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Status of Lake Superior’s lower trophic levels
Citation:
Sierszen, M., T. Corry, M. Pawlowski, J. Scharold, AND M. Vinson. Status of Lake Superior’s lower trophic levels. Lake Superior Technical Committee, Ashland, WI, January 10, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Informing the Lake Superior Technical Committee of the status of Lake Superior’s lower food web will help them to interpret observed changes in fish populations and communities. It also informs them of the availability and usefulness of EPA monitoring data collected throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes.
Description:
To meet the Fish Community Objectives set for Lake Superior by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a key factor is the condition of the lower food web that supports productivity of fisheries. To assess the condition of lower trophic levels and inform the Lake Superior Technical Committee of such, we present data on phytoplankton, zooplankton, Mysis diluviana, and benthos collected during Coordinated Science and Monitoring Initiative efforts, supported by annual data from EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office Biology Monitoring Program. Lake Superior’s lower trophic levels appear in good condition and stable over the several decades of monitoring that have been carried out.