The amphipod Diporeia spp. has historically been an important component of the benthic food web of the Laurentian Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement included its population density as an indicator of ecological condition for Lake Superior, with target values of 220–320 m⁻² in nearshore areas (≤100 m depth) and 30–160 m⁻² in offshore areas (>100 m). To assess the status of Diporeia in Lake Superior, we used a probability-based lake-wide survey design to obtain estimates of Diporeia density and biomass in 2006, 2011 and 2016. A PONAR grab sampler was used to collect Diporeia at 50–53 sites each year, with approximately half in the nearshore (<100 m depth) region of the lake and half in the offshore. The mean area-weighted lake-wide density was 395 ± 56 (SE) m⁻² in 2006, 756 ± 129 m⁻² in 2011, and 502 ± 60 m⁻² in 2016. For all years, both density and biomass were greater in the nearshore than in the offshore stratum. The densities for 2006–2016 were 3–5 times higher than those reported from a lake-wide survey conducted in 1973 by the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. The severe declines in Diporeia populations observed in the other Great Lakes during recent decades have apparently not occurred in Lake Superior. Further research is needed to understand spatial and temporal variability of Diporeia populations in Lake Superior to enhance the utility of Diporeia density as an indicator of benthic condition.

端足类 Diporeia spp。历史上一直是劳伦森五大湖底栖食物网的重要组成部分。五大湖水质协议将其人口密度作为苏必利尔湖生态状况的指标，近岸地区（≤100 m 深度）的目标值为 220-320 m ^{-2 ，近海地区的目标值为 30-160 m -2}（ >100 米）。为了评估苏必利尔湖Diporeia的状况，我们使用基于概率的全湖调查设计来获得 2006 年、2011 年和 2016 年Diporeia密度和生物量的估计值。使用 PONAR 抓取采样器收集Diporeia每年有 50-53 个地点，其中大约一半在湖的近岸（<100 m 深度）区域，一半在近海。2006 年平均面积加权湖泊密度为 395 ± 56 (SE) m ^-2，2011年为 756 ± 129 m ^-2，2016年为 502 ± 60 m ^-2。多年来，密度和生物量均近岸层比离岸层大。2006-2016 年的密度比加拿大内陆水域中心 1973 年进行的全湖调查报告的密度高 3-5 倍。近几十年来，在其他五大湖中观察到的Diporeia种群的严重下降显然没有发生在苏必利尔湖。需要进一步的研究来了解空间和时间的可变性苏必利尔湖的Diporeia种群以提高Diporeia密度作为底栖条件指标的效用。