Impacts to Phytoplankton After the Establishment of Quagga Mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 5-1-2016 Impacts to Phytoplankton After The Establishment of Quagga Mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada Warren Bruce Turkett University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Environmental Sciences Commons, and the Public Health Commons Repository Citation Turkett, Warren Bruce, "Impacts to Phytoplankton After The Establishment of Quagga Mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada" (2016). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2751. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/9112199 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. 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IMPACTS TO PHYTOPLANKTON AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF QUAGGA MUSSELS IN LAKE MEAD, NEVADA By Warren Turkett Bachelor of Science in Biology Wright State University 1999 Master of Science in Water Resource Management University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2009 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Public Health Department of Environmental and Occupational Health School of Community Health Sciences Division of Health Sciences The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2016 i Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 14, 2015 This dissertation prepared by Warren Turkett entitled Impacts to Phytoplankton after the Establishment of Quagga Mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Public Health Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Shawn Gerstenberger, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean Patricia Cruz, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Guogen Shan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Steve Weber, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Helen R. Neill, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii ABSTRACT Quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are an invasive species that were discovered in Lake Mead in January of 2007, and rapidly spread throughout the lake. Quagga mussels are about the size of a fingernail, but are known to clog pipes, damage infrastructure and alter ecosystems. In large numbers, mussels can have a dramatic impact on an ecosystem by reducing the phytoplankton and potentially increasing toxin producing cyanobacteria. This research analyzed data collected from three separate basins in Lake Mead to determine if water quality characteristics that are commonly impacted by invasive mussels have changed. Transparency, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton and zooplankton samples were collected before (2004-2006) and after (2009-2011) quagga mussel establishment and tested for differences using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The results indicate that Lake Mead has not had drastic lake wide changes similar to other ecosystems at these three locations. Transparency, chlorophyll-a, and phytoplankton biomass were significantly different in the Boulder Basin, but these results are confounded by long term reductions in phosphorus loading to the Boulder Basin. Although not significant at every location, there was a 23-26% reduction in phytoplankton cell numbers and a 17-68% reduction in phytoplankton biomass between means of the two time periods. Toxin producing cyanobacteria like Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Cylindrospermopsis and Anabaena did not have a significant change in frequency of detections or cell numbers at these locations. Quagga mussels may have less of an impact in Lake Mead due to some fundamental differences compared to water bodies in the Eastern United States. The large volume of water, deep depths, thermal stratification, and limited food supply may limit quagga mussel populations from changing water quality characteristics similar to other ecosystems. Additional monitoring will be required to understand the long term impacts of quagga mussels in Lake Mead. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DISSERTATION APPROVAL ....................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 9 Research Questions and Hypotheses ...................................................... 13 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE .................................... 15 Dreissenid Ecology ............................................................................... 17 Mussel Feeding and Filtration ............................................................... 24 Water Quality Impacts .......................................................................... 37 Ecosystem Impacts in the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron ........................... 38 Ecosystem Impacts in the Hudson River Estuary .................................... 39 Lake Mead Elevation ............................................................................ 44 Toxin Producing Cyanobacteria ............................................................. 46 Health Concerns from Cyanobacteria ..................................................... 50 CHAPTER 3 METHODS .......................................................................................... 53 Study Area ........................................................................................... 53 Sampling Stations ................................................................................. 55 Time Frame .......................................................................................... 56 Sampling Methods ................................................................................ 56 Data Sources ........................................................................................ 61 Software ............................................................................................... 62 Data Quality Assurance ......................................................................... 62 Statistical Methods ............................................................................... 63 Hypotheses and Methods ....................................................................... 66 Changes in Water Quality Characteristics .................................................................66 Changes in Phytoplankton .........................................................................................68 Changes in Toxin Producing Cyanobacteria ..............................................................69 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS ............................................................................................. 71 Temple Basin Results ................................................................................................71 Virgin Basin Results ..................................................................................................76 Boulder Basin Results ................................................................................................81 iv CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................. 87 Changes in Water Quality Characteristics .................................................................87 Changes in Phytoplankton .........................................................................................90 Changes in Toxin Producing Cyanobacteria ..............................................................92 Discussion of Zooplankton Results ...........................................................................93 Confounding Factors and Limitations .................................................... 94 Conclusions and Recommendations for Further Study ............................. 95 APPENDIX A. LITERATURE ON DREISSENID INVASIONS .............................. 98 APPENDIX B. STATE GUIDANCE FOR RECREATIONAL WATER ............... 102 APPENDIX C. PHYCOTECH IDENTIFICATION METHODOLOGY ............... 105 APPENDIX D. TEMPLE BASIN FIGURES ............................................................. 108 APPENDIX E. VIRGIN BASIN FIGURES ............................................................... 113 APPENDIX F. BOULDER BASIN FIGURES ........................................................... 118 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 123 CURRICULUM VITAE ..............................................................................................