Bay Of Quinte Research Articles

Spatial heterogeneity in water quality across the northern nearshore regions of the Laurentian Great Lakes

We provide the first comprehensive analysis of spatial heterogeneity in water quality across the Canadian nearshore regions of the Laurentian Great Lakes (LGL) with periodic sampling in the ice-free seasons from 2000 to 2019 for 24 water quality variables from 52 nearshore sites. We asked: (1) What is the extent, range, and magnitude of spatial heterogeneity in water quality conditions across the nearshore of the Canadian Great Lakes? and (2) How do features of anthropogenic development, sub-basin characteristics, anticipated coastal circulation, and weather influence water quality conditions in the nearshore of the Canadian Great Lakes? Principal Components Analysis explained 42% of the variation in water quality across the Canadian Great Lakes, with high spatial heterogeneity both within and among lakes, ranging from oligotrophic conditions in Lake Superior to eutrophic conditions in Lake Erie. Lakes Erie and Ontario generally had higher concentrations of chloride, chlorophyll a, and nutrients while higher silicate concentrations were observed in Lake Superior. Consistent patterns of degraded water quality were observed in Areas of Concern, such as Hamilton Harbour, Bay of Quinte, Nipigon Bay, and near Thunder Bay. Across the nearshore of the Canadian Great Lakes, regions with warmer air temperatures, in addition to urbanized and agricultural landscapes, were associated with deteriorated water quality. Our study highlights the importance of improving management practices across urban and agricultural landscapes, particularly in consideration of climatic change cumulatively degrading water quality conditions in the highly biologically, culturally, and socioeconomically important nearshore regions of the LGL.

How influential is the role of oligotrophication on the integrity of fish assemblages in the littoral zone?

Food web theory predicts that one of the consequences of oligotrophication is the decline in fisheries following the establishment of nutrient-deficient conditions and low biogenic production. However, emerging evidence suggests that more complex trophic interactions, induced by plankton composition, dietary diversification, temporal and spatial heterogeneity, variations in fish age and size structure can lead to ecosystem responses that deviate from theoretical predictions; especially in the shallow littoral zone. In this study, two end-to-end modelling strategies are used to characterize potential food web structural shifts and overall ecosystem productivity in response to oligotrophication. Our modelling strategy draws upon empirical and theoretical evidence from the Bay of Quinte, a semi-enclosed embayment in northeastern Lake Ontario that has been subjected to phosphorus (P) abatement strategies in the 1970s. We first show that the role of food abundance has been a primary factor shaping fish production, but the fish community gradually responded to the reduced availability of pelagic staples of their diet by displaying greater reliance upon alternative sources, including benthic and other autochthonous (or even allochthonous) food items. Our analysis further suggests that degree of diet overlap between competing trophic guilds can significantly modulate realized biomass levels. The composition of the autotrophic community is another major confounding factor that can induce significant variations from the predicted food web productivity patterns in response to oligotrophication. Overall, our analysis suggests that the proposed reduction of the ambient total phosphorus levels may not necessarily trigger a significant decline in fish biomass in the Bay of Quinte.

High degree of individual repeatability found in the annual migrations of walleye (Sander vitreus) in eastern Lake Ontario

Adult walleye (Sander vitreus) conduct annual migrations from riverine spawning sites in the Bay of Quinte into the eastern basin of Lake Ontario to forage. Although fidelity to spawning river is quite high for these fish across the Laurentian Great Lakes, very little is known about the repeatability of site selection along the entirety of their annual migration. This study used multiple years of acoustic telemetry (2018–2020) to assess the within-individual repeatability of the timing associated with major migratory events (spawning river entry and departure, main lake entry and departure), as well as the average monthly spatial distribution of individuals throughout the year. Fine-scale sequence analysis was used to combine these two metrics to assess the within and among individual sequence dissimilarity in the population. Within-individual repeatability was high across most timing and spatial measures, and the sequence dissimilarity within individual sequences was significantly less than that among individuals. Sex and size were not significantly related to sequence dissimilarity, while individuals from the Trent River displayed more dissimilarity than those from the Napanee River. The high level of within-individual annual repeatability in migrations was demonstrated not only during spawning activity, but at a daily level throughout the entire year. This research shows that walleye possess the ability to orient themselves and navigate across long distances in a highly repeatable manner at all times of the year. Future work will be required to better understand the underlying mechanisms and drivers behind these abilities.

Phytoplankton metabolite profiles from two Lake Ontario Areas of Concern reveal differences associated with taxonomic community composition

Water quality and phytoplankton community composition are important factors that can indicate freshwater ecosystem health. We combined water quality, phytoplankton community, and metabolomic data from algae and water sampled from two embayments in Lake Ontario, Hamilton Harbour and the Bay of Quinte, over ten weeks from August to October in the year 2020. Metabolomics was performed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) to identify changes in intracellular metabolites within algae communities over time, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) was used to characterize putative isomers of extracellular metabolites at sub-ppb mass accuracy. Results from this study indicate that Hamilton Harbour and the Bay of Quinte are two very different ecosystems with respect to water quality, phytoplankton metabolites, and phytoplankton community composition. Community composition is strongly driven by conductivity and nitrates in Hamilton Harbour, while the opposite is true in the Bay of Quinte. Metabolites including α-aminobutyric acid and glycine were found in larger abundance within algal communities at both locations, while taurine was more predominant in algal communities from the Bay of Quinte. These metabolic profiles could reflect the different communities of phytoplankton, and be alternative indicators of algal bloom growth.

How Many Ciscoes Are Needed for Stocking in the Laurentian Great Lakes?

Abstract Historically, Cisco Coregonus artedi and deepwater ciscoes Coregonus spp. were the most abundant and ecologically important fish species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, but anthropogenic influences caused nearly all populations to collapse by the 1970s. Fishery managers have begun exploring the feasibility of restoring populations throughout the basin, but questions regarding hatchery propagation and stocking remain. We used historical and contemporary stock-recruit parameters previously estimated for Ciscoes in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior, with estimates of age-1 Cisco rearing habitat (broadly defined as total hectares ≤ 80 m depth) and natural mortality, to estimate how many fry (5.5 mo posthatch), fall fingerling (7.5 mo posthatch), and age-1 (at least 12 mo posthatch) hatchery-reared Ciscoes are needed for stocking in the Great Lakes to mimic recruitment rates in Lake Superior, a lake that has undergone some recovery. Estimated stocking densities suggested that basin-wide stocking would require at least 6.41 × 108 fry, 4.69 × 108 fall fingerlings, or 3.43 × 108 age-1 fish for a simultaneous restoration effort targeting historically important Cisco spawning and rearing areas in Lakes Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario, and Saint Clair. Numbers required for basin-wide stocking were considerably greater than current or planned coregonine production capacity, thus simultaneous stocking in the Great Lakes is likely not feasible. Provided current habitat conditions do not preclude Cisco restoration, managers could maximize the effectiveness of available production capacity by concentrating stocking efforts in historically important spawning and rearing areas, similar to the current stocking effort in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Other historically important Cisco spawning and rearing areas within each lake (listed in no particular order) include 1) Thunder Bay in Lake Huron, 2) Green Bay in Lake Michigan, 3) the islands near Sandusky, Ohio, in western Lake Erie, and 4) the area near Hamilton, Ontario, and Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario. Our study focused entirely on Ciscoes but may provide a framework for describing future stocking needs for deepwater ciscoes.

Characteristics of the Exchange Flow of the Bay of Quinte and Its Sheltered Embayments with Lake Ontario

The nature of the exchange flow between the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario has been studied to illustrate the effects of the seasonal onset of stratification on the flushing and transport of material within the bay. Flushing is an important physical process in bays used as drinking water sources because it affects phosphorous loads and water quality. A 2-d analytical model and a 3-dimensional numerical coastal model (FVCOM) were used together with in situ observations of temperature and water speed to illustrate the two-layer nature of the late summer exchange flow between the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario. Observations and model simulations were performed for spring and summer of 2018 and showed a cool wedge of bottom water in late summer extending from Lake Ontario and moving into Hay Bay at approximately 3 cm/s. Observed and modelled water speeds were used to calculate monthly averaged fluxes out of the Bay of Quinte. After the thermocline developed, Lake Ontario water backflowed into the Bay of Quinte at a rate approximately equal to the surface outflow decreasing the flushing rate. Over approximately 18.5 days of July 2018, the winds were insufficiently strong to break down the stratification, indicating that deeper waters of the bay are not well mixed. Particle tracking was used to illustrate how Hay Bay provides a habitat for algae growth within the bay.

A Bayesian assessment of tumour prevalence in brown bullhead and white sucker from the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes

Liver and skin tumours in brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) have been associated with contamination of the aquatic environment. In this study, we present a Bayesian hierarchical logistic-Bernoulli framework that considers the role of fish covariates (e.g., age, total weight, gonad weight, liver weight, fork length) on tumour prevalence to identify the presence of “hot-spots” around the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes, where high fish tumour frequencies are registered. We developed methods to discern the degree of impairment that are either based on the comparison of tumour frequencies in contaminated (or impacted) sites against those predicted in their corresponding reference areas, or the assessment of the prevailing conditions in impaired sites independently, without the need to establish baseline conditions for comparison purposes. Our modelling study predicts low frequencies of neoplastic tumours in all the impacted locations. In contrast, the same comparisons with the preneoplastic lesions provided evidence of distinct differences between impacted and reference sites in Jackfish Bay, St. Mary’s River, Niagara River, Hamilton Harbour, and Bay of Quinte. We also found weak to moderately strong relationships between tumour occurrence and fish physical characteristics that varied considerably in terms of their strength and nature (sign) among the different locations. Our study concludes that the prevalence of neoplastic tumours appears to have reached acceptable levels around the Great Lakes, but the distinctly higher levels of preneoplasms in several impacted locations underscore the need to improve our understanding of the lesions that may lead to carcinogenesis.

"For the Good of Their Souls": Performing Christianity in Eighteenth-Century Mohawk Country by William B. Hart

Reviewed by: "For the Good of Their Souls": Performing Christianity in Eighteenth-Century Mohawk Country by William B. Hart Darren Bonaparte (bio) "For the Good of Their Souls": Performing Christianity in Eighteenth-Century Mohawk Country By William B. Hart. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2020. Native Americans in the Northeast. 288 pages, 6 halftones, 6" x 9". $90.00 cloth, $26.95 paper, $26.95 ebook. I grew up in Akwesasne, one of the three Mohawk communities in the valley of the St. Lawrence River. My ancestors left the old homeland in the seventeenth century to be a part of the mission villages of New France. They forged a new alliance with the Natives already there, placing themselves at the head of it. It is said that two out of three Mohawks were in Canada by the end of the century, but those who remained in our homeland did not dwindle away and disappear. The fire of the Mohawk Nation continued to burn just as brightly back in the old Mohawk Valley. The Mohawk Valley Mohawks, as I tend to call them, loom large in the history of the century that followed. They were a vital factor in how events unfolded in the colony of New York, first with the military conflicts with the French and then in the American Revolution. The people of these relatively small villages played such a critical role in the Revolutionary War that they had to stop living in them. Their descendants are now in Canada at the Six Nations Reserve on the Grand River and the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory at the Bay of Quinte. [End Page 420] When they still lived along the Mohawk River, the Mohawks of the homeland continued to participate in confederacy affairs uninterrupted and undeterred by the absence of their wayward northern kin. They were still considered the "keepers of the eastern door" of the "extended lodge" that symbolized the League of the Iroquois. They would attend grand councils at Onondaga and join the rest of the confederacy in diplomatic or military endeavors. One might assume that because of that relationship, they maintained all of their traditional beliefs and eschewed Christianity, but that did not happen. Their close proximity to European colonists of New York brought the Protestant faith to their doorstep, which they found expedient to entertain. Much like the French and their Jesuits in Canada, the English and their ministers made for a similar chess game back in the homeland. This aspect of Mohawk history has been largely overlooked by historians, who typically gravitate to the soap opera romance of Sir William Johnson and his Mohawk wife, Molly Brant, or the warrior exploits of her hot-head younger brother, Joseph. John Wolfe Lydekker's The Faithful Mohawks, published in 1938, was the first book-length study of the subject, but it was not exactly something you'd take to the beach. William B. Hart brings a fresh, new focus to the subject of Christianity in the old Mohawk Valley in "For the Good of Their Souls": Performing Christianity in Eighteenth-Century Mohawk Country. Since there is a whole century (and a fair bit of the previous one) to cover in 288 pages, Hart goes about the work methodically, stepping back from the subject a bit to put it all in its proper perspective, then focusing in on a few key moments that illustrate his points as he crafts his narrative. The seasoned researcher might find some of the stops along the way to be repetitive of other scholarship, such as his take on the journey of the "Four Kings" to England in 1710, who were not really the big chiefs they were made out to be. But for those who might be new to the subject, he has written a great introduction to a complex topic. The author handles his sources very well for the most part, but I did notice one error that jumped out at me. He confuses two notable Mohawk leaders from the seventeenth century, the "Great Mohawk," Kryn, also known as Joseph Togouiroui, with Canaqueese, also known as Smiths John and the "Flemish Bastard," describing them as the same person. In his source citation...

Characterizing the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands with InSAR Observations from X-, C-, and L-Band Sensors

We investigated the potential of using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery from three different frequencies: X-, C-, and L-band, to characterize coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes. Three sets of SAR data acquired over the Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada between 2016 and 2018 from Radarsat-2, 2016 from TerraSAR-X, and 2018 from ALOS-2 satellites were processed using small baseline subset (SBAS) Interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques to provide maps of surface changes in marshes and swamps. Results showed that SAR backscatter and coherence were sensitive to sensor characteristics (frequency, polarization, incidence angle, acquisition interval), changes in water level, and phenology. InSAR time series observations were evaluated using measurements from water level loggers based on correlation and root mean square error (RMSE) from a linear regression model. Correlation between InSAR measurements and water level changes in the field varied from −1 to 1 depending on the site, type of wetland vegetation, and incidence angle. Although results from some sensor modes provided good correlation (0.77–1) at a few locations, the low fringe rate and large RMSE between 4 and 64 cm indicated that InSAR observations of water level changes in the dynamic wetland environment were generally underestimated.

When can we declare a success? A Bayesian framework to assess the recovery rate of impaired freshwater ecosystems

Evaluating the degree of improvement of an impaired freshwater ecosystem resembles the statistical null-hypothesis testing through which the prevailing conditions are compared against a reference state. The pillars of this process involve the robust delineation of what constitutes an achievable reference state; the establishment of threshold values for key environmental variables that act as proxies of the degree of system impairment; and the development of an iterative decision-making process that takes advantage of monitoring data to assess the system-restoration progress and revisit management actions accordingly. Drawing the dichotomy between impaired and non-impaired conditions is a challenging exercise that is surrounded by considerable uncertainty stemming from the variability that natural systems display over time and space, the presence of ecosystem feedback loops (e.g., internal loading) that actively influence the degree of recovery, and our knowledge gaps about biogeochemical processes directly connected to the environmental problem at hand. In this context, we reappraise the idea of probabilistic water quality criteria, whereby the compliance rule stipulates that no more than a stated number of pre-specified water quality extremes should occur within a given number of samples collected over a compliance assessment domain. Our case study is the Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada; an embayment lying on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario with a long history of eutrophication problems. Our study explicitly accounts for the covariance among multiple water quality variables and illustrates how we can assess the degree of improvement for a given number of violations of environmental goals and samples collected from the system. The present framework offers a robust way to impartially characterize the degree of restoration success and minimize the influence of the conflicting perspectives among decision makers/stakeholders and conscious (or unconscious) biases pertaining to water quality management.

Biogeochemical mechanisms controlling phosphorus diagenesis and internal loading in a remediated hard water eutrophic embayment

Phosphorus (P) levels in eutrophic lakes with restricted external P inputs often show hysteresis resulting from sediment P diagenetic recycling. Hard water oxygenated lakes are often thought to be less susceptible to P release from sediment due to precipitation of P with calcium carbonate and P sorption on iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides in oxidized surface sediments. However, perpetuated eutrophic conditions in many hard water oxygenated lakes persist despite drastic reduction of external P inputs. What limits P sediment binding capacity and drives its release from sediments in such lakes is often less understood. Here we characterize sediment P diagenetic processes driving persistent internal loading in the Bay of Quinte, a hard water, polymictic embayment of Lake Ontario, Canada. We used a multifaceted approach, combining a comprehensive three-year study of sediment P binding forms, recent sediment stratigraphy and accumulation, high spatial resolution measurement of dissolved oxygen, redox potential and pH across the sediment-water interface and depth profiles of nutrient and metals concentrations in pore water. Despite oxygenated bottom water conditions P diffusive fluxes during summer are substantial (1–6.5 mg P/m2/day), representing as much as 50% of external P inputs. Estimated rates of benthic organic carbon degradation indicate that anaerobic organic P mineralization in anoxic sediments is the main driver of P release, which is strongly influenced by Fe reduction. Estimated rates of benthic organic carbon degradation indicate that anaerobic organic P mineralization in anoxic sediments is the main driver of P release. In surface sediment the redox sensitive P is the prevailing diagenetically reactive P phase, emphasizing strong coupling with ferric Fe. While this indicates substantial P sorption on Fe oxyhydroxides, their spare binding capacity is limited, as reducible Fe: P ratios are close to sorption limit. The calcium carbonate bound P increased with sediment depth at the expense of redox sensitive P, suggesting diagenetic sequestration into apatite with sediment burial. However, only 40% of diagenetically reactive P forms, which account for ~2/3 of the total P in surface sediment, are permanently retained during burial. Importantly, our data show that in fact significant P-flux occurs in shallow areas, with an apparent discordance with concurrent measures of long-term P release from the sediments. These results also demonstrate that short-term measures cannot be extrapolated to long-term estimates and vice versa.

Eutrophication in three Canadian Areas of Concern: Phytoplankton and major nutrient interactions

The Bay of Quinte, Hamilton Harbour and Toronto Harbour are all coastal regions of Lake Ontario that have experienced eutrophication and all have been designated as ‘Areas of Concern’ under the terms of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. An assessment of the phytoplankton communities in relation to nutrient (P,N,Si) regimes was undertaken during 2015 (Bay of Quinte) and 2016 (Hamilton Harbour and Toronto Harbour) in order to compare and contrast the dynamics of eutrophication in the three ecosystems. Bay of Quinte was found to be phosphorus and silica enriched, but nitrogen limited which resulted in a phytoplankton community dominated by both filamentous diatoms and diazotrophic (N–fixing) cyanobacteria. Hamiton Harbour was phosphorus and nitrogen enriched, but silica depleted with a community dominated by small and large phytoflagellates in addition to experiencing cyanobacteria blooms. Toronto Harbour, by contrast, showed only moderate phosphorus enrichment and no nitrogen limitation, but some silica depletion; phytoplankton was dominated by smaller flagellates and pennate diatoms. Our findings suggest that while phosphorus was a key factor causing cultural eutrophication, other nutrients including nitrogen and silica also had important roles in determining the biomass and composition of the algal standing crop. Future management activities need to consider how the interactions of phosphorus with other nutrients (nitrogen, silica) affect the dynamics of the phytoplankton community in order to promote the recovery of eutrophic ecosystems.

Ecology of algal blooms in the Bay of Quinte: composition, diversity and dynamics

A total of 25 algal blooms were observed during three separate surveys of the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, conducted during August 2010, September 2010 and September 2011. Here we define algal blooms based on the direct measurement of phytoplankton biomass (>3 g m−3) and not proxy measures such as chlorophyll a. In this chronically eutrophic embayment, we observed 8 diatom blooms (Aulacoseira spp.), 7 cyanobacteria blooms (Dolichospermum, Gloeotrichia, Microcystis, etc.) and 10 more that were mixtures of both taxa. At the cyano-bloom sites, ≈50% or more of the total biomass was composed of species known to be toxigenic. High rates of primary production (40 – 160 mg C m−3 h−1) by the larger algal size classes (>20 μm and 2–20 μm) indicated that there were few constraints on photosynthesis during bloom events (both diatom and cyanobacteria). Productivity to biomass quotients were considerably higher for filamentous algal forms (>9 for both diatoms and cyanobacteria) compared to colonial cyanobacteria (<5) suggesting that filamentous algae are more photosynthetically efficient. Our findings showed the observed algal blooms to be diverse and dynamic entities; management strategies need to recognize the unique characteristics of individual bloom events. Moreover, long term research and monitoring programs are necessary for the application of adaptive management strategies in order to address persistent ecosystem stressors like eutrophication.

Autotrophic and heterotrophic indicators of ecological impairment in Toronto Harbour and coastal Lake Ontario

The Toronto and Region Area of Concern (also known as Toronto Harbour) includes 42 km of Lake Ontario coastline and 6 watersheds. Over 4 million people reside within its boundaries which includes the City of Toronto (Ontario, Canada). We sampled eleven sites along the Lake Ontario coastline approximately monthly with 6 cruises from May to early November. Our analyses included standard water quality indicators (total phosphorus, nitrate + nitrite, chlorophyll a) in addition to a robust suite of autotrophic and heterotrophic indicators of ecosystem health, specifically: primary productivity and bacterial growth assays, phytoplankton biomass assessments, and microbial loop assessments. The sites were compared using mean values from May – November. Results from the offshore waters of Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte and Hamilton Harbour have also been presented for comparative purposes. The highest mean values observed in Toronto Harbour for total phosphorus (26.5 µg l−1) and chlorophyll a (6.2 µg l−1) which were both in the inner harbour suggested mesotrophic conditions, although the majority of observations suggested oligotrophy. With respect to autotrophic indicators, primary productivity at the mouth of the Humber River as well as the inner harbour (averaging 15 – 20 mg C m−3 h−1) suggested mesotrophy whereas the remaining sites were more oligotrophic. Phytoplankton biomass (≈400 – 1000 mg m−3) suggested oligotrophy. There was a surprising amount of heterotrophic microbial activity at the Humber Bay and inner harbour sites which were influenced by the Humber and Don Rivers. This included elevated rates of bacterial production (≈2 – 3 mg C m−3 h−1) and a high biomass of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (≈1300 – 2600 mg m−3) which was not likely sustained by the autotrophic production. Our findings suggest that a significant amount of organic matter is being deposited by these two rivers and shunted to the microbial food web. Such findings are not obvious from standard indicators (e.g. total phosphorus, chlorophyll a). More work is needed to quantify the sources of organic carbon and assess its utility as ecological indicators.

Phosphorus retention and internal loading in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, using diagenetic modelling

Internal phosphorus (P) loading significantly contributes to hysteresis in ecosystem response to nutrient remediation, but the dynamics of sediment P transformations are often poorly characterized. Here, we applied a reaction-transport diagenetic model to investigate sediment P dynamics in the Bay of Quinte, a polymictic, spatially complex embayment of Lake Ontario, (Canada). We quantified spatial and temporal variability of sediment P binding forms and estimated P diffusive fluxes and sediment P retention in different parts of the bay. Our model supports the notion that diagenetic recycling of redox sensitive and organic bound P forms drive sediment P release. In the recent years, summer sediment P diffusive fluxes varied in the range of 3.2–3.6 mg P m−2 d−1 in the upper bay compared to 1.5 mg P m−2 d−1 in the middle-lower bay. Meanwhile sediment P retention ranged between 71% and 75% in the upper and middle-lower bay, respectively. The reconstruction of temporal trends of internal P loading in the past century, suggests that against the backdrop of reduced external P inputs, sediment P exerts growing control over the lake nutrient budget. Higher sediment P diffusive fluxes since mid-20th century with particular increase in the past 20 years in the shallower upper basins, emphasize limited sediment P retention potential and suggest prolonged ecosystem recovery, highlighting the importance of ongoing P control measures.

Phytoplankton ecology in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario: Spatial distribution, dynamics and heterogeneity

The Bay of Quinte, a large riverine embayment located on the northeastern shores of Lake Ontario, has a long history of cultural eutrophication. While the Bay has been the subject of an extensive research and monitoring program that began in 1972, phytoplankton assessments have been limited to 2–3 index stations with few exceptions. Our study consisted of three separate surveys conducted during the summer of 2010 (June, August, September) at 12 sites spread evenly throughout the Bay. Among the major findings were that conditions in the Bay ranged from oligo- to mesotrophic in June, but were primarily eutrophic in August and September with algal blooms observed at 50–75% of the sites; the spatial extent limited only by incursions of oligotrophic water from Lake Ontario. Furthermore, primary productivity in the Bay (e.g. 43.3–109.6 mg C m−3 h−1 in September) was among the highest reported in the Great Lakes, indicative of a phytoplankton community very well adapted to its environment. We also found that the Bay of Quinte supported a diverse algal flora containing 140 unique species in June, 209 in August and 169 in September which we attribute to the variable physical environment. Of the 35 phytoplankton samples assessed, Diatomeae were the most prevalent taxa in 16 of those assemblages followed by Cyanophyta (including many toxigenic species) in 12. The relative importance of diatoms are often overlooked in studies of eutrophication yet two species in particular, Aulacoseira granulata and A. ambigua, were major contributors to both the algal standing crop and the elevated rates of primary production. We recommend that future research be directed at understanding the ecology, physiology and dynamics of these filamentous diatoms as well as their associations with filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria.

An Integrative Methodological Framework for Setting Environmental Criteria: Evaluation of Public Preferences

The main objective of the present study is to introduce public preferences into the development of water-quality criteria that effectively balance environmental concerns and socioeconomic values. A novel feature of our research is the analysis of subjective public judgments with Bayesian inference techniques, which are ultimately connected with environmental conditions through mathematical modeling. Our case study is the Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada; an embayment at the northeastern end of Lake Ontario with a long history of eutrophication, characterized by frequent and spatially extensive algal blooms and predominance of toxic cyanobacteria. In this study, we present a major survey to determine public opinions on water quality in the area. Our survey was conducted among a random sample of 1527 local residents and tourists during the summers of 2013 and 2014. The key findings of the survey were: (i) fishing (29%) and beauty of the area (20%) were the main reasons for public use of the Bay of Quinte; (ii) among different water-quality problems, the public chose the algal scums (26%) and the integrity of fish populations (22%) as the main issues; (iii) only 30% of the returning visitors noticed that the clarity of water is better now relative to the prevailing conditions five years ago; (iv) there is a dramatic change in public sentiment between the beginning and end of the summer season; and (v) a substantial portion of local residents were willing to contribute financially towards the restoration of the bay. Our modeling analysis suggests that the likelihood of public satisfaction increases significantly when the total phosphorus concentrations fall below the critical levels of 20–25 μg L−1, which however is a difficult target to achieve even under significantly reduced nutrient-loading conditions. Other biological variables such as chlorophyll a concentrations, harmful algal blooms, and toxin levels in locations frequently used by the public appear to more closely influence their satisfaction level.

Assessing the Role of Integrated Research and Monitoring Tools in Remediation Efforts at Great Lakes‐St. Lawrence River Basin Areas of Concern: A Case Study of the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan

In accordance with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the governments of Canada and the United States have agreed to support the remediation of 43 Areas of Concern (AOC) where “failure [to meet objectives of the agreement] has caused or is likely to cause impairment of beneficial use or of the area’s ability to support aquatic life.” A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) has been created for each AOC that outlines how impairments are to be addressed. This presentation will focus on one such plan, the Bay of Quinte RAP, as a case study to explore the role of research and monitoring in realizing the aims of the policy. Results will be based on a literature review encompassing existing works about Great Lakes RAPs, the Bay of Quinte watershed, multi‐party monitoring and the relationship between science and policy, along with semi‐structured interviews with project leaders and community stakeholders to determine how practice at the Bay of Quinte compares to theory and to practice at other Areas of Concern. The results will be instructive for any groups planning a multi‐stakeholder undertaking particularly those involved in any of the 40 other RAPs still underway on our Great Lakes.

A shoreline divided: Twelve-year water quality and land cover trends in Lake Ontario coastal wetlands

Abstract Water quality in Great Lakes coastal wetlands has been studied for decades, but few studies look at water quality changes in multiple sites over many years and relate that to land cover. In this study, water quality at 22 sites in two regions along the north shore of Lake Ontario (Bay of Quinte in the east and Durham Region in the west) was compared over a period of 12 years (2003–2014) and related to land cover data from two time periods (1999–2002 and 2009–2011) at four spatial scales; 500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m wetland buffers, and the quaternary watershed. Water Quality Index (WQI) scores significantly increased over time in both regions, and turbidity and pH both significantly decreased over time in both regions. Land cover data showed regional differences between east and west, with the western sites having higher percentage of urban land at all scales. There were significant relationships between land cover (% Natural and % Urban) and WQI score at several scales, but the relationships were strongest at the watershed scale. We found that sites in the western region showed a greater amount of change in land cover between the two time periods, compared to the eastern sites. The results of this study provide some key insights on the impact of urbanization on Great Lakes coastal wetlands, and on how they can be managed in the future.

Molecular and ecological characterization of toxic cyanobacteria from the Bay of Quinte (Lake Ontario) and Maumee Bay (Lake Erie)

Abstract Two Great Lake embayments, Bay of Quinte (Lake Ontario) and Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) prone to toxic cyanobacteria blooms were sampled in early and late summer in 2006 to determine which cyanobacteria genotypes were present and how many of those were capable of producing microcystins. Microcystins, chlorophyll a, soluble reactive phosphorus and stoichiometric seston ratios of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus were measured on the same samples to provide an ecological characterization of the phytoplankton. The V3 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA and aminotransferase (AMT) genes, microcystin (mcyE) and nodularin (nda) were analyzed with PCR-DGGE and quantitative real-time PCR to describe cyanobacterial communities. DGGE results indicated species capable of producing microcystins were present at some point in all study sites and were most likely from species within the genus Microcystis. Concentrations of microcystins were greatest when hepatotoxic cell numbers were highest and when seston stoichiometry indicated cells were not nutrient stressed. This study demonstrated the effective use of a combination of molecular and ecological monitoring of cyanobacterial communities in regions that are susceptible to toxic cyanobacteria blooms.