Breeding birds and anurans of dynamic coastal wetlands in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Breeding birds and anurans (frogs and toads) in coastal wetlands of Green Bay, Lake Michigan vary dynamically with changing water levels, habitat type, and geography. We describe species assemblages over a seven-year period (2011–2017) beginning with historic low water levels followed by an increase in average lake level of 0.85?m. In general, species richness and abundance of marsh-obligate species responded positively to increasing water levels, although several species of shallow wetlands (sandhill crane, sedge wren, swamp sparrow, and American toad) showed the opposite trend. Anuran assemblages were more diverse in the middle and upper bay, coinciding with a well-established nutrient gradient from the hypereutrophic lower bay to more oligotrophic waters of the upper bay. Three marsh-obligate bird species (black tern, sandhill crane, and sedge wren) were significantly more abundant in the middle or upper bay while sora, American coot, and common gallinule were more abundant in the eutrophic lower bay. Our findings have several important implications for conservation. Inland wetlands near the coast (including diked wetlands) might play a key ecological role by providing refugia for some species during low water years. However, the importance of shallow coastal wetlands and nearshore gradients of wetland habitat might be overlooked during low water years; when high water returns, these areas can become extremely productive and species-rich.     

Lead in Lake Michigan and Green Bay surficial sediments

Sediment samples were collected in 1987–1990 from Green Bay and in 1994–1996 from Lake Michigan. Surficial sediments (0–1 cm) from both locations were analyzed for lead for the purpose of describing the horizontal variation of lead in 1994–1996 Lake Michigan and 1987–1990 Green Bay sediments, estimating lead fluxes to surficial sediments, and comparing results to earlier studies. With Lake Michigan concentrations ranging from below the method detection limit to 180 μg/g, the surficial sediments had mean and median lead concentrations of 70 μg/g and 64 μg/g, respectively. Lead concentrations in Green Bay surficial sediments were similar to those in Lake Michigan and ranged between the method detection limit and 160 μg/g. For the bay, mean and median concentrations were 58 and 59 μg/g, respectively. Surficial lead concentrations were highest in the Southern, Waukegan, and Grand Haven basins of Lake Michigan and in the central region of Green Bay in the vicinity of Chambers Island. For Lake Michigan and Green Bay, dated sediment cores illustrate the decline in lead concentrations during the last 30 and 10 years, respectively. Lead fluxes ranged between < 0.049 and 7.2 μg/cm²/yr for Green Bay and between 0.47 and 20 μg/cm²/yr for Lake Michigan. Lead fluxes to Lake Michigan were lower than those reported for 1972. These are the most comprehensive fluxes of lead to Lake Michigan and Green Bay surficial sediments reported to date.     

Chloride and total phosphorus budgets for Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Green Bay is an elongated freshwater embayment located in northwestern Lake Michigan. Due to its short residence time, the lower bay is heavily influenced by the Fox River's large nutrient load. The inner bay is classified as hypereutrophic and a well-defined trophic gradient is observed moving away from the Fox River towards Lake Michigan, where the bay is nearly oligotrophic. Recent chloride and total phosphorus loading estimates were used to update a chloride and total phosphorus mass-balance model for the bay for 1994–2008. The chloride model provided a means to estimate turbulent eddy diffusion within the bay and exhibited excellent agreement with observed data. The total phosphorus model agreement with observed data was generally good, with the exception of a large deviation in lower Green Bay during 1999–2004. The model was used to estimate the internal loadings necessary to account for the deviation in phosphorus concentrations. The source of the unexpected increase remains unclear, but we speculate significant internal loading due to wind-driven sediment resuspension and hypoxia-induced phosphorus diffusion was significant. These models allow needed reductions to be identified and sourced and also indicate the role internal loading may play in the Green Bay phosphorus budget.     

Green Bay,Lake Michigan: A proving ground for Great Lakes restoration

Green Bay has sometimes been referred to as the largest freshwater “estuary” in the world. Its watershed, much of it in intensive agriculture, comprises one-third of the Lake Michigan basin and delivers one-third of the lake's total phosphorus load. At one time, the major tributary, the Fox River, was considered the most heavily industrialized river in North America, primarily from paper manufacturing. Deterioration in water quality and the loss of beneficial and ecological uses have been extensive and began well back into the last century. More recently, the bay has also become a test case for our resolve to remediate and restore ecosystems throughout the Great Lakes and elsewhere. Green Bay has stimulated a significant amount of widely relevant research on the fate and behavior of toxics, biogeochemistry, habitat, biodiversity, and ecological processes. The bay represents a true “proving ground” for adaptive restoration. Key findings of the recent summit on the Ecological and Socio-Economic Tradeoffs of Restoration in the Green Bay Ecosystem are summarized here. Foremost among recommendations of the workshop was the creation of a “Green Bay Ecosystem Simulation and Data Consortium” serving as a data clearing house, building upon the significant progress to date, and developing a modeling framework and visualization tools, furthering public outreach efforts, and ensuring a sustained growth in scientific expertise. Funding was estimated to be on the order of ~$15–20M over the next ~5?years – a modest investment relative to the value of the ecosystem and the long-term cost of inaction.     

Evidence of persistent,recurring summertime hypoxia in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Six years (2009–2015) of temperature and dissolved oxygen profile data show hypoxic conditions are common in the bottom waters of southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan during the summer. Depleted oxygen concentrations (<5?mg?L^?1) affect nearly 70% of the 38 stations sampled representing an area of ~500–600?km². Stratification typically lasts 2+?months, from late June to early September, and some stations exhibit bottom water hypoxia (<2?mg?L^?1) at a frequency of nearly 25% when sampled during this period. A monitoring program initiated in 1986 by the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District has provided a 23?year, recreational season record (May–September) of continuous (15?min interval) in situ bottom water oxygen and temperature measurements at the Entrance Light station of the Green Bay navigational channel. The duration of the hypoxic season ranges from 2?weeks to over 3?months at this shallow 7?m offshore site. This variability likely results from a combination of thermal stratification, oxygen consumption in deeper waters of the bay, and physical forcing mechanisms that drive cool, oxygen depleted, bottom waters on a southerly trajectory across this sensor. These data suggest the duration of hypoxic conditions may have increased during the stratified season in recent years. Hypoxia in the bay would also appear to be sensitive to relatively small changes in these forces, particularly changes in organic carbon loading and the duration of stratification.     

Spatial analysis of toxic or otherwise bioactive cyanobacterial peptides in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are a growing problem in freshwater systems worldwide. CyanoHABs are well documented in Green Bay, Lake Michigan but little is known about cyanoHAB toxicity. This study characterized the diversity and spatial distribution of toxic or otherwise bioactive cyanobacterial peptides (TBPs) in Green Bay. Samples were collected in 2014 and 2015 during three cruises at sites spanning the mouth of the Fox River north to Chambers Island. Nineteen TBPs were analyzed including 11?microcystin (MC) variants, nodularin, three anabaenopeptins, three cyanopeptolins and microginin-690. Of the 19 TBPs, 12 were detected in at least one sample, and 94% of samples had detectable TBPs. The most prevalent TBPs were MCRR and MCLR, present in 94% and 65% of samples. The mean concentration of all TBPs was highest in the Fox River and lower bay, however, the maximum concentration of all TBPs occurred in the same sample north of the lower bay. MCs were positively correlated with chlorophyll and negatively correlated with distance to the Fox River in all cruises along a well-established south-to-north trophic gradient in Green Bay. The mean concentration of MC in the lower bay across all cruises was 3.0?±?2.3?μg/L. Cyanopeptolins and anabaenopeptins did not trend with the south-north trophic gradient or varied by cruise suggesting their occurrence is driven by different environmental factors. Results from this study provide evidence that trends in TBP concentration differ by congener type over a trophic gradient.     

Survival,growth, and production of Hexagenia bilineata mayflies in fluidized sediment from lower Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Organic pollution in lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan over the past century was accompanied by the local extirpation of Hexagenia (primarily H. limbata) mayflies. Recoveries were made in other systems where population crashes had occurred (e.g., western Lake Erie); however, an active recovery does not appear to be taking place in Green Bay. Excessive primary production has caused substantial benthic organic matter accumulation resulting in a fluidized “sludge-like” substrate as the majority of the sub-littoral habitat. Fluidized substrate potentially hinders Hexagenia nymphs' abilities to construct and maintain burrows critical to their life cycles. In this study, Hexagenia bilineata nymphs were collected from an Upper Mississippi River backwater where their presence at high densities in relatively fluid sediment had been observed, and reared in oxygenated aquaria containing lower Green Bay or Upper Mississippi River sediment. Their survival, growth, secondary production, and biomass turnover were calculated for a 166 day period. Seventy-five percent of nymphs survived or metamorphosed into winged sub-imagos in lower Green Bay substrates compared to 40.6% in Upper Mississippi River substrates. Nymph dry weight more than tripled in Green Bay substrates and more than doubled on Upper Mississippi River substrates. Production was notably higher in lower Green Bay substrates. Differences in survival and production between the two treatments were statistically significant (P < 0.05), while differences in growth and biomass turnover were not (P > 0.05). Based on these results, the high fluidity of lower Green Bay substrates did not appear to hinder burrow construction or maintenance.     

In situ, high-resolution time series of dissolved phosphate in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

In nearly every instance in which the environment has been sampled on a higher resolution in time or space, fundamental processes have come to light that were previously undetected or unobserved. In this study, an autonomous dissolved phosphate sensor was deployed at the Entrance Light station in lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan in 2012 and 2013. Hourly phosphate sensor measurements were compared with other real time sensor data to gain insights into the processes occurring at this site. Results showed that the water column at this location undergoes repeated stratification and turnover during the course of the summer. Often, the stratification results from intrusions of cold hypolimnetic bottom water from the north, while turnover is associated with significant northerly and/or easterly wind events. It was observed that, during calm periods, dissolved phosphate concentrations increased at a rate that was stoichiometrically consistent with the consumption of dissolved oxygen during the remineralization of organic matter; specifically, areal oxygen consumption rates ranged from 3.2 to 43?mmol?m^?2?d^?1 and oxygen to phosphate ratios ranged from 120 to 210. At other times, the inverse relationship between dissolved oxygen and dissolved phosphate was not stoichiometrically linked; during these times, areal oxygen depletion rates ranged from 51 to 240?mmol?m^?2?d^?1 and oxygen to phosphate ratios ranged from 260 to 2300. Future strategic deployment of multiple in situ dissolved phosphate and other nutrient sensors will enhance the understanding of nutrient cycling in this important aquatic system.     

Diet composition and overlap for adult walleye,lake whitefish,and yellow perch in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Interspecific interactions among walleye Sander vitreus, lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis, and yellow perch Perca flavescens in Green Bay could influence the population status of each species, but potential trophic interactions are poorly understood. Our objectives were to determine if diet assemblages for each species and diet overlap among species varied spatially and temporally within Green Bay. Adult walleye (≥381 mm total length (TL); N = 981), lake whitefish (≥432 mm TL; N = 1507), and yellow perch (≥150 mm TL; N = 1174) were collected during May-October of 2018 and 2019 from multiple locations in southern and northern Green Bay. Diet assemblages of each species varied between northern and southern Green Bay, but walleye diets were more temporally variable (among months within zones and between years) than diets of lake whitefish or yellow perch. Lake whitefish represented a seasonally important prey item for walleye in southern Green Bay, composing 10 % and 41 % of walleye diets by weight in May and June, respectively. Yellow perch generally composed <15 % of walleye diets by weight but were consumed at a broader spatiotemporal scale than lake whitefish. Diet overlap between walleye and both lake whitefish and yellow perch was generally weak or moderate, whereas diet overlap between whitefish and perch was generally strong. Our assessment of adult trophic interactions suggests that changes in the population status of one species could influence fisheries for all three, and we identify additional research questions to address potential population-level effects of these trophic interactions.     

Quantifying the influence of cold water intrusions in a shallow,coastal system across contrasting years: Green Bay,Lake Michigan

We present water column thermal structure for two climatically different years: 2012, which experienced abnormally warm spring and summer air temperatures preceded by a relatively low ice winter and 2013, which experienced cooler than average spring and average summer air temperatures and preceded by average ice conditions. Mean bottom water temperatures for the season and during cold water intrusions were significantly warmer in 2012 than 2013 leading to a significantly reduced stratified season in 2012. Cold water intrusions were driven into southern Green Bay by southerly winds while intrusions were terminated when winds switched to persistent northerly winds. 2012 observed a significant increase in northerly winds relative to 2013, decreasing cold water intrusion presence and duration but winds did not fully explain the difference in thermal conditions for southern Green Bay. These cold bottom waters drive stratification in polymictic southern Green Bay while dimictic waters were found to have significantly warmer bottom temperatures during 2012 and a deeper mixed layer. Our observations suggest that relatively shallow (<20?m), seasonally stratified systems may not increase in stratification strength and duration under a warming climate; rather, changing wind climatology and surface heat flux can inform the degree to which the mixing regime can be expected to change and impact stratification and thermal structure of coastal systems. We discuss the biogeochemical implications of different thermal regimes, particularly within the context of multiple drivers of physical water column structure in eutrophic, stratified coastal systems.     

Currents and Temperatures in Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Current velocities and water temperatures were measured in the four main passages between Green Bay and Lake Michigan and at several sites within the bay during summer and fall 1977. Monthly resultant currents indicate there is anticlockwise circulation in the bay during dominant southwesterly wind and a reversal of this pattern during episodes of northeasterly wind. It is common for two layers to flow through the mouth of the bay in opposite directions during the stratified season. Cold hypolimnetic lake water entering through the mouth and extending far into the bay maintains stratification and promotes flushing. The effects of resonance of forced and free long wave disturbances are prominent in current records; these oscillations are coherent and in phase across the mouth.     

Refugia and Local Controls: Benthic Invertebrate Dynamics in Lower Green Bay,Lake Michigan following Zebra Mussel Invasion

In many aquatic ecosystems benthic invertebrate abundance has increased following zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion. We examine the impact of zebra mussel density on the abundance and distribution of benthic invertebrates and postulate refuge from predation as a mechanism for the increases we found in some taxa. Benthic invertebrates in zebra mussel druses and in adjacent sediment samples were surveyed at sites in six locations representing various trophic conditions in lower Green Bay. Mean invertebrate density and taxa richness were significantly higher in the druses than in the adjacent sediment. Species diversity in the druses was inversely correlated to turbidity over the study area. Sediment samples were dominated by oligochaetes and chironomids. Amphipods were the most abundant taxa in most, but not all, of the druse samples. Other taxa present included leeches, hydra, mayflies, and caddisflies. The effectiveness of druses as refuge from predation for amphipods was investigated under laboratory conditions with various predators (perch, round goby, and rusty crayfish). In mesocosms, predation losses averaged 75% lower where zebra mussels were present. In the absence of mussels, predation loss to perch and round goby was 100% and 66% to crayfish. We conclude that the increased abundance of other invertebrates in druses in lower Green Bay may be due to increased refugia, however the assemblage composition at any given site varies with local conditions.     

Benthos of Green Bay,Lake Michigan revisited after 40 years: A temporal update and assessment of environmental associations

Benthos of southern Green Bay, Lake Michigan have not been comprehensively examined since 1978. Since then, invasive species appeared, urbanization intensified, and restoration efforts were implemented, which likely altered the benthic macroinvertebrate community. Further, current benthos are subjected to dynamic factors including eutrophication, sedimentation, and periodic hypoxia. Understanding community responses to these anthropogenic stressors and natural habitat gradients is imperative to preserving biological integrity within Green Bay. Therefore, the objectives of this project were to describe the current macroinvertebrate community, examine changes since 1978, and assess the roles of productivity, substrate type, water depth, and hypoxia in structuring macroinvertebrate communities. Benthos were sampled at 197 stations, including 97 also sampled in 1978 by Markert (1982) and 100 that were added to increase spatial resolution. We collected 93 macroinvertebrate taxa in southern Green Bay with the community dominated by Chironomus and immature tubificid worms. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination distinguished present and historical communities. Although oligochaete worms and chironomids remained dominant over time, Chironomus abundance increased and characterized the present community, whereas benthos were historically more diverse. The magnitude of temporal change varied spatially among zones of Green Bay, with larger differences concentrated in the Middle Bay and the Inner Bay remaining comparable to 1978. Present-day assemblages were most associated with the trophic gradient driven by Green Bay’s southernmost tributary, the Fox River, but also differed with substrate type and had similar structures in areas subjected to frequent hypoxia. Routine monitoring should continue to track changes while accounting for spatial effects.     

Impacts of the Introduced Round Goby (Apollonia melanostoma) on Dreissenids (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis) and on Macroinvertebrate Community between 2003 and 2006 in the Littoral Zone of Green Bay,Lake Michigan

We show that the invasion of round gobies (Apollonia melanostoma) in Green Bay, Lake Michigan, has changed the benthic food web in fundamental ways related to their impact on invasive dreissenid mussels. Dreissenid mussels are of specific interest because they are one of the primary dietary items for round gobies. In this study, we collected rocks from each of 10 study sites along approximately 60 km of the eastern shoreline of Green Bay, Lake Michigan, to assess a temporal change in macroinvertebrate abundance related to the northward movement of the round goby invasion front from a point about midway along the shoreline in 2003 to the entire coast in 2006. The pattern of macroinvertebrate abundance in 2003 suggested that round gobies had already caused significant decreases in macroinvertebrate abundances south of the invasion front (interpretation of the data could have been compromised by confounding environmental gradients). In subsequent sampling in 2006 macroinvertebrates were picked off of sampled rocks in the field and underwater transects were videotaped to estimate round goby abundance at each site. Round gobies were collected for stomach analysis to assist in determining which invertebrates would likely be impacted by goby predation. Our results indicated that by 2006, round gobies had become abundant at those sites where they were absent in 2003 and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis), isopods, amphipods, trichopterans, and gastropods in the newly invaded sites had significantly decreased at the newly invaded sites.     

Larval lake whitefish distribution in the open waters of Green Bay,Lake Michigan

Most lake whitefish populations within Lake Michigan are experiencing widespread population declines due to low levels of recruitment. However, the stock within Green Bay is flourishing, and various assessment tools suggest consistent recruitment to the juvenile stage each year. The distribution of offshore and drifting lake whitefish larvae were last described in the 1970s, prior to the resurgence of the southern Green Bay stock and prior to increasing knowledge of adult spawning behavior. We conducted a Green Bay wide survey of lake whitefish larvae over three years to provide an update of larval abundance and distribution and to discern influential biotic and abiotic factors that correlate to larval densities. In contrast with historical studies, our sampling illustrated high densities of larvae in both offshore and nearshore environments. Offshore expansion may be a factor in the population increase, but long term survival effects are still unknown. This study also provides the first documentation of larvae within the southern end of the bay below Chambers Island, WI and near re-colonized rivers. Average overall densities were relatively consistent each year, ranging between 29.5 and 49.6 per 1000 m³. Lake whitefish larvae were patchy in distribution and were associated with warmer and more productive waters at small spatial scales. Larval lake whitefish appear to be distributed widely throughout the entirety of Green Bay during the drift life stage, and we discuss our results in light of re-established river spawning and the overall increase in abundance.     

The Role of Sediments in the Nitrogen Budget of Lower Green Bay,Lake Michigan

The extreme southern portion of Green Bay is a shallow (1 to 5 m depth), eutrophic water body which receives considerable nutrients from the Fox River and metropolitan Green Bay, Wisconsin. Research to evaluate the effect of sediments on nitrogen (N) in the bay entailed periodic sampling of waters and sediments at six sites over 20 months and laboratory investigations of the rates of nitrification, denitrification, mineralization, immobilization, and N₂ fixation. The monitoring data indicated that the N concentrations, approximately 0.6 and 0.8 mg/L of inorganic and organic N, respectively, in the bay waters are considerably higher than the threshold limits that may cause algal bloom and aquatic weed problems. Consideration of the available sediment N pool with respect to recognizable N inputs indicated that only 1.2 percent of the yearly N loading from the Fox River is present in the active sediment layer. Nitrification and subsequent denitrification at the sediment-water interface as a result of intermittent wind stirring could be a major sink for N, but presently it has a minor impact due to the high loading rate of N in this ecosystem. The study indicates that even if approximately 50 percent of the present point source loading of N were eliminated by pollution abatement, the N input from nonpoint sources (combined with existing concentrations of phosphorus in the bay waters) would be sufficient to maintain eutrophic conditions.     

Stock structure,dynamics, demographics,and movements of walleyes spawning in four tributaries to Green Bay

To test assumptions related to the current conceptual model for walleye Sander vitreus management in Green Bay, we evaluated whether: 1) spawning aggregations in the Fox, Menominee, Oconto, and Peshtigo rivers represent genetically distinct stocks; 2) population dynamics and demographics vary among walleye spawning at these locations; 3) walleye spawning in these rivers contribute to the fishery in northern Green Bay, and 4) walleye spawning in these rivers exhibit spawning site fidelity or if they stray among rivers. Genetic differentiation among the four tributaries was low and sex-specific total length (TL), mean TL at age 5, and age-class diversity were generally similar among rivers and observed differences were not consistent. Movements of walleye inferred from angler tag returns suggest that walleye spawning (and tagged) in the four tributaries typically remain within southern Green Bay; however, this assertion may be confounded by the distribution of angling effort that provides tag recoveries. Straying rates among rivers ranged from 0 to 23% and were likely sufficient to preclude genetic differentiation among stocks. Collectively, results suggest that walleye spawning in the Fox, Menominee, Oconto, and Peshtigo rivers do not function as separate stocks and do not significantly contribute to the fishery outside of southern Green Bay. The primary assumption of the current conceptual model that remains to be tested is whether the walleye fishery in southern Green Bay is supported primarily by fish spawning in these four rivers, or if there are substantial contributions from fish spawning at other unknown locations.     

Evaluation of anal fin spines,otoliths, and scales for estimating age and back-calculated lengths of yellow perch in southern Green Bay

Southern Green Bay supports important fisheries for yellow perch Perca flavescens and valid estimates of age structure and growth are critical to effective management. Anal fin spines and scales are used by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for age estimation, but these structures may provide lower precision and accuracy than otoliths. The primary objective of our assessment was to determine if age estimates, among-reader precision, and mean back-calculated total lengths (TLs) at age differed among scales, anal fin spines, and otoliths. Ages estimated from anal fin spines were more precise than scale ages, were as precise as otolith-based ages, and generally agreed with consensus ages estimated from sectioned otoliths. Relationships between TL and radii of calcified structures were linear for scales, anal spines, and otoliths along two different transects. Mean back-calculated TLs were generally similar between intercept-corrected direct proportion (ICDP) and linear regression (LR) models, but otolith-based direct proportion models (no intercept correction) generally provided higher back-calculated mean TLs at ages 1 and 2 than ICDP and LR models. Mean back-calculated TLs at age estimated from whole otoliths were higher than estimates for other structures; but differences among anal fin spines, scales, and sectioned otoliths were <10?mm. Our results suggest biologists have little to gain by switching to otoliths when assessing age structure and growth for this fast-growing yellow perch population with relatively few fish ≥age 6, but additional analyses are warranted for slower-growing perch populations in the Great Lakes where older fish are more common.     

Analysis of the Impacts of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, on Nutrients,Water Clarity,and the Chlorophyll-Phosphorus Relationship in Lower Green Bay

Zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, invaded Green Bay, Lake Michigan in the early 1990s. In 1986, prior to zebra mussel invasion, the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District initiated a long-term water quality monitoring program involving 12 stations in three distinct zones along a trophic gradient in lower Green Bay. We analyzed this data set pre and post invasion using various regression models to determine the impacts of the zebra mussel on water clarity, nutrient concentrations, and the relationship between chlorophyll and phosphorus in this system. Following zebra mussel invasion, Secchi depths did not change in all three zones. Chlorophyll a concentrations decreased post zebra mussels in all zones. These differences were attributed to the filter feeding abilities of zebra mussels. Lower Green Bay exhibits a strong trophic gradient and zebra mussel impacts on the chlorophyll-phosphorus relationship differed between the three zones. We saw no changes in the chlorophyll-phosphorus relationship in zone 1, zone 2 appeared to be a transition zone with slight changes in the chlorophyll-phosphorus relationship, and in zone 3 there was evidence of an altered chlorophyll-phosphorus relationship post zebra mussels. These results indicate that the impact of zebra mussels on water quality parameters and on chlorophyll-phosphorus dynamics may differ depending on initial trophic status and on zebra mussel densities.