Influence of ecosystem engineers on ecosystem processes is mediated by lake sediment properties

Invasive species may impact biotic community structure, ecosystem processes, and associated goods and services. Their impact may be especially strong when they also serve as ecosystem engineers (i.e. organisms affecting the physical habitat and resources for other species). Dreissenid mussels fill both these roles, having invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes in the late 1980s, and also serve as ecosystem engineers by altering nutrient fluxes and influencing the microbial food web through direct nutrient release and excretion of feces and pseudo‐feces at the water–sediment interface. We conducted laboratory experiments to investigate how the different functional traits of invasive quagga mussels (filtering activity and direct nutrient release) and native chironomid larvae (tube building and bioirrigation) interact with lake sediment of differing organic matter content to influence biogeochemical fluxes and water quality. Our results showed that sediment reworking and ventilation activities by chironomid larvae increased oxygen penetration in the sediment, affecting primarily pore water chemistry, whereas invasive mussels enhanced nutrient releases in the surface water. However, sediment organic matter modulated the effects of ecosystem engineers on system‐level processes; chironomids had a greater influence on sediment reworking and microbial‐mediated processes in organic‐rich sediments, whereas quagga mussels enhanced nutrient concentrations in the overlying water of organic‐poor sediments. These results have management implications, as the effects of invasive mussels on the biogeochemical functioning in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere can alter system bioenergetics and promote harmful algal blooms.     

Phytoplankton bioassays for evaluating toxicity of in situ sediment contaminants

Routine bulk chemical characterization of sediments does not provide useful information on toxicity of sediment bound contaminants. This study reviewed and evaluated the utility of phytoplankton bioassays for evaluation of toxicity of sediment bound contaminants, including state-of-the-art techniques. Several techniques such as Algal Fractionation Bioassays, microcomputer-based toxicity testing and in situ bioassays including plankton cages have been developed and successfully applied in our research at various contaminated sites in the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. These bioassay techniques are sensitive, rapid and inexpensive for screening contaminants. The use and application of such techniques, based on bioavailability and physiological response of micro-organisms, are essential for the detection of environmental perturbations of an ecosystem. Such an early warning system will facilitate the preservation and rehabilitation of the Great Lakes.     

Production of Hexagenia limbata nymphs in contaminated sediments in the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels

In April through October 1986, we sampled sediments and populations of nymphs of the burrowing mayfly, Hexagenia limbata (Serville), at 11 locations throughout the connecting channels of the upper Great Lakes, to determine if sediment contaminants adversely affected nymph production. Production over this period was high (980 to 9231 mg dry wt m^-2) at the five locations where measured sediment levels of oil, cyanide, and six metals were below the threshold criteria of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Environment for contaminated or polluted sediments, and also where the criterion for visible oil given in the Water Quality Agreement between the U.S.A. and Canada for connecting waters of the Great Lakes was not exceeded. At the other six locations where sediments were polluted, production was markedly lower (359 to 872 mg dry wt m^-2). This finding is significant because it indicates that existing sediment quality criteria can be applied to protect H. limbata from oil, cyanide, and metals in the Great Lakes and connecting channels where the species fulfills a major role in secondary production and trophic transfer of energy.Contribution 733, of the National Fisheries Research Center-Great Lakes, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.     

The possibility of submerged macrophyte recovery from a propagule bank in the eutrophic Lake Mikołajskie (North Poland)

Changes in submerged macrophyte communities in the eutrophic Lake Mikołajskie have been studied for the last 40 years. As the recent commissioning of a number of sewage treatment plants within the complex of the Mazurian Great Lakes has led to an improvement in water transparency, it was expected that species composition would start to return to the state present before intensive eutrophication. The role of seed and oospore banks in the reconstruction of submerged macrophytes is analysed on the basis of laboratory experiment. Cores of sediments (9 cm long) were collected from the littoral of Lake Mikołajskie. The cores were divided in 3 cm layers and were incubated under laboratory conditions. Five species of submerged macrophytes were germinated from the propagule banks. The richest in viable propagules was the deepest layer and poorest in active propagules was the shallowest layer of sediment. The recolonization of the littoral zone of Lake Mikołajskie by species, which occurred at a earlier period in the lake’s history is possible because viable propagules have persisted in deeper sediments.     

Geology and environmental significance of sediment distributions in an area of the submerged Niagara escarpment,Georgian Bay

The study site covers a spur of the submerged Niagara escarpment and part of the Flowerpot basin of Georgian Bay. Bedrock outcrops occur on islands and shoals but much of the area is covered by glacial till (10–20 m thick). Glaciolacustrine clay occurs in thin patches on the spur; in the deepest parts of the area, however, it is nearly 70 m thick. The distributions of Recent sediments which comprise lag-gravels, sands and silty clays, reflect major postglacial lake level changes in the Huron — Georgian Bay basin.Sediment geochemistry in Georgian Bay is similar to many other parts of the Great Lakes but calcium charbonate levels are lower than expected, except in some deposits of gaciolacustrine clay. There is little evidence of anthropogenic impact in the content of trace metals, although Pb likely includes a portion derived from atmospheric loading; Hg is usually present at very low levels but there are anomalously high values in some deepwater modern muds.In the bottom sediment habitat of modern benthos, the distribution of chironomids seems to reflect silt content. Oligochaetes are least in areas of thin Recent mud or exposed glaciolacustrine clay. Pontoporeia and sculpins are most numerous at depths between 50–110 m. Bottom tracks and other bed marks cover extensive areas of the deepwater lake sediments.     

Integrating Multiple Toxicological Endpoints in a Decision-Making Framework for Contaminated Sediments

Contaminated sediment has been identified as one of the major impediments to ecosystem restoration, but there has been little progress made in the management of sediment contaminants. Four primary lines of evidence are generally required for informed assessments yet the integration of these various lines of evidence is problematic. Using data from 220 reference sites located in the nearshore zone of the Laurentian Great Lakes the normal response of four species of laboratory organisms to sediments representing a wide range of sediment characteristics was examined. The toxicity data from the reference sites were used to establish categories of responses to test sediments. The delineations for the three categories were developed from the standard statistical parameters of population mean and standard deviation (mean ± SD) of an endpoint measured in all reference sediments. Three approaches for integrating information were examined; the first two are score based, the third approach uses a multivariate statistical method to integrate the responses. The methods were examined using both artificial and real test site data and from this it was concluded that ordination is the superior of the three. It is the least subjective within the context of the integration of the endpoints, is quantitative, and also provides appropriate weighting based on the variation observed within reference sites.     

In situ hatching of invertebrate diapausing eggs from ships' ballast sediment

Ships that enter the Great Lakes laden with cargo carry only residual ballast water and sediment in ballast tanks. These ships are designated ‘no ballast on board’ (NOBOB) and constitute > 90% of inbound traffic. We conducted in situ experiments using emergence traps to assess the viability and the introduction potential of invertebrate diapausing stages present in ships’ ballast sediment. All trials commenced while vessels operated on the lower lakes (Erie, Ontario) and were completed 6–11 days later at ports on the upper lakes (Michigan, Lake Superior). Eight trials were conducted on four ships using five different ballast sediments. Hatching was observed on every ship, although not from all sediments on all ships. Overall hatch rates were very low (0.5 individuals per 500 g sediment), typically involving activation of < 0.05% of total eggs present. Five species of rotifers and copepod nauplii were hatched from ballast sediments, although only one or two species typically hatched from any one sediment. Results of this study indicate that hatching of diapausing eggs contained in ballast sediment of NOBOB ships poses a relatively low risk of invasion to the Great Lakes. However, as reproduction may occur in tanks, and non‐indigenous species may be involved in numerous introduction events, the risk posed by this vector is small but potentially important. While dormancy is a characteristic enabling enhanced survival during transportation in ballast tanks, it becomes a hindrance for introduction.     

Influence of water-level fluctuation duration and magnitude on sediment–water nutrient exchange in coastal wetlands

This study examined the influence of water-level fluctuation (WLF) on sediment–water nutrient exchange in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Water levels in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been below the long-term mean for the past 15 years, causing the exposure of sediments that previously have been either continuously inundated or periodically exposed. The magnitude, duration, and frequency of WLF, as well as land-use history, each can influence the amount and type of sediment–water nutrient exchange. We collected sediment cores from relatively pristine coastal wetlands located on Beaver and Garden Islands in northern Lake Michigan. Sediment cores were taken from different water depths to simulate WLF magnitude; desiccation time was experimentally manipulated to simulate WLF duration. At these relatively pristine wetlands, desiccation time and water depth significantly influenced flux. However, nutrient exchange did not behave in a consistent fashion; phosphorus, nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate flux varied based on sediment exposure history and desiccation time. Sediment–water nutrient exchange rates also were compared to prior measurements taken from more impacted coastal wetlands in southern Lake Michigan and Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron. This comparison revealed a stronger influence of anthropogenic stress than desiccation time, with impacted wetland sediments releasing more soluble reactive phosphorus, sulfate, and ammonium, and retaining more nitrate, than pristine wetlands. Our results indicate that WLFs have the potential to influence sediment–water nutrient exchange, which may influence system productivity, but environmental context can override this influence.     

Comparison of sulfur concentrations within lake sediment profiles

Sediment cores from lakes in four regions (Adirondacks, Northern New England, Northern Great Lakes States, and Northern Florida) were analyzed for total S concentration. In all regions S concentrations in pre-1900 (1820–1900) sediment were similar and pre-1900 net sediment accumulation rates of S were not significantly different. Sulfur enrichment was greatest in Adirondack lake sediment (Big Moose L., Upper Wallface P., Queer L., and Deep L.), which had total post-1900 S accumulation of 1.1 to 7.4 times pre-1900 S accumulation; post-1900 net sediment accumulation rates of S were significantly greater than the other regions. Sediment from Maine (Little Long P. and Haystack P.) and Vermont (Mud P.) generally had lower S concentration than Adirondack sediments. Sulfur enrichment factors in these lakes ranged from 1.2 to 2.1. There was a positive correlation between contemporary limnetic sulfate concentration and post-1900 net sediment accumulation rates for Adirondack and Northern New England study lakes. Sediment from the Northern Great Lakes States region (McNearney, Andrus, Hustler L. and Dunnigan L.) had similar S concentration and distribution with depth to Northern New England sediment. In two Northern Florida lakes (Mirrow and Fore) sediment showed little variation in S concentration with depth, but L. Mary and L. Barco had higher S in deeper layers (30–55 cm). These different patterns of S distribution among lakes were attributed to differences in limnetic sulfate concentration, organic and inorganic sedimentation, and S diagenesis.     

Forecasting the effects of global change scenarios on bioaccumulation patterns in great lakes species

Climate change will have substantial impacts on biodiversity, particularly for aquatic species. Warming temperatures and changing weather patterns will also remobilize and modify chemical partitioning. Holding millions of cubic yards of sediments contaminated with persistent legacy chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, the Laurentian Great Lakes are a laboratory for observing interactions between biological and chemical responses to climate change. They provide a wide range of habitat to a variety of species, from littoral forage fish to deep‐water predators. In this paper, we couple bioenergetic and bioaccumulation models to investigate the biological and chemical effects of climate change in the Great Lakes. We consider three species: round goby, a warm‐water invasive forage fish; mottled sculpin, a cool‐water native forage fish; and lake trout, a cold‐water native predator. Using our coupled models, we calculate the accumulation of a representative persistent chemical, PCB‐77, under four climate scenarios for Lake Erie and Lake Superior. Predator–prey (lake trout–round goby) interactions and food availability (high–low) are incorporated into our simulations. For cool‐ to cold‐water species (sculpin, lake trout) we find that warm temperatures limit growth. For warm‐water species (round goby) cold temperatures limit growth. The impact of climate warming on growth depends on the winter lows as well as the summer highs of the scenario, in combination with the species' critical upper and lower thermal limits. We find conditions for high growth and consumption rates generally lead to high bioaccumulation. However, this can be confounded by predator–prey dynamics, as mismatches in the temperature preferences of predator and prey can lead to mismatches in relative growth and uptake rates. As predator–prey dynamics are expected to undergo substantial shifts with changing climate, these relative thermal sensitivities will be key in determining the implications of climate change for bioaccumulation, particularly in top predator species.     

Diatom assemblages in sediments of Lake Juusa, Southern Estonia with an assessment of their habitat

Diatom analysis of surface sediments and two sediment cores from different sedimentation areas of a small closed lake was undertaken with the aim of acquiring knowledge on the dependence of the distribution of diatom assemblages on lake bathymetry. Lake Juusa was selected for the study because we have for this lake a large data set about the lithological composition of sediments and macrofossil and cladoceran records for the Holocene. A high carbonate content (20–60%) in the sediment sequence indicates high carbonacity and relatively stable pH values during the Holocene. On the basis of comprehensive analysis, abrupt water-level fluctuations and changes in the trophic status were established. Results of this study showed that the fluctuations of the water-level were the leading factor determining the habitats of diatom assemblages in the lake. In the surface sediment samples planktonic species such as Cyclotella spp., Stephanodiscus spp. and Aulacoseira spp. had a depth optimum at 3–4 m and the most abundant periphytic taxa were distributed mostly at depths shallower than 3.5 m. The same regularity was established in sediment cores where a good correlation between planktonic species and lake water depth was found in sediments accumulated at water depths >4 m. Lake Juusa appears to be a proper site for detailed environmental reconstructions over the Holocene, and the results will give us a good opportunity to analyse the history of water-level fluctuations in other small Estonian lakes. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Handling editor: K. Martens     

Factors influencing densities and distributions of Pontoporeia hoyi in Lake Ontario

The physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment-water interface greatly influence distributions of the bottom-feeding amphipod Pontoporeia hoyi which is a major component of the Great Lakes aquatic food-webs. Sediment-water interface samples from the Great Lakes indicate that Pontoporeia densities are positively correlated with sediment concentrations of organic carbon, particularly in the upper depth range of the species. Pontoporeia is not found in anoxic sediments. Growth rates and production of Pontoporeia are influenced by the quality of food supplies and there appears to be a seasonal response to the down-flux of plankton detritus. Comparisons of numerations and distribution patterns also revealed an apparent positive relationship between Pontoporeia and sediment-associated bacteria. Interlake comparisons of population densities provide no clear evidence of any large scale impact by contaminated sediment on this species. Depending upon the extent to which organic carbon (OC) is assimilated in the water column, bottom sediments may store and buffer the quantity of OC available to Pontoporeia. Thus, if the annual down-flux of OC remains generally constant, populations of Pontoporeia should also remain constant unless influenced by changes in predation intensity.Numerations of Pontoporeia revealed that populations of this amphipod are much larger in Lake Michigan than in Lake Ontario. We suggest that much of this difference can be accounted for by different forms of predator-prey interaction near the base of the benthic food-web. Commercial fisheries data tend to support this idea. We also speculate that differences in the concentration of dissolved silica may figure prominantly among factors that affect Pontoporeia population densities.Under proposed new taxonomy (Bousfield, 1989), Pontoporeia hoyi is now classified as Diporeia hoyi. However, for convenience, we have retained the commonly used genus Pontoporeia throughout this text.     

Entrainment,deposition, and transport of fine-grained sediments in lakes

Recent work on the settling, diffusion, entrainment, and deposition of fine-grained sediments in fresh water is reviewed and synthesized. Particular attention is given to the dependence of these processes on sediment properties such as particle size. The application of this knowledge to the analysis and numerical modeling of sediment transport is also discussed. Much of the work is concerned with the Great Lakes and, more specifically, with the Western Basin of Lake Erie.     

Leeward bank margin Halimeda meadows and draperies and their sedimentary importance on the western Great Bahama Bank slope

Bryopsidalean algal meadows in water depths of 20–40 m on the leeward side of western Great Bahama Bank (WGBB) lie between non-skeletal-dominated sand flats on the bank top to the east and a cemented steep escarpment to the west. The meadows contain dense populations of rhipsalian Halimeda species, as well as Udotea and Rhipocephalus. Extensive populations of other Halimeda species (opuntioids) occur at greater depths on the cemented rocky escarpment, growing as drapes or vines rather than as upright thalli. These meadows and draperies are important sources of coarse-grained carbonate sediments. This is shown by (1) deeper bank-edge sediments (30–60 m) containing considerably more Halimeda fragments than do the bank top, non-skeletal sands, and (2) the coarser fraction of slope sediments (down to 200 m) dominated by Halimeda plates, partly or extensively altered and internally cemented by magnesian calcite and aragonite. A transect across the bank margin from bank top (<10 m) to lower slope (300 m) provides a useful comparison for the locus of sediment production and accumulation. The production of Halimeda in these bank-edge habitats approximates that in the Great Barrier Reef or off Indonesia and Nicaragua in similar water depths. The apparent lack of thick sediment accumulation in WGBB compared to that seen elsewhere may reflect the high rates of downslope transport off Great Bahama Bank.     

Unique Similarity of Faunal Communities across Aquatic–Terrestrial Interfaces in a Polar Desert Ecosystem

Abstract Critical transition zones, such as aquatic–terrestrial interfaces, have been recognized as important features in landscape ecology. Yet changes in the community structure of soil and sediment biota across aquatic–terrestrial boundaries remain relatively unstudied. We investigated the community structure of the dominant fauna, namely nematodes, rotifers and tardigrades, across lake sediment–soil transects in three basins in a species-poor, polar desert ecosystem (McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica). We also examined substrate (that is, soil and sediment) properties, including moisture, salinity, carbon, nitrogen and phosphate concentration, across these transects. Differences in faunal community structure and biochemical properties were typically explained by hydrologic basin and the sediment–soil gradient, but not by transects within each basin. Bonney Basin contained the least organic carbon, chlorophyll a, nematodes and taxa, whereas there was little difference in many of these measures between Fryxell and Hoare Basins. Nematode (Scottnema lindsayae and Plectus sp.) and rotifer abundance varied along sediment–soil transects. Scottnema lindsayae, the most abundant and widely distributed soil animal in this ecosystem, increased in abundance from sediments to soils, whereas Plectus sp. and rotifer abundance, and taxa richness (that is, nematodes, rotifers and/or tardigrades), decreased; Eudorylaimus sp. and tardigrade abundance did not differ significantly along the transects. Previous studies of soil biodiversity and faunal abundance in this ecosystem have revealed a positive association between these measures and biogeochemistry, if this holds true for lake sediments, our findings suggest sediments in Lake Bonney experience lower rates of nutrient cycling than either Lakes Fryxell or Hoare. Despite differences in faunal abundances along the sediment–soil transects, taxa occurrence was surprisingly similar in soil and sediment, only S. lindsayae was restricted to soil or the lake shore. In contrast, in other ecosystems, soil community composition differs greatly from lake sediments, suggesting that the observed similarity in species occurrence in both soils and sediments may be unique to Antarctica. This finding might result from the extreme low diversity of this ecosystem, presumably limiting competition among fauna, and thus promoting broad ecological niches. Alternatively, environmental conditions in Antarctica may select for species with broad ecological niches.     

Transoceanic ships as vectors for nonindigenous freshwater bryozoans

Aim The transport of organisms in ships’ ballast tanks is a dominant vector for aquatic invasions worldwide. Until recently, efforts to manage this vector have overlooked the potential transport of invertebrate resting stages in the residual waters and sediments within emptied ballast tanks, i.e. NOBOB (‘No Ballast On Board’) tanks. The resting stages (statoblasts) of freshwater bryozoans are often buoyant and locally abundant and thus can be taken up easily during ballasting operations. They are also resistant to extreme environmental conditions and can generate new colonies after being dormant for decades; as such, they would likely remain viable propagules after lengthy transport in ship ballast tanks. This study quantified the occurrence of freshwater bryozoan statoblasts in ballast tank sediments of transoceanic ships. Location North American Great Lakes. Methods We quantified the frequency of occurrence, abundance and diversity of bryozoans (as statoblasts) in residual sediment samples taken from 51 NOBOB tanks of 33 transoceanic ships visiting the Great Lakes from 2000 to 2002. Results Our study identified 11 species, comprising nearly 12% of the total number of freshwater bryozoans known worldwide. These include two exotic species unrecorded in the Great Lakes (Fredericella sultana and Lophopus crystallinus), an exotic species already established in the region (Lophopodella carteri) and three cosmopolitan species (Plumatella casmiana, P. fungosa and P. repens). Our estimates suggest that a ship with NOBOB tanks may carry up to 10⁶ statoblasts. Main conclusions The discovery of species unrecorded in the Great Lakes and the potentially large numbers of statoblasts being transported in ship ballast tanks indicate a significant risk of new species introductions. Furthermore, the presence of cosmopolitan species and an exotic species already established in the Great Lakes suggests the strong possibility of cryptic invasions via the introduction of exotic genotypes.     

Nitrate uptake rate in anoxic profundal sediments from a eutrophic reservoir

There is renewed interest in the use of nitrate to treat the profundal zone of lakes to inhibit anaerobic biogeochemical processes that result in the degradation of bottom water quality (e.g., sediment phosphorus release, mercury methylation). In this study we used experimental sediment–water interface chambers to quantify the rate of sediment nitrate uptake (SNU) in profundal sediments from Lake Perris, a eutrophic raw water reservoir in Southern California. Deoxygenated chamber water was spiked with nitrate, and nitrate concentration was monitored over time under quiescent conditions, followed by mixed conditions with average water velocities of 1 cm/s. Key findings included: (1) SNU decreased with decreasing nitrate concentration, (2) SNU was higher under mixed versus quiescent conditions by nearly 50%, and (3) nitrate uptake as a function of nitrate concentration followed a conventional sediment oxygen demand model in which nitrate uptake was proportional to the square root of nitrate concentration. The probable mechanism for elevated SNU under mixed conditions was an increased diffusional concentration gradient combined with a decrease in the diffusional boundary layer at the sediment–water interface, both of which enhanced the flux of nitrate from overlaying water into sediment. Managers planning to implement lake nitrate addition should account for induced nitrate demand when determining dosing rates. For example, based on our modeling efforts from this data set, SNU in Lake Perris could range by an order of magnitude, from around 12 mg N/m²/d under quiescent, low nitrate conditions (0.1 mg N/l) to around 120 mg N/m²/d under mixed, high nitrate conditions (5 mg N/l). Handling editor: L. Naselli-Flores     

Climate connectivity of the bobcat in the Great Lakes region

The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River are imposing barriers for wildlife, and the additive effect of urban and agricultural development that dominates the lower Great Lakes region likely further reduces functional connectivity for many terrestrial species. As the climate warms, species will need to track climate across these barriers. It is important therefore to investigate land cover and bioclimatic hypotheses that may explain the northward expansion of species through the Great Lakes. We investigated the functional connectivity of a vagile generalist, the bobcat, as a representative generalist forest species common to the region. We genotyped tissue samples collected across the region at 14 microsatellite loci and compared different landscape hypotheses that might explain the observed gene flow or functional connectivity. We found that the Great Lakes and the additive influence of forest stands with either low or high canopy cover and deep lake‐effect snow have disrupted gene flow, whereas intermediate forest cover has facilitated gene flow. Functional connectivity in southern Ontario is relatively low and was limited in part by the low amount of forest cover. Pathways across the Great Lakes were through the Niagara region and through the Lower Peninsula of Michigan over the Straits of Mackinac and the St. Marys River. These pathways are important routes for bobcat range expansion north of the Great Lakes and are also likely pathways that many other mobile habitat generalists must navigate to track the changing climate. The extent to which species can navigate these routes will be important for determining the future biodiversity of areas north of the Great Lakes.     

Contribution of Sediment Respiration to Summer CO2 Emission from Low Productive Boreal and Subarctic Lakes

We measured sediment production of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) and the net flux of CO₂ across the surfaces of 15 boreal and subarctic lakes of different humic contents. Sediment respiration measurements were made in situ under ambient light conditions. The flux of CO₂ between sediment and water varied between an uptake of 53 and an efflux of 182 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ from the sediments. The mean respiration rate for sediments in contact with the upper mixed layer (SedR) was positively correlated to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in the water (r² = 0.61). The net flux of CO₂ across the lake surface [net ecosystem exchange (NEE)] was also closely correlated to DOC concentration in the upper mixed layer (r² = 0.73). The respiration in the water column was generally 10-fold higher per unit lake area compared to sediment respiration. Lakes with DOC concentrations <5.6 mg L⁻¹ had net consumption of CO₂ in the sediments, which we ascribe to benthic primary production. Only lakes with very low DOC concentrations were net autotrophic (<2.6 mg L⁻¹) due to the dominance of dissolved allochthonous organic carbon in the water as an energy source for aquatic organisms. In addition to previous findings of allochthonous organic matter as an important driver of heterotrophic metabolism in the water column of lakes, this study suggests that sediment metabolism is also highly dependent on allochthonous carbon sources.     

Potential changes to the biology and challenges to the management of invasive sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the Laurentian Great Lakes due to climate change

Control programs are implemented to mitigate the damage caused by invasive species worldwide. In the highly invaded Great Lakes, the climate is expected to become warmer with more extreme weather and variable precipitation, resulting in shorter iced‐over periods and variable tributary flows as well as changes to pH and river hydrology and hydrogeomorphology. We review how climate change influences physiology, behavior, and demography of a damaging invasive species, sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), in the Great Lakes, and the consequences for sea lamprey control efforts. Sea lamprey control relies on surveys to monitor abundance of larval sea lamprey in Great Lakes tributaries. The abundance of parasitic, juvenile sea lampreys in the lakes is calculated by surveying wounding rates on lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and trap surveys are used to enumerate adult spawning runs. Chemical control using lampricides (i.e., lamprey pesticides) to target larval sea lamprey and barriers to prevent adult lamprey from reaching spawning grounds are the most important tools used for sea lamprey population control. We describe how climate change could affect larval survival in rivers, growth and maturation in lakes, phenology and the spawning migration as adults return to rivers, and the overall abundance and distribution of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. Our review suggests that Great Lakes sea lamprey may benefit from climate change with longer growing seasons, more rapid growth, and greater access to spawning habitat, but uncertainties remain about the future availability and suitability of larval habitats. Consideration of the biology of invasive species and adaptation of the timing, intensity, and frequency of control efforts is critical to the management of biological invasions in a changing world, such as sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.