HR: 1330h
AN: NB33Q-19    [Abstracts]
TI: The Effect of Zebra Mussels on Algal Community Structure in an Impounded River System
AU: * Trumble, A F
EM: trumblea@hotmail.com
AF: Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Dr., Allendale, MI 49401 United States
AU: Luttenton, M
EM: luttentm@gvsu.edu
AF: Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Dr., Allendale, MI 49401 United States
AB: The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, invaded the Great Lakes Region in the mid 1980's, and subsequently colonized inland lakes and coastal river systems through secondary invasions. The Muskegon River below Croton Dam was colonized by zebra mussels in 2000 following their introduction into Croton impoundment in the late 1990's. No zebra mussels were found below Croton Dam in 1999 but had increased to 25,000 m^-2 by 2001. We examined the affect of zebra mussels on epilithic periphyton communities by comparing plots that were and were not colonized by zebra mussels. Chlorophyll a increased in both treatments over time but was significantly higher in control plots than in zebra mussel plots. The concentration of chlorophyll a in the control plots increased from 14 ęgcm^-2 to 26 ęgcm^-2 and the concentration in the zebra mussel plots started at 12 ęgcm^-2, peaked at 19 ęgcm^-2, and then decreased to 15 ęgcm^-2 over a 6 week period. In a related experiment using artificial streams, chlorophyll a increased with increasing zebra mussel density, but differences were not significant. The different trends observed between the two experiments may be explained in part by arthropod invertebrates associated with zebra mussel populations.
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly