Thin nearshore band of elevated phosphorus persists along the south coast of Lake Ontario
Ann Arbor, MI — Significant improvements in the offshore water quality of Lake Ontario are evident in the past 20 years. However, current research indicates that these improvements were not realized in the nearshore of Lake Ontario. For example, phosphorus levels, a limiting nutrient to phytoplankton growth, in rivers, embayments, and shoreside sites at the Oak Orchard, Rochester, and Mexico Bay sampling areas exceeded the IJC goal for Lake Ontario in 48% of the June samples and 32% of the August. These elevated phosphorus concentrations observed at the shoreside sites extended into Lake Ontario. Near Rochester, NY in June, both phosphorus and turbidity were elevated out to at least 4 km from the shoreline. The data presented here demonstrate that a thin band of water with a unique water chemistry compared to both the offshore waters and tributaries extends up to 4 km into the open waters along the southern coast of Lake Ontario during the late spring and early summer.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study, "Physical and chemical characteristics of the nearshore zone of Lake Ontario," are reported by Dr. Joseph Makarewicz in the special issue on Lake Ontario, of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by Elsevier, 2012.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact Joseph Makarewicz, The College at Brockport, State University of New York, 125 Lennon Hall, Department of Environmental Science and Biology, Brockport, NY; jmakarew@brockport.edu, (585) 395-5747.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; jglr@ec.gc.ca; (306) 975-5310.
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