Who's moved into Lake Erie rivers?

Ann Arbor, MI — The fish community and water quality in Lake Erie rivers have changed following the establishment of numerous invasive species (such as zebra mussels), along with alterations to stream and river environments, reports a collaborative study by the University of Toronto, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Ministry of Environment. Fishes that were once highly abundant, like walleye, now occur in smaller numbers and solely in larger rivers. In the rivers flowing into Lake Erie, predatory fishes now are often captured in habitats that differ substantially from their prey. These fish appear to choose their habitat based on water quality and substratum conditions at the bottom of the river. Enhancements to water quality, for example by reducing nutrient and sediment inputs in the rivers flowing into Lake Erie, will help restore fish habitat and sport fish abundances. Withdrawals of water from rivers and streams, and in particular the neighboring groundwater, are substantial stressors of the fish community due to associated changes in water temperature and chemical characteristics - a condition likely to become further exacerbated by potential climate changes.

Original Publication Information

Results of this study "Fish Assemblages and Environmental Conditions in the Lower Reaches of Northeastern Lake Erie Tributaries," are reported by Sapna Sharma and Donald A. Jackson in the latest issue (Volume 33, No. 1, pp. 15-27) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007.

Contacts

For more information about the study, please contact Sapna Sharma, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada, ssharma@zoo.utoronto.ca, (416) 946-7230.

For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.

Links

Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.