1. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 1 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Benthic Trends Program Tom Nalepa Diporeia Actual size 6 mm

2. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 2 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 2 NOAA Mission Relevance “Monitor and assess the long-term health, quality, and sustainability of living coastal and marine resource populations and their habitats” – NOAA Strategic Plan Advance understanding of ecosystems to improve resource management Develop integrated ecosystem assessments and scenarios, and build capacity to support regional management NOAA 5-Year Research Plan Ecosystem Goal

3. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 3 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 3 Benthic Program Guiding Principles Collect and process data in a timely manner; partner with other organizations when necessary Publish raw data Identify organisms to the lowest taxonomic level possible Goal: Assess trends in benthic macroinvertebrate communities as an indicator of environmental health

4. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 4 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Indicators of ecosystem health Important component of food web Influence physical/chemical environment Why assess trends in benthic organisms?

5. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 5 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Role of native mussels in phosphorus cycling in Lake St. Clair and documented mussel extirpation Past: Assessment of Nutrient Abatement Diporeia Role of phosphorus abatement and documented initial declines in Diporeia in southern Lake Michigan 198019871993

6. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 6 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 6 Sampled in Saginaw Bay in 2007-2010 to assess changes in populations since 1987-1996 Sampled in Lake Michigan in 2010 to assess changes since 2005 Current: Impacts and Trends of Invasive Species

7. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 7 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Lake Michigan Benthic Surveys Since 1980: 40 sites - every five years 1998: 40 sites - every year Southern Basin Sampling Green Bay Grand Traverse Northern Central Southern 160 sites: every 5 years 1994/95, 2000, 2005, 2010

8. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 8 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 8 1994/95 Trends in Quagga Mussels in Lake Michigan Density (per m 2 ) + + = sampling station

9. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 9 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level 9 40 m 20 m 60 m Zebra Mussels: Shallow Regions No Zebra Mussels at Depths > 50 m

10. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 10 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 10 Quagga Mussels Expanding Into Deep Regions 100 m Zebra Mussel Quagga Mussel

11. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 11 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level 51-90 m Dreissena (per m 2 ) Quagga Zebra 16-30 m 31-50 m Year 90 m Year Trends in Densities, 1992-2008

12. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 12 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Dreissena Biomass (g/m 2 ) 16-30 m Quagga Zebra 31-50 m 51-90 m 90 m 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 Year Importance of Measuring Biomass 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 31-50 m

13. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 13 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 13 Mean Quagga Mussel Densities 30-90 m Year Density (No. per m 2 ) Lake Ontario Lake Michigan Lake Huron

14. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 14 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level 14 Decline in Diporeia: 1995-2005 1994/95 Density (per m 2 x 10 3 ) 2005 2000 Diporeia

15. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 15 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 15 Density (No. per m 2 ) Year Lake Ontario Lake Michigan Lake Huron Diporeia Disappearing in All the Lakes Mean Diporeia densities 30 – 90 m

16. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 16 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 16 Wet Weight Biomass in Lake Michigan (g m -2 ) 423 g is shell 1) No nutritional value to fish 2) Energetic cost for fish to handle and pass 3) Energetic cost for mussel to produce The Problem With Shells: Bottom Line: Mussels are an energy sink Food Web Consequences

17. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 17 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 17 Dynamics of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and the Amphipod Diporeia spp. in the Great Lakes Scientific Leadership: Workshops Partners: Great Lakes Fish Commission, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Recommendations: More flexible whitefish harvest models Need to define cause of Diporeia decline More collaboration between studies of upper and lower trophic levels

18. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 18 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 18 Scientific Leadership: Workshops Disappearance of the amphipod Diporeia spp. in the Great Lakes: Workshop summary, discussion, and recommendations Partners: EPA- Great Lakes National Program Office U. S. Geological Survey Recommendations: Determine physiological health in Finger Lakes Lab studies to define presence of toxic by-product Use of new biochemical tools Diporeia

19. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 19 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 19 Fish Managers: Provides an understanding of why fish populations are changing so management priorities can be adjusted accordingly Modelers: The Great Lakes are now a dressenid (mussel) dominated system; models of energy or nutrient flow must have accurate estimates. Policy-Makers: Provides clear examples of the impacts of invasive species Data Users Within the Great Lakes Basin

20. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 20 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Data Users Beyond the Great Lakes Basin 2010 Presentations (invited speaker): World Aquaculture Conference (San Diego) Great Lakes of the World Conference (Lake Tahoe) Ecological impacts are of interest nationally and internationally

21. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 21 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 21 Partnerships Current Mohamed Faisal (Michigan State): bacterial pathogens Tomas Hook, Marisol Sepuvelda (Purdue): condition, metabolic pathways David Jude (University of Michigan): diet composition Don Schloesser (U.S. Geological Survey): Saginaw Bay benthic trends Long standing and On-going Great Lakes National Program Office-EPA: free ship use, data exchange Environment Canada: free ship use, data exchange

22. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 22 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 22 Change is On-going Continue to consistently survey benthic populations in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron Lake-wide every five years in collaboration with other agencies Conduct more frequent surveys depending on the research issue Current Unresolved Questions When and at what level will Quagga mussel populations stabilize? Will Diporeia ever return? What will be the effect of other potential invaders? Expect the unexpected Long-term trends surveys provide the basis for discovering unanticipated ecological change

23. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 23 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 23 Expect the Unexpected With Long-Term Data: Poised to respond Yet anoxic-sensitive mayfly Hexagenia appears to be making a return to the bay Saginaw Bay, 2010 Anoxic sediments found in shallow, sandy sediments of Saginaw Bay….

24. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Review – Ann Arbor, MI November 15-18, 2010 24 Click to edit Master text styles –Second level Third level –Fourth level »Fifth level Questions?