Lake Superior CSMI, The Lake-wide Surveys 2011

1. Lake Superior CSMI,The Lake-wide Surveys 2011 Brought to you by a cast of dozens For CSMI Meeting, Sept 2013

2. Outline Introduction and Background (2005-2011) Principal Lake-wide Results for Food Web Lake-wide Pattern and Variability Selected examples from environment to food web A View of Ecosystem Stability for Lake Superior Matters of perspective Epilogue: CSMI Achievements in LFW/Integrated Assessment Arena

3. Introduction and Background

4. Open Lake EC/DFO Lower Food Web Status Nearshore MNR Nearshore USEPA Nearshore USGS Lake Superior Binational Effort“2005 Status of the Lower Food Web”Interest/needs conveyed by Fisheries Technical Committee and LAMP/CSMIObtain biomass and abundance densitiesof phytoplankton, zooplankton, Mysis, and Diporeia across space and season January, 2006 To: Lake Superior Technical Committee Meeting

5. Some Motivating Interests of the “Founding Cooperators” 2005/2006 Efforts • Information lacking on biota/food web supporting fisheries. • Include all depths in a comprehensive “lake-wide” approach; i.e., piloting ecosystem-based assessment in a whole lake approach. • Supplement GLWQA “offshore” WQ/biota indicator suite done each year and historical fisheries assessment focused on “inshore” waters. • Test and incorporate new sampling technologies and styles. • Hybrid spatial design, many sites across seasons. -Inshore/offshore “paired” set of historical stations, coupled with a random probability design over the lake, w/ intensity of nearshore sites to assess variability. 2006 Depth-stratified, 50+ station design demonstrated, late summer.

6. The Lake-wide Surveys, 2011 Main CSMI 2011 design (Integration across WQ to fisheries) -USGS sampled ~54 design sites for fish twice (via acoustics [night] and bottom trawls [day]) and Mysis [night], July to September (USGS R/V Kiyi) -US EPA sampled same design sites, early September. (EPA GLNPO R/V Lake Guardian, EPA-MED). WQ (chemistry) and CTD+ profiles; Plankton, Mysis (Night sites), Benthos Additional surveys and analyses -R/V Limnos sampled ~17 sites to parallel main lake-wide design, spring and summer, phytoplankton/microbial loop biomass and productivity. (DFO/EC) -R/V Lake Explorer II survey of US waters, inshore to offshore; continuous towed sensors. (EPA-MED) -R/V Kiyi 3 depth transect (Apostle Islands) monthly (April-November), WQ-LFW-Fish. (USGS) -R/V Lake Guardian/COSEE survey in July pre-sampled some design sites. (west-central) (EPA-MED) Special studies -Fish provided by USGS for contaminant and isotope analyses. -DNA analyses of Diporeia and Mysis (LS in comparison to other Great Lakes as well as spatially across LS). -Analysis of selected offshore/nearshore/wetland fish for stable isotopes + elemental analysis of otoliths. -Geochemical tracer analysis at lakewide sites (Nitrate, DIC, particulate 13C) using stable isotopes. -Phytoplankton analyses (selected P tissue fractions), physiological state indicators of nutrient limitation. -Tissue analyses of LFW and Fish for biomass comparisons (C, N, P lakewide estimates and budgets).

7. No small effort, it’s a Big lake Main design “Fish+”― 1 vessel ~60 days, >464 people days, >4750 miles “WQ/Food web” ― 2 vessels ~25 days, >250 people days, >3300 miles A minimum >8,000 MILES (~1/3 of a circumference of the earth) and about 2 people years

8. Spatial-Balanced Random Probability Survey (Lake Superior, Summer 2011 CSMI) Depth Stratification “Inshore” ~25% of lake area “Offshore” ~ 73% of lake area PRINCIPAL GOALS US EPA and USGS Integration across WQ, Plankton, other LFW, Fish ~54 stations Provide Lake-wide assessment for ecosystem components across the food web, and underlying spatial patterns. Enable integrated view of whole from connected parts. Analyses to optimize sampling for future objectives.

9. Main Lake-wide Results, 2011 Summary of Biomass across Trophic Groups Analysis of Alternative Effort Scenarios

10. Whole Lake Biomass Estimates Across the Food Web 2011 A. Cotter, B. Bellinger, M. Knuth, G. Peterson, J. Scharold, J. Thompson D. Yule, M. Vinson, O. Gorman, KIYI crew

11. Statistical confidence modeling (ordered subsets of sample size n, using 2011 design set) To produce a Nomograph) Analysis by Will Bartsch, ORISE fellow at MED

12. Pattern and variabilityA few examples -Environmental structure (vertical/horizontal) -Plankton/microbial loop productivity -Mysis over time -Fish diversity and biomass over depth -Inshore/Offshore Distinctions in Food Web

13. Inshore Offshore Average profiles (±std) for offshore waters, >100 m Nitrate Yurista, Miller, Corry, Scharold, Billehuis, et al. Compiled Images from Towed Sensor Transects

14. Primary and Secondary Productivity (mg C m-3 h-1) Net plankton (>20 µm) Picoplankton (<2 µm) Nanoplankton (2 - 20 µm) Bacteria From M. Munawar, M. Fitzpatrick, et al.

15. Opossum shrimp: Mysis diluviana-A key offshore pelagic diet species for fish -Migrates up in water column at night -Increasingly abundant to offshore deep water; consistent abundance levels over record

16. Fish biodiversity 17 species overall, 3 invasive (rainbow smelt, 3-spine stickleback, ruffe) From M. Vinson, D. Yule et al.

17. Biomass by depth Hydroacoustics Bottom trawl Rainbow smelt Bloater From D. Yule, M. Vinson et al.

18. Inshore Offshore Depth comparisonsSome preliminary statistical differencesN= 29 vs. 24 in strata

19. Where is the biomass? oC Inshore (Strong Benthic Contribution) Offshore (Primarily Pelagic) Transitional SI-based diet analysis shows predominance of pelagic diet with offshore fish vs. many inshore fish species with high benthic diet . Sierszen et al. (in review) ~25% of lake area ~45% of lake area ~27% of lake area

20. A view of overall food web stability using newer sampling technologies

21. A view of overall food web stability using newer sampling technologies Seston/plankton Biomass by Trophic Classes Traditionally Sampled by Nets and Bottles Zooplankton Fish Organism Size

22. Using “SOUND (Acoustics) and LIGHT (LOPC)” instead of Nets and Bottles Newer technologies, with more spatial context and organism size resolution NBSS is Normalized Biomass Size Spectra. Biomass/area, scaled by size bins, or “spectra” Organism Size From Yurista, Yule, et al. (In review)

23. “Matters of Perspective” Stability over time? -Trophic/aggregate measures (like biomass) vs. species-level or compositional indicators? Different perspectives. -Lake Superior relative to other Great Lakes, one final graphic

24. Across a CSMI cycle using continuously-towed in situ sensors, 2005-2010 More Developed; Populated

25. Some Observations • Logistically feasible to achieve whole lake estimates of different food web components, with statistical confidence. • Have just scratched the surface of the data. • Depth-based distinctions in inshore and offshore food webs. • Suggestion of functional stability of the lake’s food web. • Lake Superior has a generally diverse, mostly native fish fauna.

26. CSMI Products/Achievements, 2005 to date Cooperative and Multi-Disciplinary Field, Analytical, and Reporting Efforts • >2 dozen journal articles published or in review based on CSMI studies • Special Issue of Journal (Parts 1 and 2), from Ecology of Lake Superior Conference (Co-organized by Founding Binational CSMI partners) • 10 Chapter Contributions to GLFC State of the Lake Publication Series (2010, 2013), including Fisheries and Lower Food Web All journal articles are multi-author papers, mostly with multi-institutional co-authors, often including both Federal and Other (State, Provincial, Tribal, Academic) Cooperators. Medal-winning 22 Individuals from Two Federal Agencies recognized as a Team by US EPA ORD Bronze Medal Honor Award for extensive field effort in the Integrated 2011 Lakewide Survey. Sent Lake Superior Water into Space! MED and EC, via Canadian astronaut request and US Space Shuttle