The set of ancient lakes on Sulawesi, Indonesia, represents a unique global hotspot of aquatic biodiversity. These lakes have been recognized widely because of their high number of endemic species with specialized and distinctive morphological characters, life history and ecological adaptations. An interesting case of unusual life history involving brood care exists in the planorbid limpets of the

Underwater video is increasingly used to study aspects of the Great Lakes benthos including the abundance of round goby and dreissenid mussels. The introduction of these species has resulted in major ecological shifts in the Great Lakes, but the abundance and impacts of these species have heretofore been underassessed due to limitations of monitoring methods. Underwater video (UVID) can “sample” hard

Relative contributions of aquaculture-origin and naturally-reproduced grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been unknown. We assessed occurrence and distribution of aquaculture-origin and wild grass carp in the Great Lakes using ploidy and otolith stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) data. We inferred natal river and dispersal from natal location for wild grass carp using

Understanding the relationship between a species and its habitats is important for both conservation of imperiled species and control of invasive species. For migratory species, we hypothesize that maintaining connectivity between segregated habitats is more important than improving the quality of each habitat. In the case of anadromous lampreys of conservation concern, we posit that restoring passage

The St. Marys River connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron, comprising the international border between Michigan, United States, and Ontario, Canada. This Great Lakes connecting channel naturally encompasses various habitats including lakes, wetlands, islands, tributaries, side channels, and main channels. The St. Marys River Rapids are shallow rock areas with high flow velocities (>1 m/s) in the upper

Large lakes of the world are habitats for diverse species, including endemic taxa, and are valuable resources that provide humanity with many ecosystem services. They are also sentinels of global and local change, and recent studies in limnology and paleolimnology have demonstrated disturbing evidence of their collective degradation in terms of depletion of resources (water and food), rapid warming

Determining the path of river intrusions into lakes is essential, both for a better understanding of the lake circulation as well as the nutrient transport and the distribution of pollutants introduced by the rivers. The objective of this study is to understand the mixing of Rhône River water within Lake Geneva. The stable H- and O-isotope composition of water for this alpine lake has been shown to

Understanding riverine phosphorus (P) dynamics, its transport, and transformation mechanisms from sources in the watersheds to receiving water bodies are essential for the development of effective strategies to decrease excess P loading and reduce eutrophication. Karst watersheds are thought to be especially vulnerable to P pollution due to their geomorphological features. In this study, we investigated

Gmelinoides fasciatus is a successful invasive amphipod (Amphipoda, Crustacea) that dispersed from Lake Baikal to various waterbodies. Here we studied whether Baikal conditions are optimal for G. fasciatus in terms of thermotolerance and investigated lethal temperatures, 70 kDa heat shock protein level, energy metabolism, and antioxidant defense of animals from three geographically distant waterbodies

With the increasing extraction of methane from Lake Kivu, there is a growing need to evaluate the effect of such operations on the lake’s permanent density stratification. This requires understanding of the spatial structure and variability of flow velocities and constituents in Lake Kivu. In this study, we develop a 3D hydrodynamic model of Lake Kivu, set-up within DELFT3D at a 750 m grid spacing

Surface sediments and three sediment cores from the western basin and one sediment core from the Sandusky basin were analyzed to document spatial and temporal changes in five phosphorus fractions and total phosphorus (TP). The areal distributions of the bioavailable fractions NaCl-Pi, NaBD-Pi, and NaOH-Pi and the refractory organic fraction Res-P were broadly consistent and contrasted with those of

Whole-lake surveys of Lake Superior were completed during late summer in 2006, 2011, and 2016 to assess lower food web conditions under the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI). These surveys used a spatially stratified probability approach based on depth to assess food web conditions within different depth zones. We evaluated differences in crustacean zooplankton biomass, rotifer density

Lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens were extirpated from the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) by the early 1900’s due to overfishing and habitat degradation. A restoration stocking program began in 1983, and continued almost annually until 2000. Lake sturgeon stocked into the SLRE were primarily obtained from the Wolf River (Lake Winnebago) genetic stock (n = 861,000) but some sturgeon were obtained from

Prior to their extirpation around 1900 CE, Lake Ontario hosted the world’s largest freshwater Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fishery. Due to their early disappearance, questions remained about fundamental aspects of the species’ biology, such as whether they belonged to sea-run (anadromous) or freshwater resident (potamodromous) ecotypes. Recent isotopic analyses have demonstrated that the complex of

In Lake Michigan, the unintended introduction of invasive species (e.g., zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha; quagga mussel, D. rostriformis bugensis; round goby, Neogobius melanostomus) and reduced nutrient loading has altered nutrient dynamics, system productivity, and community composition over the past two decades. These factors, together with sustained predation pressure, have contributed to declines

Three different types of microplastics (MPs): low density polyethylene; polypropylene; and polyester, were incubated for one and three months at two sites (Channel and Lake) in Muskegon Lake (MI). After retrieval, MPs were analyzed for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCs), select metals, and genomic characterization of the attached microbial

Since the identification of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol as a lampricide in the 1950s, control of sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes has largely relied on lampricides, barriers, and traps. Lampricide treatments target larval lampreys in tributaries of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission oversees sea lamprey control efforts and has invested in technologies that may target

We tested the hypothesis that the analysis of operationally defined sedimentary phosphorus species gives a finer resolution of historical land-use changes in lake watersheds than does total phosphorus alone. We measured loosely sorbed/interstitial, reductant soluble, aluminum-bound, apatite, organic and total phosphorus in eleven cores taken from heterogeneous regions of Lake Champlain using sequential

Over a century ago, shoreline copper mills sluiced more than 64 million metric tonnes of tailings into Lake Superior, creating a “halo” around the Keweenaw Peninsula with a buried copper peak. Here we examine how tailings from one of the smaller mills (Mass Mill, 1902–1919) spread as a dual pulse across southern Keweenaw Bay and onto tribal L’Anse Indian Reservation lands. The fine (“slime clay”) fraction

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in Great Lakes salmonines has been linked to consumption of alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Thiamine deficiency has been recognized as a possible impediment to lake trout Salvelinus namaycush recruitment in the Great Lakes and Atlantic salmon Salmo salar recruitment in the Finger Lakes and Baltic Sea. Alewife invaded Lake Champlain in 2003 which provided an opportunity

Spawning of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes basin was verified when eight fertilized eggs were collected in the Sandusky River, a tributary to Lake Erie, in 2015. Using a fluvial drift model (FluEgg) and simulation modeling, researchers predicted the fertilization location for those eggs was 3.8 ± 1 km (95% credible interval, CI) downstream of Ballville Dam. In June 2018, simultaneous

Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes) are a key component of freshwater ecosystems throughout temperate parts of the world. Of the 44 described species of lamprey, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is certainly the most commonly recognized. This species has expanded its range from the Atlantic Ocean basin where it is of conservation concern in North America and Europe into the Laurentian Great Lakes where

Lampreys worldwide face multiple anthropogenic stressors. Several species are ‘at-risk’ listed, yet abundance data for most remain insufficient to adequately assess conservation status. Lamprey population declines are largely due to habitat degradation and fragmentation, pollution, and exploitation. Conservation priorities include: quantification of population trends and distribution; identification

Managers and researchers have identified a reproducing population of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the western basin of Lake Erie, generating concern over the potential threat to ecosystem function in the Great Lakes Basin. Capture histories indicate that grass carp may be present at low levels in other areas of Lake Erie, necessitating a large scale, multi-jurisdictional response. As a result

Understanding stock structure and habitat use is important for sustainable fisheries management and conservation of genetic and phenotypic diversity. In eastern Lake Michigan, yellow perch Perca flavescens is found in both the nearshore region of Lake Michigan proper and drowned river mouth (DRM) lakes, small estuary-like systems directly connected to Lake Michigan. Recent genetic analyses suggest

Barriers and pesticides have been used in streams to control sea lamprey in the Laurentian Great Lakes for nearly 70 years. Considerable effort has been spent to develop additional control measures, but much less effort has gone toward identifying how or where additional control measures might be cost-effectively integrated into the sea lamprey control program. We use a management strategy evaluation

The cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms have been observed, over the last decade, in several regions of the southern Caspian Sea, becoming a major threat to human health and aquatic life. The present study aims to develop two models to quantify cyanobacterial concentration in the Caspian Sea using artificial neural networks and multiple band linear regression. The models are based on Moderate Resolution

Black Creek, a headwater to the Maumee River and western Lake Erie, is an agricultural basin with a mix of cropland (66%), pasture (19%), and forest (7%) linked by a road network to the rural community. Suspended sediment was collected monthly during the 2018 water year for the main stem and two sub-basins using in-situ, passive samplers that integrated a range of streamflow conditions. Sediment fingerprinting

The mechanisms that regulate the composition and structure of biological communities remain poorly understood. Diatom communities have traditionally been assumed to be a collection of r-selected, ecologically redundant generalist taxa with distributions constrained largely by dispersal limitation. Here, we challenge this notion by presenting a novel model that uses distributional data to estimate ecological

Contaminated sediments, poor water quality, and lost or altered habitat in Lower Green Bay and Fox River in the 1980s led to its listing as an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission. Previous studies on the geophysics and health of the bay demonstrated the need for estimates of transport timescales. Such estimates can contribute to improved understanding of the transport and fate of

Four lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, Walbaum 1792 morphs occur in Lake Superior: lean, siscowet, humper, and redfin. Diets of lean and siscowet have been relatively well described. However, less is known about diets of humper and redfin, and overall few studies have been conducted at offshore shoals. We compared gut content data among mature (357–867 mm) sympatric lake trout morphs caught at two

This project evaluated pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) concentrations in drinking water originating from Lake Erie. Raw and treated water samples were collected from the local water treatment plant in Erie, Pennsylvania over a 10 month period. Along with grab samples, long-term samples were collected using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS). The samples were analyzed

Two of the remaining coregonine species in Lake Ontario, cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis), spawn in Chaumont Bay, New York. Larvae co-occur in the spring but are difficult to distinguish morphologically. We applied genetic species identification using microsatellite DNA loci of 268 larvae from known locations in nearshore and offshore habitats in Chaumont Bay to determine

Lake sturgeon, a species of conservation concern, can be affected by sea lamprey control activities in the Great Lakes basin. Specifically, age-0 lake sturgeon are sensitive to the pesticides used to kill larval stage sea lampreys; and, as tributary spawners, barriers that restrict access to habitat for adult sea lampreys can also restrict access to spawning lake sturgeon habitat. Conversely, lake

Ancient Lake Ohrid is the oldest and biologically most diverse freshwater lake in Europe. The recent deep-drilling campaign SCOPSCO provided detailed insights into the lake’s limnological history over the past 1.36 my. However, it remains unclear what factors triggered the onset of radiations and whether diversification rates remained constant throughout their evolution. We therefore inferred time-calibrated

The invasive rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) was an abundant food source for Lake Winnipeg walleye (Sander vitreus), especially in the north basin of the lake, until the smelt’s collapse in approximately 2013. We quantified changing length-at-age (≈ growth rates) and relative mass (≈ body condition) in Lake Winnipeg walleye caught for a gillnet index data set. Here, walleye showed smaller length-at-age

Contemporary conditions in Lake Michigan where cisco (Coregonus artedi) populations are expanding are vastly different from those encountered by the historic fish community. Invasive species introductions have substantially altered the Lake Michigan ecosystem in the last half century. Successful management efforts for cisco in Lake Michigan hinge on our ability to understand their contemporary ecology

Adequate densities of zooplankton prey are critical for growth and survival of larvae of many fish species. Little information exists on the density of zooplankton in Great Lakes inshore areas during early spring, when larvae of important fishes rely on zooplankton. Reduced age-0 walleye recruitment and the absence of data on zooplankton availability for larval walleyes in northern Green Bay, Lake

Lake sturgeon movement in two adjacent unregulated Lake Superior tributaries, the Pic and White rivers, was assessed over several years to determine seasonal use, identify potential contributing factors for entry or exit migrations, and evaluate whether sturgeon using these tributaries constituted one or two populations. A total of 95 lake sturgeon implanted with radio transmitters were tracked using

Constructed and restored wetlands can be effective sinks for particulate and dissolved phosphorus (P) if properly managed, but identifying suitable P retention wetland locations remains challenging. From a landscape perspective, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models identify locations within target watersheds with high nutrient loads that exhibit appropriate site characteristics and hydrodynamics

Lake Lugu has been termed an “ancient lake” in several publications. Ancient lakes, such as Baikal or Tanganyika have in common an age of several million years and an outstanding biodiversity and rate of endemism. Lake Lugu’s age is unknown, however, and has been inferred from the presumed Pliocene increased tectonic activity on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The lake was thus considered to be of tectonic

We review recent advances in age and growth estimation of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes and present a more accurate method for growth estimation. To forecast growth and prioritize streams for control actions, sea lamprey managers currently use an average daily growth model. Here, a new linear model that included stream and lake as contributing variables was investigated

Lake Tana is the most important freshwater lake in Ethiopia. Besides pressures on water quality resulting from urbanization and deforestation, the invasion of the exotic water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) poses new threats to the ecosystem. Water hyacinth, endemic to South America, is widely considered as the world’s worst aquatic invasive weed. In 2011, the weed appeared on the northern shores

Natal philopatry is important to the structure of fish populations because it can lead to local adaptations among component stocks of a mixed population, reducing the risk of recruitment failure. By contrast, straying between component stocks may bolster declining populations or allow for colonization of new habitat. To examine rates of natal philopatry and straying among western Lake Erie walleye

Open-coiled shells are rarely observed in gastropods, but they may occur at a relative frequency ranging from a small percentage of specimens in a population up to being specific to populations or even species. The origin of such corkscrew-like shells are poorly understood, but may include developmental anomalies, ecophenotypic plasticity or genetic inheritance. Here, we report the first case of gastropods

Water resources on the Canadian Prairies are at risk due to human settlement, agricultural intensification, and climatic change. The Red River Valley (RRV), Manitoba, Canada, represents a nexus of these cumulative stressors. Here land use change, combined with a recent increase in precipitation and runoff, imperils the protective function of tributaries draining to Lake Winnipeg. A concerted research

Variation in the timing and quantity of diffuse versus point-source inputs of phosphorus (P) to streams can be evaluated by examining P concentration-flow relationships. Diffuse load inputs usually increase with stream flow (due to increased delivery caused by precipitation); whereas, point-source concentrations decrease with rising river flow (due to increased dilution). This study tested the suitability

Nutrient management in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin has focused on the reduction of tributary phosphorus inputs to control lake eutrophication. However, the regional implications of nutrient enrichment on stream eutrophication and management remain understudied. We compared nutrient concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns

Boundary organizations are institutions that interface between science and policy by facilitating interactions between scientists, policy specialists, and other stakeholders to inform collaborative decision-making. Natural resource management in the Great Lakes Basin is complex and a shared exercise among two federal governments, eight states, two provinces, and over 200 sovereign Tribes, First Nations

Eradication has been achieved for many vertebrate pest control programs, primarily on small, isolated islands, but has never been considered a practical goal for invasive sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Our objective was to examine evidence relevant to the feasibility of setting eradication as a management goal for Great Lakes sea lampreys. Bomford and O'Brien (1995) listed six conditions

In aquatic ecosystems, young of the year (YOY) fish often exhibit strong interannual fluctuations. Because these fish prey on zooplankton and are preyed upon by piscivorous fish, strong fluctuations in their abundance may have important impacts on food web functioning. The static Ecopath model was used to assess potential impacts of strong fluctuations in YOY perch in the deep peri-alpine Lake Annecy

Many riverine systems are impacted by a combination of agricultural and urban land use. In this study, we assessed the impacts of high intensity agriculture and urban land use in the Maumee River, the largest Great Lakes tributary, using sunfish (Lepomis spp.). The land use gradient from agricultural headwaters to densely urban areas was hypothesized to be paralleled by a shift in the chemical signature

Lake Erie experiences annual summer cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs), comprised mostly of non-nitrogen-fixing Microcystis, due to excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs (eutrophication). Lake Erie's watershed is mostly agricultural, and fertilizers, manure, and drainage practices contribute to high nutrient loads. This study aimed to clarify the role of western Lake Erie sediments

Lake monitoring studies are essential for understanding the modern biogeochemical and sedimentological cycles to enable and support the interpretation of paleolimnological records. However, such studies remain scarce for high-altitude lakes in general and specifically for lakes on the Tibetan Plateau. We investigated the hydro-chemical and physical properties of lake Nam Co and its twenty-one major

The first survey data on the fisheries in Lake Peipsi were collected by natural scientist Karl Ernst von Baer as a result of the world's first special fishery expedition in 1851–1852. In the current study, all available numerical datasets on fishing in Lake Peipsi from 1851 to 2018 have been drawn together in order to analyse the long-term changes in the lake’s fish assemblages. As the study indicates

Violet and purple bacterial pigmentations are uncommon when considering strict aerobes. Here we report discovery of two novel isolates, P102 and P117 from the freshwater Lake Winnipeg, each with violet to deep purple colony colouration. The relationship between pigment production and growth was investigated under different conditions, including a variety of carbon sources, pH, and temperatures. The

This study assesses snow response in the Assiniboine-Red River basin, located in the Lake Winnipeg watershed, due to anthropogenic climate change. We use a process-based distributed snow model driven by an ensemble of eight statistically downscaled global climate models (GCMs) to project future changes under policy-relevant global mean temperature (GMT) increases of 1.0 °C to 3.0 °C above the pre-industrial

Understanding the spatial ecology and habitat-use of Lake Erie’s commercially important walleye (Sander vitreus) population is imperative due to their large-scale seasonal migrations (>400 km) exposing them to five different jurisdictions in the USA and Canada. The objective of this study was to determine the habitat selected by walleye throughout the year and across Lake Erie. Here, we used acoustic

The North American Great Lakes were designated with 43 locally degraded Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the 1980s. Remediation activities geared towards restoring beneficial use impairments (BUIs) at the AOCs have been conducted by both the American and Canadian governments. Here we examine if the fish consumption BUI has been restored at the Thunder Bay Harbour and St. Marys River AOCs within the Canadian

The Chinook salmon population in Lake Michigan is declining precipitously due to ecological changes, and the impact on recreational fishing value is unknown. We estimate a conditional logit model to characterize how Wisconsin resident anglers react to changes in species-specific availability and catch rates. Using these results, we calculate the non-market value of access to the fishery that reflects