 2, multivariate analysis revealed a change in zooplankton community composition with increasing mussel density. The abundance and frequency of 10 zooplankton taxa decreased as mussel density increased, but the opposite was true for the rotiferTrichocerca. High mussel densities had the greatest negative effect on small-bodied zooplankton (<128 µm). This study shows that quagga mussels can alter zooplankton communities directly, and reflects changes seen in Lake Michigan zooplankton assemblages during the past decade.
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GOBIN, J.1and DUNLOP, E.S.2,1Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, CANADA;2Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 2140 East Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON, K9J 8N8, CANADA.Dreissenids may affect how size-selective mortality influences maturation in lake whitefish.
For more information, contact Jenilee Gobin,
Lake Huron's lake whitefish fishery employs two types of fishing gear that differ in the size of fish they target: trap nets capture all fish above a minimum size, and gillnets capture a range of mid-sized fish. Lake whitefish are also subject to size-selective predation by sea lamprey. Timing of maturation is a size-dependent trait that together with survivorship dictates an individual's lifetime reproductive output. We developed an individual-based eco-genetic model to examine the effects of various sources of size-selective mortality on the evolution of maturation in lake whitefish for both a pre-dreissenid and a post-dreissenid scenario. Both trap net and gillnet fisheries shifted the timing of maturation to younger ages and smaller sizes. These shifts were primarily due to increases in growth associated with declines in population biomass. How maturation evolved in response to different fishing gears varied for pre- and post-dreissenid scenarios. Minimum size limits, levels of fishing mortality, and lamprey predation also influenced the timing of maturation. Based on our findings, the establishment of dreissenids may have changed how the timing of maturation of lake whitefish populations responds to different sources of size-selective mortality, which could have implications for management.
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RUTHERFORD, E.S.1, ZHANG, H.2, BARNES, M.A.3, CHADDERTON, W.L.4, FINNOFF, D.C.5, SHAKOOR, A.2, MASON, D.M.1, WITTMANN, M.E.6, LODGE, D.M.7, APRIESNIG, J.8and WARZINIACK, T.9,1NOAA GLERL, 4840 S. State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA;2Univ. Michigan CILER, 4840 S. State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA;3Texas Tech University, Goddard Building, Room 102, 15th and Detroit, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA;4The Nature Conservancy, Great Lakes Project, 1400 E. Angela Blvd., Unit #117, South Bend, IN, 46617, USA;5University of Wyoming College of Business, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA;6Univ. Nevada-Reno, Dept. Biology, 1664 N. Virginia St./ MS 314, Reno, NV, 89557, USA;7University of Notre Dame, Dept. Biol. Sci, P.O. Box 369, South Bend, IN, 46556, USA;8Colorado State Univ., Dept. Agric. Resource Econ., 1200 Center Ave Mall, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA;9US Forest Service, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA.Run DMC! Forecasting Ecological Impacts of Dreissenid Mussel Control on Great Lakes Food Webs.