Lake Ontario: food web dynamics in a changing ecosystem (1970-2000)

We examined stressors that have led to profound ecological changes in the Lake Ontario ecosystem and its fish community since 1970. The most notable changes have been reductions in phosphorus loading, invasion by Dreissena spp., fisheries management through stocking of exotic salmonids and control of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), and fish harvest by anglers and double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). The response to these stressors has led to (i) declines in both algal photosynthesis and epilimnetic zooplankton production, ( ii) decreases in alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) abundance, (iii) declines in native Diporeia and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), (iv) behavioral shifts in alewife spatial distribution benefitting native lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush), threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) populations, (v) dramatic increases in water clarity, (vi) predation impacts by cormorants on select fish species, and (vii) lake trout recruitment bottlenecks associated with alewife-induced thiamine deficiency. We expect stressor responses associated with anthropogenic forces like exotic species invasions and global climate warming to continue to impact the Lake Ontario ecosystem in the future and recommend continuous long-term ecological studies to enhance scientific understanding and management of this important resource.

[1]  M. Munawar,et al.  Phytoplankton dynamics in the North American Great Lakes , 2013 .

[2]  H. MacIsaac,et al.  Range expansion of quagga mussels Dreissena rostriformis bugensis in the Volga River and Caspian Sea basin , 2004, Aquatic Ecology.

[3]  H. MacIsaac,et al.  Bridging Troubled Waters: Biological Invasions, Transoceanic Shipping, and the Laurentian Great Lakes , 2004 .

[4]  C. P. Schneider,et al.  Effect of Stock Size, Climate, Predation, and Trophic Status on Recruitment of Alewives in Lake Ontario, 1978–2000 , 2004 .

[5]  I. Wirgin,et al.  Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Indicates Sea Lampreys Are Indigenous to Lake Ontario , 2004 .

[6]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  A review of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) restoration in Lake Ontario from an early life history perspective , 2003, State of Lake Ontario.

[7]  David M. Warner,et al.  Assessing the impact of a recent predatory invader: The population dynamics, vertical distribution, and potential prey of Cercopagis pengoi in Lake Ontario , 2002 .

[8]  James R. Bence,et al.  Dynamics of the Lake Michigan food web, 1970-2000 , 2002 .

[9]  Thomas F. Nalepa,et al.  Recent declines in benthic macroinvertebrate densities in Lake Ontario. , 2001 .

[10]  C. P. Schneider,et al.  Shifts in Depth Distributions of Alewives, Rainbow Smelt, and Age-2 Lake Trout in Southern Lake Ontario following Establishment of Dreissenids , 2000 .

[11]  G. Wooster,et al.  Effects of Thiamine on Reproduction of Atlantic Salmon and a New Hypothesis for Their Extirpation in Lake Ontario , 2000 .

[12]  Elizabeth K. DeMulder,et al.  Bridging Troubled Waters , 1999 .

[13]  D. Zaranko,et al.  Another exotic mollusc in the Laurentian Great Lakes : The New Zealand native Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray 1843) (Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae) , 1997 .

[14]  D. Mason,et al.  Effect of alewife predation on survival of larval yellow perch in an embayment of Lake Ontario , 1996 .

[15]  O. Johannsson,et al.  Seasonal phosphorus deficiency of Lake Ontario phytoplankton at two index stations: light versus phosphorus limitation of growth , 1996 .

[16]  O. Johannsson,et al.  Phytoplankton photosynthesis at two index stations in Lake Ontario 1987-1992 : assessment of the long-term response to phosphorus control , 1996 .

[17]  G. Combs,et al.  Naturally Occurring Thiamine Deficiency Causing Reproductive Failure in Finger Lakes Atlantic Salmon and Great Lakes Lake Trout , 1996 .

[18]  L. Rudstam,et al.  Effect of lake-wide planktivory by the pelagic prey fish community in Lakes Michigan and Ontario , 1995 .

[19]  E. S. Millard,et al.  Comparison of Phosphorus, Light Climate, and Photosynthesis between Two Culturally Eutrophied Bays: Green Bay, Lake Michigan, and the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario , 1994 .

[20]  E. Roseman,et al.  Colonization, Ecology, and Population Structure of the "Quagga'' Mussel (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in the Lower Great Lakes , 1993 .

[21]  Joseph F. Koonce,et al.  Sustainability of Hatchery-Dependent Salmonine Fisheries in Lake Ontario: The Conflict between Predator Demand and Prey Supply , 1993 .

[22]  S. Brandt,et al.  Food and habitat partitioning between young-of-year alewives and rainbow smelt in southeastern Lake Ontario , 1993, Environmental Biology of Fishes.

[23]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Food of the Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in Lake Ontario before and after the Establishment of Bythotrephes cederstroemi , 1992 .

[24]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Changes in the Nearshore and Offshore Zooplankton Communities in Lake Ontario: 1981–88 , 1991 .

[25]  C. Schelske.  Historical Nutrient Enrichment of Lake Ontario: Paleolimnological Evidence , 1991 .

[26]  T. Nalepa.  Status and trends of the lake Ontario macrobenthos , 1991 .

[27]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Diet of Juvenile Lake Trout in Southern Lake Ontario in Relation to Abundance and Size of Prey Fishes, 1979–1987 , 1991 .

[28]  J. Magnuson,et al.  Potential Changes in the Thermal Habitat of Great Lakes Fish after Global Climate Warming , 1990 .

[29]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Distribution of Alewives in Southeastern Lake Ontario in Autumn and Winter: A Clue to Winter Mortalities , 1989 .

[30]  C. Krueger,et al.  Identification of Parental Origins of Naturally Produced Lake Trout in Lake Ontario: Application of Mixed-Stock Analysis to a Second Generation , 1989 .

[31]  John R. Post,et al.  BOTTOM-UP AND TOP-DOWN IMPACTS ON FRESHWATER PELAGIC COMMUNITY STRUCTURE' , 1989 .

[32]  R. Dermott,et al.  Seasonal Ingestion Rates of Pontopareia hoyi (Amphipoda) in Lake Ontario , 1988 .

[33]  P. Sly,et al.  Recent Changes in the Aquatic Food Web of Eastern Lake Ontario , 1987 .

[34]  K. Loftus,et al.  A Perspective on Great Lakes Fish Community Rehabilitation , 1987 .

[35]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Prey fish dynamics and salmonine predator growth in Lake Ontario, 1978-84 , 1987 .

[36]  D. Lean,et al.  Phosphorus Deficiency of Lake Ontario Plankton , 1987 .

[37]  R. Stevens,et al.  Response of Lake Ontario to Reductions in Phosphorus Load, 1967–82 , 1987 .

[38]  D. Lean.  Overview of Studies on the Nutrient Status of Lake Ontario , 1987 .

[39]  R. Stevens,et al.  Spatial Heterogeneity of Nutrients and Organic Matter in Lake Ontario , 1987 .

[40]  P. Ihssen,et al.  Life History, Morphology, and Electrophoretic Characteristics of Five Allopatric Stocks of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the Great Lakes Region , 1981 .

[41]  J. J. Tibbles,et al.  Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Lower Great Lakes , 1980 .

[42]  M. Munawar,et al.  Relationships of Phytoplankton Biomass with Soluble Nutrients, Primary Production, and Chlorophyll a in Lake Erie, 1970 , 1976 .

[43]  R. O'Gorman.  Predation by Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) on Young‐of‐the‐Year Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the Great Lakes , 1974 .

[44]  M. Munawar,et al.  A Comparative Review of Phytoplankton and Primary Production in the Laurentian Great Lakes , 1974 .

[45]  K. Patalas.  Crustacean Plankton and the Eutrophication of St. Lawrence Great Lakes , 1972 .

[46]  W. Christie.  Lake Ontario: Effects of Exploitation, Introductions, and Eutrophication on the Salmonid Community , 1972 .

[47]  K. Patalas.  Composition and Horizontal Distribution of Crustacean Plankton in Lake Ontario , 1969 .

[48]  A. Beeton,et al.  Food of the Bloater, Coregonus hoyi, in Lake Michigan , 1963 .

[49]  C. Cáceres,et al.  Potential Predator-prey Relationships between Bythotrephes longimanus and Cercopagis pengoi in Southwestern Lake Michigan , 2004 .

[50]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  The offshore fish community in southern Lake Ontario, 1972-1998 , 2003, State of Lake Ontario.

[51]  James H. Johnson,et al.  Double-Crested Cormorant Predation on Yellow Perch in the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario , 2002 .

[52]  R. Dermott.  Sudden Disappearance of the Amphipod Diporeia from Eastern Lake Ontario, 1993–1995 , 2001 .

[53]  L. Rudstam,et al.  Distribution, Fecundity, and Genetics of Cercopagis pengoi (Ostroumov) (Crustacea, Cladocera) in Lake Ontario , 2001 .

[54]  W. Christie.  A REVIEW OF THE CHANGES IN THE FISH SPECIES COMPOSITION OF LAKE ONTARIO , 2000 .

[55]  J. A. Dahl,et al.  Benthic and Pelagic Secondary Production in Lake Erie after the Invasion of Dreissena spp. with Implications for Fish Production , 2000 .

[56]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Changes in the Dreissenid Community in the Lower Great Lakes with Emphasis on Southern Lake Ontario , 1999 .

[57]  S. Brown,et al.  A review of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) in Great Lakes salmonids. Relationship with thiamine deficiency , 1999 .

[58]  H. MacIsaac,et al.  Invasion of Lake Ontario by the Ponto–Caspian predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi , 1999 .

[59]  Randy L. Eshenroder,et al.  Species succession and sustainability of the Great Lakes fish community , 1999 .

[60]  C. P. Schneider,et al.  FISH-COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES FOR LAKE ONTARIO , 1999 .

[61]  B. Lantry,et al.  The relationship between the abundance of smallmouth bass and double - crested cormorants in the eas , 1999 .

[62]  G. Cook,et al.  Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in Southwestern Lake Ontario Following Invasion of Dreissena: Continuing Change , 1999 .

[63]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Ascent, dominance, and decline of the alewife in the Great Lakes: Food web interactions and management strategies , 1999 .

[64]  R. Owens,et al.  Intra-lake Variation in Maturity, Fecundity, and Spawning of Slimy Sculpins (Cottus cognatus) in Southern Lake Ontario , 1998 .

[65]  L. Rudstam,et al.  Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis) in Lake Ontario: First Record, Entry Route, and Colonization Potential , 1998 .

[66]  María González,et al.  Distribution of the Ponto-Caspian Amphipod Echinogammarus ischnus in the Great Lakes and Replacement of Native Gammarus fasciatus , 1998 .

[67]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Reproductive Potential and Fecundity of Lake Trout Strains in Southern and Eastern Waters of Lake Ontario, 1977–1994 , 1998 .

[68]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Age and Growth of Alewives in the Changing Pelagia of Lake Ontario, 1978–1992 , 1997 .

[69]  Setac,et al.  Chemically induced alterations in functional development and reproduction of fishes : proceedings from a session at the Wingspread Conference Center, 21-23 July 1995, Racine, Wisconsin , 1997 .

[70]  M. Servos,et al.  Temporal and Age-Related Trends in Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners and Organochlorine Contaminants in Lake Ontario Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) , 1996 .

[71]  R. Owens,et al.  Predation on Mysis relicta by Slimy Sculpins (Cottus cognatus) in Southern Lake Ontario , 1995 .

[72]  C. P. Schneider,et al.  Lake Trout Rehabilitation in Lake Ontario , 1995 .

[73]  J. Casselman.  Survival and Development of Lake Trout Eggs and Fry in Eastern Lake Ontario — in situ Incubation, Yorkshire Bar, 1989–1993 , 1995 .

[74]  J. H. Selgeby,et al.  Lake Trout Restoration in the Great Lakes: Stock-Size Criteria for Natural Reproduction , 1995 .

[75]  R. O'Gorman,et al.  Limitations to lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) rehabilitation in the Great Lakes imposed by biotic interactions occurring at early life stages , 1995 .

[76]  W. Taylor,et al.  Do Toxic Substances Pose a Threat to Rehabilitation of Lake Trout in the Great Lakes? A Review of the Literature , 1995 .

[77]  C. Krueger,et al.  Predation by Alewives on Lake Trout Fry in Lake Ontario: Role of an Exotic Species in Preventing Restoration of a Native Species , 1995 .

[78]  J. Fitzsimons.  A Critical Review of the Effects of Contaminants on Early Life Stage (ELS) Mortality of Lake Trout in The Great Lakes , 1995 .

[79]  T. W. Stewart,et al.  Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities of Southwestern Lake Ontario Following Invasion of Dreissena , 1994 .

[80]  R. Owens,et al.  Response of slimy sculpins to predation by juvenile lake trout in Southern Lake Ontario , 1994 .

[81]  D. Weseloh,et al.  Characteristics of a Rapidly Increasing Colony of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in Lake Ontario: Population Size, Reproductive Parameters and Band Recoveries , 1994 .

[82]  K. Nicholls,et al.  Recent Changes in Lake Erie (North Shore) Phytoplankton: Cumulative Impacts of Phosphorus Loading Reductions and the Zebra Mussel Introduction , 1993 .

[83]  J. Makarewicz.  A Lakewide Comparison of Zooplankton Biomass and Its Species Composition in Lake Erie, 1983–87 , 1993 .

[84]  T. N. Todd,et al.  A review of differentiation in Great Lakes ciscoes , 1992 .

[85]  C. Krueger,et al.  Evidence of Natural Reproduction by Stocked Lake Trout in Lake Ontario , 1988 .

[86]  P. Sly,et al.  Interstitial Water Quality of Lake Trout Spawning Habitat , 1988 .

[87]  C. P. Schneider,et al.  Dynamics of Alewives in Lake Ontario following a Mass Mortality , 1986 .

[88]  J. Moore,et al.  Lake Ontario Long Term Biological Monitoring Program: 1981, 1982 Data Base , 1985 .

[89]  B. G. Oliver,et al.  History of Lake Ontario Contamination from the Niagara River by Sediment Radiodating and Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Analysis , 1983 .

[90]  W. Vincent.  Rapid physiological assays for nutrient demand by the plankton. I. Nitrogen , 1981 .

[91]  E. Crossman,et al.  Annotated list of the fishes of the Lake Ontario watershed , 1979 .

[92]  S. Ryding,et al.  Water chemical analyses and/or algal assay? — Sewage effluent and polluted lake water studies: With 2 figures and 2 tables in the text , 1978 .

[93]  T. Nalepa,et al.  Distribution of Macrobenthic Species in Lake Ontario in Relation to Sources of Pollution and Sediment Parameters , 1976 .

[94]  Larue Wells.  Fishery survey of U. S. waters of Lake Ontario , 1969 .