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Xia Z, Depew DC, Valipour R, MacIsaac HJ, Weidman RP. Impacts of invasive mussels on a large lake: Direct evidence from in situ control-volume experiments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 849:157924. [PMID: 35952866 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Invasive dreissenid mussels have reengineered many freshwater ecosystems in North America and Europe. However, few studies have directly linked their filter feeding activity with ecological effects except in laboratory tests or small-scale field enclosures. We investigated in situ grazing on lake seston by dreissenid mussels (mainly quagga mussel Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) using a 'control volume' approach in the nearshore of eastern Lake Erie in 2016. Flow conditions were measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler, surrounded by three vertical sampling stations that were arranged in a triangular configuration to collect time-integrated water samples from five different depths. Seston variables, including chlorophyll a, phaeopigment, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, and particulate phosphorus, along with stoichiometric ratios and water flow over mussel colonies, were considered when estimating grazing rates. We observed suboptimal flow velocity for mussel grazing, i.e., 0.028 m s-1 at 0.1 m above bottom (mab), and resuspension was deemed minimal. Water temperature (mean: 25.1 °C) and an unstratified water column were optimal for grazing. Concentration of seston was low (mean: 0.2 mg L-1 particulate organic carbon) and decreased from surface to lakebed where noticeable depletion was observed. Grazing rates calculated at discrete depths varied substantially among trials, with maximum rates occurring at 0.25 or 0.5 mab. Positive grazing rates were restricted to 0.5 mab and below, defining an effective grazing zone (0.1-0.5 mab) in which the flow velocity, seston concentration, and water depth were consistently and positively correlated with grazing rates of different lake seston variables. Horizontal changes in stoichiometric ratios of seston were strongly associated with grazing rates, revealing higher uptake of particulate phosphorus than nitrogen and carbon. Our study supports the nearshore phosphorus shunt hypothesis, which posits that dreissenid mussels retain phosphorus on the lake bottom and contribute to a wide range of ecological effects on freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xia
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - David C Depew
- Environment & Climate Change Canada, Watershed Hydrology & Ecology Research Division, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Reza Valipour
- Environment & Climate Change Canada, Watershed Hydrology & Ecology Research Division, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Hugh J MacIsaac
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada; School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - R Paul Weidman
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.
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Karatayev AY, Burlakova LE. What we know and don't know about the invasive zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga ( Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) mussels. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022:1-74. [PMID: 36258710 PMCID: PMC9559155 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04950-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We summarized existing knowledge on Dreissena polymorpha (the zebra mussel) and D. r. bugensis (the quagga mussel), including data on their taxonomy, systematics, evolution, life cycle, reproduction, feeding, growth and longevity, population dynamics, interspecific competition, habitat requirements, and distribution within and among waterbodies. We analyzed the history of spread of both species and the major pathways and vectors of their spread in Europe and North America. Special consideration was given to their ecological and economic impacts and their natural enemies, like waterfowl, fishes, and parasites, as well as the prevention of their introduction, early detection, control, and containment. We also outlined the most salient ecosystem services provided by zebra and quagga mussels, including water purification, nutrient recycling, culling the effects of eutrophication, biomonitoring, and their role as a food resource for fish and waterfowl. Finally, we identified major knowledge gaps and key studies needed to better understand the biology, ecology, and impacts of these aggressive freshwater invaders. Our review indicates that much crucial information on the quagga mussel is still missing, including key life history parameters, like spawning cues, fecundity, and longevity, particularly for the profundal zone of deep lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lyubov E. Burlakova
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
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Boltovskoy D, Guiaşu R, Burlakova L, Karatayev A, Schlaepfer MA, Correa N. Misleading estimates of economic impacts of biological invasions: Including the costs but not the benefits. AMBIO 2022; 51:1786-1799. [PMID: 35191001 PMCID: PMC9200917 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01707-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The economic costs of non-indigenous species (NIS) are a key factor for the allocation of efforts and resources to eradicate or control baneful invasions. Their assessments are challenging, but most suffer from major flaws. Among the most important are the following: (1) the inclusion of actual damage costs together with various ancillary expenditures which may or may not be indicative of the real economic damage due to NIS; (2) the inclusion of the costs of unnecessary or counterproductive control initiatives; (3) the inclusion of controversial NIS-related costs whose economic impacts are questionable; (4) the assessment of the negative impacts only, ignoring the positive ones that most NIS have on the economy, either directly or through their ecosystem services. Such estimates necessarily arrive at negative and often highly inflated values, do not reflect the net damage and economic losses due to NIS, and can significantly misguide management and resource allocation decisions. We recommend an approach based on holistic costs and benefits that are assessed using likely scenarios and their counter-factual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetrio Boltovskoy
- IEGEBA, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Radu Guiaşu
- Biology Program, Glendon College, York University, 2275 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M6 Canada
| | - Lyubov Burlakova
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
| | - Alexander Karatayev
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
| | - Martin A. Schlaepfer
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 66, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nancy Correa
- Servicio de Hidrografía Naval y Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Sede Educativa Universitaria, Facultad de la Armada, UNDEF, Av. Montes de Oca 2124, 1271 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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BURLAKOVA LYUBOVE, KARATAYEV ALEXANDERY, HRYCIK ALLISONR, DANIEL SUSANE, MEHLER KNUT, RUDSTAM LARSG, WATKINS JAMESM, DERMOTT RONALD, SCHAROLD JILL, ELGIN ASHLEYK, NALEPA THOMAS. Six decades of Lake Ontario ecological history according to benthos. JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH 2022; 48:274-288. [PMID: 36092777 PMCID: PMC9454375 DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced multiple anthropogenic changes in the past century, including cultural eutrophication, phosphorus abatement initiatives, and the introduction of invasive species. Lake Ontario, the most downstream lake in the system, is considered to be among the most impaired. The benthos of Lake Ontario has been studied intensively in the last six decades and can provide insights into the impact of environmental changes over time. We used multivariate community analyses to examine temporal changes in community composition over the last 54 years, and to assess the major drivers of long-term changes in benthos. The benthic community of Lake Ontario underwent significant transformations that correspond with three major periods. The first period, termed the pre/early Dreissena period (1964-1990), was characterized by high densities of Diporeia, Sphaeriidae, and Tubificidae. During the next period defined by zebra mussel dominance (the 1990s) the same groups were still prevalent, but at altered densities. In the most recent period (2000s to present), which is characterized by the dominance and proliferation of quagga mussels deeper into the lake, the community has changed dramatically: Diporeia almost completely disappeared, Sphaeriidae have greatly declined, and densities of quagga mussels, Oligochaeta and Chironomidae have increased. The introduction of invasive dreissenids has changed the Lake Ontario benthic community, historically dominated by Diporeia, Oligochaeta and Sphaeriidae, to a community dominated by quagga mussels and Oligochaeta. Dreissenids, especially the quagga mussel, were the major drivers of these changes over the last half century.
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Affiliation(s)
- LYUBOV E. BURLAKOVA
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Corresponding author: Phone: 716-878-5423, 716-878-4504, 716-878-4614, Fax: 716-878-6644,
| | | | | | | | - KNUT MEHLER
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - LARS G. RUDSTAM
- Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - JAMES M. WATKINS
- Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - RONALD DERMOTT
- Alumnus, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Great Lakes Lab. Fisheries Aquatic Science, Burlington, ON, L7R4A6, Canada
| | - JILL SCHAROLD
- U.S. EPA Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, 55804, USA
| | - ASHLEY K. ELGIN
- NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Michigan Field Station, 1431 Beach St., Muskegon, MI 49441, USA
| | - THOMAS NALEPA
- Water Center, University of Michigan, 214 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Karatayev AY, Burlakova LE, Mehler K, Hinchey EK, Wick M, Bakowska M, Mrozinska N. Rapid assessment of Dreissena population in Lake Erie using underwater videography. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2021; 848:2421-2436. [PMID: 37961048 PMCID: PMC10642261 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04481-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dreissenid bivalves (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) are considered the most aggressive freshwater invaders inflicting profound ecological and economic impacts on the waterbodies that they colonize. Severity of these impacts depends on dreissenid population sizes which vary dramatically across space and time. We developed a novel method that analyzes video recorded using a Benthic Imaging System (BIS) in near real-time to assess dreissenid distribution and density across large waterbodies and tested it on Lake Erie. Lake Erie basins differ dramatically in morphometry, turbidity, and productivity, as well as in Dreissena distribution, density, and length-frequency distribution, providing an excellent model to test the applicability of our method across large and dynamic environmental gradients. Results of rapid assessment were subsequently compared with dreissenid density obtained from Ponar grab samples collected at the same sites. In the eastern and central basins, the differences in basin-wide density estimations from BIS and Ponar were 3% and 23%, respectively. In the western basin, this method had limited application due to high turbidity and abundance of small (< 10 mm length) mussels. By substantially reducing the time required to assess dreissenids across large areas, rapid assessment could be a useful and cost-effective addition for monitoring their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Knut Mehler
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Hinchey
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Molly Wick
- ORISE (Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education), 100 ORAU Way, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Martyna Bakowska
- Faculty of Natural Science, Department of Hydrobiology, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, 30 J.K. Chodkiewicz St, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Natalia Mrozinska
- Faculty of Natural Science, Department of Hydrobiology, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, 30 J.K. Chodkiewicz St, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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