Fish community structure in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario: The influence of nutrient levels and invasive species
Keywords:
Yellow Perch, White Perch, Walleye, piscivores, centrarchids, fish populations, ecosystem change, Dreissenid MusselsAbstract
Intensive, long-term sampling in the Bay of Quinte with multiple gears (i.e. gill nets, bottom trawls, trap nets and boat electrofishing) allowed examination of the fish community and major fish populations in the context of key stressors up to 2009. Excessive nutrient input and hyper-abundant non-native fish species, White Perch and Alewife, shaped the depreciated fish community of the 1970s. After implementation of phosphorus input control measures and simultaneous winter-kills of the hyper-abundant non-native fish in the late 1970s, Walleye recovered and served to restore a predator-prey balance to the fish community by the late 1980s. However, in the absence of a significant recovery of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in littoral areas, off-shore species (e.g. Alewife and White Perch) still tended to dominate; even in littoral areas. Following establishment of Dreissenid Mussels in the mid-1990s, water transparency increased and SAV increased significantly in littoral areas. This pivotal event led to a shift in the fish community that included an overall decline in Walleye, an increase followed by a decrease in Yellow Perch, and dominance by centrarchids (i.e. Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass) in the nearshore. Round Goby invaded in 1999, proliferated and became important in the diet of piscivores by 2003. The current species assemblage, including the piscivores, is diverse and indicative of a healthy fish community.
References
Bowlby, J. N. and Hoyle, J. A. 2011. Distribution and movement of Bay of Quinte Walleye in relation to temperature, prey availability and dreissenid coloniztion. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health Mgmt., 14(1): 56–65.
Bowlby, J. N., Mathers, A., Hurley, D. A. and Eckert, T. H. 1991. “The resurgence of Walleye in Lake Ontario”. Edited by: Colby, P. J., Lewis, C. A. and Eshenroder, R. L. 91–1. Great Lakes Fish. Comm. Spec. Publ.. Status of Walleye in the Great Lakes: Case Studies Prepared for the 1989 Workshop
Bowlby, J. N., Hoyle, J. A., Lantry, J. R. and Morrison, B. J. 2010. “The status of Walleye in Lake Ontario 1988–2006”. 69Great Lakes Fish. Comm. Tech. Rep.. Status of Walleye in the Great Lakes. Proceedings of the 2006 Symposium
Brousseau, C. M. and Randall, R. G. 2008. Assessment of long-term trends in the littoral fish community of Hamilton Harbour using an Index of Biotic Integrity. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci., : 2811
Brousseau, C. M., Randall, R. G. and Clark, M. G. 2004. Comparison of Severn Sound fish assemblages in Hog Bay and Penetang Bay, 1990 and 2002, using two indices of productive capacity. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci., : 2686
Brousseau, C. M., Randall, R. G. and Clark, M. G. 2005. Protocol for boat electrofishing in near shore areas of the lower Great Lakes: transect and point survey methods for collecting fish and habitat data, 1988 to 2002. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci., : 2702
Brousseau, C. M., Randall, R. G., Hoyle, J. A and Minns, C. K. 2011. Fish community indices of ecosystem health: How does the Bay of Quinte compare to other coastal sites in Lake Ontario?. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health Mgmt., 14(1): 75–84.
Campbell, L. M., Thacker, R., Barton, D., Muir, D. C.G., Greenwood, D. and Hecky, R. E. 2009. Re-engineering the eastern Lake Erie littoral foodweb: the trophic function of non-indigenous Ponto-Caspian species. J. Great Lakes Res., 35: 224–231.
Casselman, J. M and Scott, K. A. 2003. “Fish community dynamics of Lake Ontario—long-term trends in the fish populations of eastern Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte”. In State of Lake Ontario: past, present and future, Edited by: Munawar, M. 349–383. Burlington, ON: Ecosystem World Monograph Series, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.
Cortes, E. 1998. A critical review of methods of studying fish feeding based on analysis of stomach contents: application to elasmobranch fishes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 54: 726–738.
Dermott, R., Martchenko, D. and Johnson, M. 2012. Changes in the benthic community of the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, over a 40 year period. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health Mgmt., 15(4): 410–420.
Dietrich, J. P., Morrison, B. J. and Hoyle, J. A. 2006. Alternative ecological pathways in the eastern Lake Ontario foodweb—Round Goby in the diet of Lake Trout. J. Great Lakes Res., 32: 395–400.
Hoyle, J. A. 1993. “Yellow perch population dynamics near Brighton, Lake Ontario”. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/loc/mgmt_unit/LOA%2093.01.pdf Lake Ontario Fisheries Unit 1992 Annual Report
Hoyle, J. A., Bowlby, J. N. and Morrison, B. J. 2008. Lake Whitefish and Walleye population responses to Dreissenid Mussel invasion in eastern Lake Ontario. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health Mgmt., 11(4): 403–411.
Hurley, D. A. 1986a. “Fish populations in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, before and after phosphorus control”. Edited by: Minns, C. K., Hurley, D. A. and Nichols, K. H. 86Lake Ontario: Can. Spec. Publi. Fish, Aquat. Sci.. Project Quinte: point source phosphorus control and ecosystem response in the Bay of Quinte
Hurley, D. A. 1986b. “Growth, diet, and food consumption of Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum): an application of bioenergetics modelling to the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, population”. Edited by: Minns, C. K., Hurley, D. A. and Nichols, K. H. 86Lake Ontario: Can. Spec. Pub. Fish. Aquat. Sci.. Project Quinte: Point Source Phosphorus Control and Ecosystem Response in the Bay of Quinte
Hurley, D. A. 1992. Feeding and trophic interactions of White Perch (Morone americana) in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 49: 2249–2259.
Hurley, D. A. and Christie, W. J. 1977. Depreciation of the warm water fish community in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can., 34: 1849–1860.
Hurley, D. A., Christie, W. J., Minns, C. K., Millard, E. S., Cooley, J. M., Johnson, M. G., Nicholls, K. H., Robinson, G. W., Owen, G. E., Sly, P. G., Geiling, W. T. and Crowder, A. A. 1986. “Trophic structure and interactions in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, before and after point-source phosphorus control”. Edited by: Minns, C. K., Hurley, D. A. and Nichols, K. H. 86Lake Ontario: Can. Spec. Pub. Fish. Aquat. Sci.. Project Quinte: Point Source Phosphorus Control and Ecosystem Response in the Bay of Quinte
Johnson, T. B., Bunnell, D. B. and Knight, C. T. 2005. A potential new energy pathway in Central Lake Erie: the Round Goby connection. J. Great Lakes Res., 31(Supplement 2): 238–251.
Jutagate, T., Lamkom, T., Satapornwanit, K., Naiwinit, W. and Petchuay, C. 2001. Fish species diversity and ichthyomass in Pak Mun Reservoir, five years after impoundment. Asian Fisheries Science, 14: 417–424.
Karpov, K. A., Albin, D. P. and Van Buskirk, W. H. 1995. “The marine recreational fishery in northern and central California a historical comparison (1958–86), status of stocks (1980–86), and effects of changes in the California current”. 176Fish Bulletin. California Department of Fish and Game
Leisti, K. E., Millard, E. S. and Minns, C. K. 2006. 2762Can. MS Rpt. Fish. Aquat. Sci.. Assessment of Submergent Macrophytes in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, August 2004, Including Historical Context
Leisti, K. E., Doka, S. E. and Minns, C. K. 2012. Submerged aquatic vegetation in the Bay of Quinte: Response to decreased phosphorus loading and Zebra Mussel invasion. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health Mgmt, 15(4): 442–452.
Minns, C. K. and Hurley, D. A. 1986. “Population dynamics and production of white perch, Morone americana, in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario”. Edited by: Minns, C. K., Hurley, D. A. and Nichols, K. H. 86Can. Spec. Pub. Fish. Aquat. Sci.. Project Quinte: Point Source Phosphorus Control and Ecosystem Response in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario
Minns, C. K., Cairns, V. W., Randall, R. G. and Moore, J. E. 1994. An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for fish assemblages in the littoral zone of Great Lakes’ Area of Concern. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 51: 1804–1822.
Ridgeway, M. S., Hurley, D. A. and Scott, K. A. 1990. Effects of winter temperature and predation on the abundance of Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. J. Great Lakes Res., 16: 11–20.
Robinson, G. W. 1986. “Water quality of the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, before and after reductions in phosphorus loading”. Edited by: Minns, C. K., Hurley, D. A. and Nichols, K. H. 86Can. Spec. Publ. Fish, Aquat. Sci.. Project Quinte: point source phosphorus control and ecosystem response in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario
Scott, W. B. and Christie, W. J. 1963. Invasion of the lower Great Lakes by the White Perch, Roccus americanus (Gemlin). J. Fish. Res. Board Can., 20: 1189–1195.
Stirling, M. 1999. Sutton West, , Ontario: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Simcoe Fisheries Assessment Unit. Manual of Instructions: Nearshore Community Index Netting (NSCIN)
Taraborelli, A. C., Fox, M. G., Johnson, T. B. and Schaner, T. 2010. Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) population structure, biomass, prey consumption and mortality from predation in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. J. Great Lakes Res., 36: 625–632.
Zhu, X., Johnson, T. B. and Tyson, J. T. 2008. “Synergistic changes in the fish community of western Lake Erie as modified by non-indigenous species and environmental fluctuations”. In Checking the Pulse of Lake Erie, Edited by: Munawar, M. and Heath, R. 439–474. Burlington, ON: Ecovision World Monograph Series, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts must be original. They must not be published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. It is required that the lead author of accepted papers complete and sign the MSU Press AEHM Author Publishing Agreement and provide it to the publisher upon acceptance.
