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Trophic Dynamics and Cyanobacteria Blooms in Shallow Eutrophic Bays of Lake Champlain Rebecca Michelle Gorney University of Vermont

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Trophic Dynamics and Cyanobacteria Blooms in Shallow Eutrophic Bays of Lake Champlain Rebecca Michelle Gorney University of Vermont University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Graduate College Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2014 Trophic Dynamics and Cyanobacteria Blooms In Shallow Eutrophic Bays Of Lake Champlain Rebecca Michelle Gorney University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Gorney, Rebecca Michelle, "Trophic Dynamics and Cyanobacteria Blooms In Shallow Eutrophic Bays Of Lake Champlain" (2014). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 3. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/3 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate College Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TROPHIC DYNAMICS AND CYANOBACTERIA BLOOMS IN SHALLOW EUTROPHIC BAYS OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN A Dissertation Presented by Rebecca M. Gorney to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Specializing in Natural Resources May, 2014 Accepted by the Faculty of the Graduate College, The University of Vermont, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, specializing in Natural Resources. Dissertation Examination Committee: ______________________________________ Advisor Mary C. Watzin, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Committee J. Ellen Marsden, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Committee Donna L. Parrish, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Committee Jason D. Stockwell, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Chairperson Ruth M. Mickey, Ph. D. ______________________________________ Dean, Graduate College Cynthia J. Forehand, Ph.D. Date: March 24, 2014 ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the relative roles of trophic dynamics and nutrient concentrations in the development of cyanobacteria blooms. The motivation for this research was to gain insights into how food webs respond to ecosystem-scale changes, using Lake Champlain as a case study. I sought to link field-based observations with experimentally derived data on mechanisms to better understand the processes that drive cyanobacteria blooms. My research addressed three specific topics: (1) associations among phytoplankton and nutrient concentration trends over time, (2) the impacts of planktivory by invasive fish on the ambient zooplankton community, and (3) the role of herbivore zooplankton grazers in determining the composition of the phytoplankton community. I found little evidence of a strong association between nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton community composition during summer months in shallow bays of Lake Champlain prone to annual cyanobacteria blooms. Fish diet analysis indicated that invasive white perch (Morone americana) and alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) selectively graze on large zooplankton, which has likely led to substantial declines in zooplankton biomass. I used these results to inform the design of a mesocosm study, which tested the effects of zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and provided support for the theory that large zooplankton grazing pressure changes the size structure, abundance and composition of phytoplankton. High nutrient concentrations support increased levels of ecosystem productivity, but cascading trophic dynamics are additional forces that are likely contributing to the determination of phytoplankton community composition. Collectively, my research suggests that in shallow bays of Lake Champlain, selective grazing by invasive planktivorous fish is shifting the size structure of the zooplankton grazer community and has likely contributed to conditions that favor dominance by cyanobacteria in summer. DEDICATION This finished work is dedicated in loving memory to my sister, Rachel Miriam Gorney. Everyday single day I miss your caring guidance and support. I miss you with my whole heart. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Mary and my entire committee for their guidance and patience through the long process of conceiving, executing, and documenting this research. I am particularly grateful to Ellen for mentoring my development as a teacher as well. Many other faculty, students, and staff in RSENR were instrumental in my professional development and for community support. At the Rubenstein Lab, Susan Fuller, Lesley Schuster and many others were wonderful supports through years of field and lab work. Lecia Babau, Monica Beers, Kayla Ostergaard, Lisa Raatikanen, Noah Lavalee and Melanie Molewski all worked hard to analyze fish guts and count zooplankton. Joe Caron provided unwavering assistance with the collection and analysis of this dataset. His attention to detail and musical support in the scope room were vital to the completion of this work. Thank you to Alan Howard, the statistical magician, for many helpful meetings. I would also like to thank the people in my great support network who have shared in the victories and put up with me in my most worn out states. My family and friends helped to make not only graduate school, but also the terrible tragedy of Rachel's death survivable. Mom, Dad, and Bev encouraged me to never give up and have done everything in their power to help me succeed. Naomi, Anya, Joe, Robin, Stephanie, Amy B., Amy D., Marina, Katie, and Jake are some of the greatest friends a doctor of philosophy could hope to have. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER 1: COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................... 1 1.1. Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 1.2. Eutrophication........................................................................................................ 4 1.3. Trophic Ecology .................................................................................................... 9 1.4. Invasive Species Ecology .................................................................................... 15 1.5. Phytoplankton Blooms and Ecology ................................................................... 20 1.6. Lake Champlain: Site Description and Recent Research .................................... 25 1.7. Scope and Goal of this Study............................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 2: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRIENT TRENDS AND PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY COMPOSITION WITHIN SHALLOW BAYS OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN ................................................................................................................ 35 2.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................ 35 2.2. Keywords ............................................................................................................. 36 2.3. Introduction.......................................................................................................... 36 2.4. Methods ............................................................................................................... 38 2.4.1. Study Sites and Sample Collection ................................................................. 38 2.4.2. Sample Processing .......................................................................................... 40 2.4.3. Statistical Analyses ......................................................................................... 41 2.5. Results ................................................................................................................. 42 2.5.1. Nutrient Trends ............................................................................................... 42 iv 2.5.2. Phytoplankton Community Composition ....................................................... 44 2.5.3. Phytoplankton Community in Relation to Environmental Factors ................. 46 2.6. Discussion ............................................................................................................ 48 2.7. Acknowledgements.............................................................................................. 52 2.8. References............................................................................................................ 53 CHAPTER 3: DIET COMPOSITION OF INVASIVE WHITE PERCH (MORONE AMERICANA) AND ALEWIFE (ALOSA PSEUDOHARENGUS) IN MISSISQUOI BAY, LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITY .............................................................................................................. 66 3.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................ 66 3.2. Keywords ............................................................................................................. 67 3.3. Introduction.........................................................................................................
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