Biological, Chemical and Physical Relationships in the Straits of Mackinac
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EPA-600/ 3-7 6-095 October 1976 BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC by Claire L. Schelske, Eugene F. Stoermer, E. S. John Gannon and Mila Simmons SPECIAL REPORT NO. & D 6REAT Great Lakes Research Division LAKES ^SEARCH DIVISION University of Michigan fcstitate of Science 4 Technology to University Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 of Michigan mm mm, mthlgm Grant R802721 Project: Officer Nelson Thomas Large Lakes Research Station Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth Grosse He, Michigan 48138 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORYHDULUTH OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55804 DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. XI . FOREWORD Our nation's freshwaters are vital for all animals and plants, yet our diverse uses of water for recreation, food, energy, transportation, and industry physically and chemically alter lakes, rivers, and streams. Such alterations threaten terrestrial organisms , as well as those living in water. The Environmental Research Laboratory in Duluth, Minnesota develops methods, conducts laboratory and field studies, and extrapolates research findings — to determine how physical and chemical pollution affects aquatic life — to assess the effects of ecosystems on pollutants — to predict effects of pollutants on large lakes through use of models —to measure bioaccumulation of pollutants in aquatic organisms that are consumed by other animals, including man This report, part of our program on large lakes, details our findings in the Straits of Mackinac, that waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron Donald I. Mount, Ph.D. Director Environmental Research Laboratory Duluth, Minnesota 111 CONTENTS Page List of Figures » ix List of Tables xiii Acknowledgments xv I Introduction 1 1.1 Objectives 1 1.2 Current Patterns in the Straits Region . 2 1.3 Description of the Study Area 4 1.4 Literature Cited 8 II Conclusions 10 III Description of Physical-Chemical Conditions and Phyto- plankton Community Parameters. C. L. Schelske, M. S. Simmons and L. E. Feldt 14 3.1 Methods and Materials 14 Shipboard analyses 14 Laboratory analyses 16 3.2 Epilimnetic Averages and Seasonal Variation 17 Water temperature 17 Specific conductance 20 Hydrogen ion concentration 21 Secchi transparency 21 Chlorophyll a 21 Soluble reactive silica 21 Nitrate nitrogen 22 Total phosphorus 22 3.3 Physical-Chemical Conditions in August 23 Water temperature 23 Specific conductance . 24 Hydrogen ion concentration 24 Silica 24 3.4 Physical-Chemical Conditions in September 25 Water temperature 25 Specific conductance 26 Hydrogen ion concentration 26 Silica 26 Page 3.5 Physical-Chemical Conditions in October 27 Water temperature 27 Specific conductance 27 Hydrogen ion concentration 28 Silica 28 3.6 Correlation of Physical, Chemical and Phyto- p lank ton Community Parameters 29 Relationships among temperature, pH , nitrate and silica 29 Relationship of nutrients and chlorophyll 37 3.7 Literature Citied 39 IV Water Masses and Dilution of Surface Waters in the Straits Area. T. B. Ladewski 41 4.1 Results 42 4.2 Literature Cited 53 V Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Physical, Chemical and Phytoplankton Community Parameters. R. A. Moll .... 56 5.1 Methods 56 5.2 Results 57 Factor analyses 57 Cluster analyses 58 5.3 Literature Cited 70 VI Distribution and Abundance of Phytoplankton. E. F. Stoermer, R. G. Kreis, Jr., and T. B. Ladewski 72 6.1 Materials and Methods 72 6.2 Taxonomic Composition of the Phytoplankton Assemblage 76 6.3 Distribution of Major Species 81 6.4 Ordination Analysis of Phytoplankton Assemblages ... 99 Near-surface associations in October 99 Hypolimnetic associations in October 102 Near-surface associations in September 105 Hypolimnetic associations in September 109 Near-surface associations in August 109 Hypolimnetic associations in August 116 6.5 Comparison of Temperature-Conductivity and Phyto- plankton Community Patterns 116 Distribution of chemical-physical parameters at 5 m during October 125 6.6 Literature Cited 130 VII Crustacean Zooplankton of the Straits of Mackinac and Northern Lake Michigan. J. E. Gannon, K. S. Bricker and T. B. Ladewski 133 VI 23 3 Page 7.1 Introduction . , 133 7.2 Methods and Materials 133 Field 133 Laboratory 136 Analytical 136 7.3 Results and Discussion 138 Straits of Mackinac 138 Northern Lake Michigan 172 7.4 Summary 188 7.5 Literature Cited 189 VIII Comparison of Phytoplankton and Nutrients in Northern Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinac 191 8.1 Physical-Chemical Conditions 191 8.2 Phytoplankton 195 8.3 Summary 200 IX Appendices A Physical and chemical data collected in the vicinity of the Straits of Mackinac, 1973 204 A.l Cruise 1, August: 1973 204 A. Cruise 2, September 1973 209 A. Cruise 3, October 1973 , 216 B. Primary productivity at 5 m. Data in mgCnf^hr""" 1 224 B.l Cruise 1, August 1973 . « 224 B.2 Cruise 2, September 1973 225 B.3 Cruise 3, October 1973 . 227 Depth profiles of north-south transects 229 C.l Transect 01-06, Cruise 1, August 1973 . 229 C.2 Transect 01-06, Cruise 2, September 1973 229 C.3 Transect 01-06, Cruise 3, October 1973 . 230 C.4 Transect 07-10, Cruise 1, August 1973 . 231 C.5 Transect 07-10, Cruise 2, September 1973 231 C.6 Transect 07-10,. Cruise 3, October 1973 . 231 C.7 Transect 13-16, Cruise 1, August 1973 . 232 C.8 Transect 13-16, Cruise 2, September 1973 232 C.9 Transect 13-16, Cruise 3, October 1973 . 233 CIO Transect 17-23, Cruise 1, August 1973 . 233 C.ll Transect 17-23, Cruise 2, September 1973 234 C.12 Transect 17-23, Cruise 3, October 1973 . 234 C.l Transect 24-31, Cruise 1, August 1973 . 235 C.14 Transect 24-31, Cruise! 2, September 1973 236 C.15 Transect 24-31, Cruise 3, October 1973 . 237 Vll Page C.16 Transect 32-37, Cruise 1, August 1973 238 C.17 Transect 32-37, Cruise 3, October 1973 .... 238 C.18 Transect 40-48, Cruise 2, September 1973 ... 239 C.19 Transect 40-48, Cruise 3, October 1973 .... 240 D. List of species found in phytoplankton collections . 241 E. Proof that a conservative parameter can be expressed as a linear combination of other conservative parameters 250 F. Counts of zooplankton from vertical net tows 252 F.l Cruise 1, August 1973 252 F.2 Cruise 2, September 1973 256 F.3 Cruise 3, October 1973 260 F.4 Northern Lake Michigan, September 1973 265 vixx LIST OF FIGURES Number Page 1.1 Map of stations in the Straits survey area 3 3.1 Flow chart illustrating sample processing of discrete depth samples, Straits of Mackinac 1973 15 4.1 Temperature-conductivity plot for October 5-m samples . 43 4.2 Geographic locations of regions identified in the temperature-conductivity plot of Figure 4.1 44 4.3 Percent of Lake Michigan water at 5 m for October .... 46 4.4 Percent of Lake Huron water at 5 m for October 47 4.5 Percent of St. Marys River water at 5 m for October ... 48 4.6 Temperature-conductivity plot for September 5-m samples. 50 4.7 Geographic locations of the regions identified on the basis of the T-C plot of Figure 4.6 51 4.8 Temperature- conductivity plot for August 5-m samples ... 54 4.9 Geographic locations of the regions identified on the basis of the T-C plot of Figure 4.8 for September samples 55 5.1 Surface water distribution in August 60 5.2 Five-meter water distribution in August 61 5.3 Ten-meter water distribution in August 62 5.4 Surface water distribution in September 63 5.5 Five-meter water distribution in September 64 5.6 Ten-meter water distribution in September 65 5.7 Surface water distribution in October 66 5.8 Five-meter water distribution in October 67 5.9 Ten-meter water distribution in October 68 Distribution of: 6.1 total algal cell counts 79 6.2 blue-green algae 80 6.3 green algae 80 6.4 diatoms m 82 6.5 Asterionella formosa 83 6.6 Cyclotella comta 83 6.7 Cyclotella ocellata 84 6.8 Cyclotella operculata 84 6.9 Cyclotella michiganlana 86 IX Number Page 6.10 Cyclotella stelligera 86 6.11 Fragilaria crotonensis 87 6.12 Synedra filiformis 87 6.13 Rhizosolenia eriensis 89 6.14 Tabellaria fenestrata 90 6.15 Tabellaria fenestrata var. intermedia 90 6.16 Chrysococcus dokidophorus 91 6.17 Chrysosphaerella longispina 91 6.18 Rhodomonas minuta var. nannoplanctica 93 6.19 Cryptomonas ovata 93 6.20 Ankistrodesmus species #3 94 6.21 Crucigenia quadra ta 94 6.22 Eutetramorus species #1 95 6.23 Gloeocystis planctonica 95 6.24 Oocystis spp 97 6.25 Anabaena flos-aquae 97 6.26 Anacystis incerta 98 6.27 Anacystis thermalis 98 6.28 Gomphosphaeria lacustris 100 6.29 Oscillatoria bornetii 100 6.30 October 5-m sample ordination plots 101 6.31 Geographic locations of 5-m October phytoplankton communities 103 6.32 Ordination plots for October surface and subsurface samples 104 6.33 September 5-m water sample ordination plots 108 6.34 Geographic locations of 5-m September phytoplankton communities 110 6.35 Ordination plots for September surface and subsurface samples 112 6.36 August 5-m water sample ordination plots 113 6.37 Geographic locations of 5-m August phytoplankton communities 115 6.38 Ordination plots for August surface and subsurface samples 117 6.39 Phytoplankton trends on the T-C plane 123 Cell densities for: 6.40 Cyclotella michiganiana on the T-C plane for October .