Determining the Impact of Stream Nutrient Loading on Metaphyton in Littoral Areas of Conesus Lake Peter D’Aiuto Department of Biological Sciences S.U.N.Y. Brockport

About Metaphyton: §Defined as: littoral algae, neither strictly attached to substrata nor truly suspended §In Conesus Lake, metaphyton exists in close association with Eurasian Water Milfoil §Zygnema and Spirogyra make up the metaphyton incubated throughout study Eurasian Water Milfoil Zygnema & Spirogyra

Aerial Photographs : Aircraft: Ultra light Pilot: Jim Raffa Altitude: ft. Camera: Cannon EOS Rebel, 35 mm, Polarizing Filter Eel Grass Water Milfoil Metaphyton

Hypothesis: High Nutrient Stream Loading Contributes to Increased Metaphyton Biomass I. I.Feed Stream Effluent (Experiment) and Lake Water (Control) into Incubation Chambers Containing Metaphyton. II. II.Determine Biomass of Metaphyton Before and After a 3-day Incubation Period. III. III.Sample Stream and Lake Water During Periods of Incubation and Analyze for NO 3 and SRP. IV. IV.Conduct Enrichment Experiments Using various Concentrations of SRP and NO 3

Surface of Lake - Bilge Pump -Filter Apparatus B Incubation Chambers D + The incubation chambers are placed in shallow lake water allowing the top 20 cm of the chambers to extend above the water. B – Vinyl tubing (L = 6.1m), D – Electrical Wire, E – Deep cycle battery12 V. Metaphyton Incubation Chambers Three Components of Experimental Unit: 1. 1.Incubation Chambers 2. 2.Bilge Pump - Filter Apparatus 3. 3.Deep Cycle batteries E

  The experiment was conducted 9 times during the summers of 2001 and   Nested ANOVA was used to determine significant differences in growth. Experimental Design:

1 km Conesus Lake Cottonwood Creek Sand Point Gully N. McMillan Creek Hanna’s Creek Graywood Gully Wilkins Creek Densmore Creek

II. Determination of Change in Biomass 1. 1.Metaphyton was collected near experimental sites and placed in bucket of lake water Transported to SUNY Geneseo lab (~8mi. away) 3. 3.Centrifuged with a salad spinner for 2 minutes Weighed and placed in brown bottles filled with lake water Algae was introduced into incubation chambers with the use of a funnel After three days, similar procedure was used to determine a change in biomass.

Spun Weight (mg) Dry Weight (mg)

III. Determination of nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorous: 1. 1.Water samples were collected in front of intake filters of the control and experimental sites Samples were then filtered through.45-  m membrane filters and placed on ice until transported to the SUNY Brockport Water Quality Lab Samples were kept at 4ºC until analysis SRP Determination: Automated Ascorbic Acid Method (APHA 4500-P F) 5. 5.NO 3 Determination: Automated Cadmium Reduction Method (APHA NO 3 F)

INCUBATION CHAMBER RESULTS:   9 Experiments Were Run During the Summers of 2001 & 2002   Locations: Hanna’s Creek, Graywood Gully, Sand Point, Cottonwood, Densmore Creek, N. McMillan, Wilkins Creek (3). Chambers

INCUBATION CHAMBER RESULTS: Applied Nested ANOVA: Stream Loading Contributes to Increased Biomass. H o :There is no difference among the stream and lake water in affecting biomass of metaphyton. Reject H o..05 > P >.025 Graywood

INCUBATION CHAMBER RESULTS:   All Experiments That Showed an Increase in Biomass of Stream Fed Metaphyton, Had Higher SRP Levels In the Stream Effluent Compared to Lake Water (To 140) Graywood

INCUBATION CHAMBER RESULTS:   To Compare Stream Effluent Growth Potential Amongst Sites, (% Growth Lake) was subtracted from (% Growth Stream)   One Way ANOVA Shows Highly Significant Difference Between Sites. (P = )   Tukey Multiple Comparison Test Used To Compare Means Graywood

INCUBATION CHAMBER RESULTS: %Growth of Metaphyton Increased as pH Decreased All 14 Data Points Three Data Points Left Out 1) 1)Cottonwood Creek Stream 2) 2)Cottonwood Creek Lake 3) 3)Densmore Creek Lake Stream Stream Lake Lake

C D E FG B A C For clarity, only four incubation chambers and four carboys are shown. Actual experiments were run with eight incubation chambers ect. A – Tygon tubing (90 cm), B – Tygon tubing (300 cm), C – 1ml pipet, D – Carboys ( 4 L), E – Peristaltic pump, F – Incubation chambers, G – Filter / bilge pump assembly, H – Deep cycle battery. Enrichment Experiment To Battery

TARGET ENRICHMENT CONCENTRATIONS

% % % % % % % % Results: * Red Values Represent % Growth of Metaphyton

Conclusion And Summary: 1. 1.Experimental results show metaphyton growth increased with elevated levels of SRP In Conesus Lake, metaphyton may be limited by phosphorous and not nitrate Metaphyton growth increased as pH decreased Growth potential was significantly different amongst the experimental sites around the lake Stream Effluent Enhances Metaphyton Biomass in Conesus Lake.

Acknowledgements:   Dr. Joseph Makarewicz   Dr. Isidro Bosch   Dr. Christopher Norment   Theodore Lewis

These Results Offer a Benchmark to Measure the Effectiveness of Watershed BMPs on the Metaphyton of Conesus Lake