Zooplankton In Lakes Research Articles

Study on the relationship of ecological effect in the ecological restoration of urban lakes

the combination of biological manipulation and aquatic vegetation restoration had become an important way of ecological restoration of lake water. The research on the relationship among fish, zooplankton and aquatic vegetation was helpful to lake ecological restoration. By investigating the distribution of fish, aquatic vegetation and zooplankton in some urban lakes in the South of the five ridges, the abundance and relative abundance of Cladocera and Copepoda were generally lower in the lakes where fish was farmed, while the abundance of Cladocera and crustacea was relatively higher in lakes with hydrophytes. The ecological restoration of typical tropical shallow urban lake showed that the combination of aquatic vegetation restoration and fish regulation was an effective measure for the control of tropical shallow eutrophication urban lake. It provided a reference for how to take biological control measures to restore the water body and how to maintain the stability of the ecosystem after the ecological restoration.

Can chaoborid larvae control their zooplanktonic prey populations in a neotropical lake?

AbstractAlthough it is well known that predatory Chaoborus Lichtenstein 1800 larvae have a strong negative impact on zooplankton populations in many Holarctic lakes, this top‐down control is still not entirely clear in the Neotropics. In Lake Carioca, a Brazilian monomictic lake, chaoborids became one of the main zooplankton predators after the depletion of planktivorous fish by non‐native piscivorous fish. The aim of this research was to test the hypothesis that Chaoborus spp. larvae control the density of their prey populations. Enclosures simulated conditions with higher (Pr+) and lower (Pr−) predatory Chaoborus spp. larva densities over 30 days in two periods (stratification and mixing). Our results indicated that the dominant copepod species was affected only in the stratification period when its population was smaller. In this circumstance, predated individuals were probably not replaced in the same proportion by reproductive output of the smaller population. Rotifers were not sensitive to changes in chaoborids densities in both periods. The lack of a strong top‐down effect recorded by our mesocosm experiments emphasises the importance of continuing to investigate the ecological roles played by this invertebrate predator in aquatic food webs and if its ability to regulate the zooplankton in most Holarctic lakes can (or cannot) be widely generalised to Neotropical communities. Such a result also suggests that alternative research approaches, besides in‐situ experiments, may be necessary to better clarify this topic. Specifically for cladocerans, parallel paleolimnological analyses in Lake Carioca have supported the idea of a possible negative impact of Chaoborus larvae on bosminids after the introduction of non‐native piscivorous fishes.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

Lack of dormancy to protect diversity: Decrease in diversity of active zooplankton community observed in lake with depauperate egg bank

The study of zooplankton communities in freshwater resources under anthropogenic pressures rarely includes the simultaneous assessment of dormant embryos in bottom sediments and active life-stages in the water column. A coastal lake with a history of coal-ash contamination and disruption by hurricanes provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the power of examining both dormant and active zooplankton. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate changes in structure of a multicellular zooplankton community that is under simultaneous pressure from anthropogenic pollution and hurricane-induced flooding. To evaluate change in community structure, the active zooplankton community in 2015 was compared to that observed in 1985. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indices demonstrate that diversity of the active zooplankton community decreased during this 30-year span. In total, 31% of zooplankton species were lost, and new colonization accounts for 27% of species richness. Dominant species of all major taxonomic groupings changed. Because most zooplankton in freshwater lakes depend on dormant embryos to reestablish active populations after major disruptions, dormant embryos in the sediment “egg bank” were also quantified. Dormant cladoceran ephippia are present in bottom sediments, but dormant copepods and rotifers are missing. The existence of a dormant egg bank that is less diverse than the active community in a freshwater lake is unprecedented, and a depauperate “egg bank” would certainly impair community recovery after severe flooding from hurricanes. It is argued that a paradigm shift is needed in the ecological assessment of inland lakes in order to account for the critical role that dormant embryos (egg banks) play in freshwater zooplankton communities. Two challenges to achieving this are that 1. long-term monitoring is expensive and 2. data on dormant zooplankton are rarely available. This study provides an example of how to conduct such studies by leveraging historic data when long-term monitoring is not possible.

Distribution and Interannual Changes of the Zooplankton of the Durgun Water Basin and Adjoining Water Objects (the Western Mongolia)

The article describes quantitative and structural characteristics of zooplankton of polytypic sites of a water system including a lake, canal, and a water reservoir. It is shown that in the littoral zone of lakes and water reservoirs, the number of species and communities is higher, and biomass, lower. However, in the littoral zone of shallow lake zooplankton in number, took priority due to Rotifera, in the deep part of the water body – Rotifera and Cladocera; in the center of the lake zooplankton dominated by biomass due to Cladocera and Copepoda, in the water reservoir—due to the Copepoda. The dam area of the water reservoir had the highest species richness of zooplankton among all studied sites. The greatest number and biomass of zooplankton within a waterbody are noted in upper part, where a sedimentation zone had formed, and as a whole for the system of the investigated waterbodies, the maximum quantity indices are typical of lake communities. It is revealed that the starkest interannual changes in zooplankton were observed in the shallow lake: the number of species decreased—in the littoral zone at the expense of Rotifera, and in the center, the biomass increased at the expense of Cladocera; in deep-water area of the dam area of the reservoir, conversely, the number of species, as well as the number and biomass of the community, increased due to Copepoda.

The modern state of zooplankton in Altai high mountain lakes

Mountain lakes, especially those located at an altitude of 2000-3000 m above sea level, can be model objects for studying global climate changes, as their ecosystems are particularly sensitive to external impacts. The assessment of quantitative and qualitative changes in the hydrobiological communities of the high mountain lakes of Altai, in particular zooplankton, is important in predicting the development of lake ecosystems under different climate change scenarios. 19 lakes were studied in the Kara-Kudur, Saryachik and Chibit systems and Ukok Plateau in 2000 and 2017-2018. It was revealed that during this period in Altai there was a tendency towards air temperature increase in winter and transition seasons. There were structural changes of zooplankton community in the lakes of Kara-Kudur, Saryachik and Chibit systems. However, zooplankton is now dominated by species, which are indicators of organic matter accumulation in the upper layers of bottom sediments. In lakes of the Ukok Plateau during the past 20 years, there was also an increase in the number and biomass of zooplankton, the emergence of phytophilic and nectobenthic species, which may indicate an increase in trophic status of lakes.

Day time variations of zooplankton species composition: observations from the wetlands of Assam, India

Abstract: Aim An attempt to justify the variations in the species composition of zooplankton over the day time period was made using the freshwater lakes of Assam, India, as a model study area. Methods The water bodies were sampled using a conical plankton net five times between 6 am and 6 pm in a day during July 2014. Apart from diversity analysis (SHE analysis), discriminant function analysis and a regression tree were built to justify the variations in the zooplankton species composition in the different time periods in a day. Results Repeated sampling during day time indicated the presence of 34 zooplankton species with varied composition over the different time periods. The species richness and abundance of Copepoda, Cladocera and Rotifer differed significantly revealed through the ANOVA (for rotifers – F4, 170 = 28.792; for cladocerans – F4, 170 = 16.343; for copepods - F4, 170 = 9.027). Apparently, the rotifer and copepod abundance was prominent during the early (6am) and late time (6pm) periods of a day while the cladoceran abundance was significant during the middle time periods (12 noon to 3pm) of a day. Variations in the relative abundance of the zooplankton species within a day were sufficient to discriminate the time periods significantly. The regression tree indicated the rotifer abundance (node 1), followed by the cladoceran and the copepod abundances (node 2). The nodes representing cladocerans explained 30.86% of the data while the copepod explained 69.14% data as a split from the rotifer groups. Conclusions A correspondence of high and low abundances of rotifers and cladocerans was characteristic of the species composition of the zooplankton in the study area. The variations in the species composition suggests that the zooplankton exhibits movements either in horizontal or vertical directions induced by physical and/or biological factors. Further studies may be adopted to elucidate the effects of the predators and environmental variables that shape the community of the zooplankton in shallow tropical lakes.

Species richness of zooplankton in small lakes of Almaty region

Studies of small lakes are topical for awareness of their role in the conservation of biological diversity. A study of seven small lakes in the Almaty region (Malaya Podkova, Bolshaya Podkova, Kosagash, Derevyannoe, Altynkol, Ali, Pervomaika) was carried out in June and August 2019. Standard methods performed the sampling and processing of samples. Zooplankton was represented by 54 taxa. The minimum number of species of planktonic invertebrates was recorded in Lake Bolshaya Podkova, the maximum one in Pervomaika lake. Species A.priodonta, K. cochlearis, K. quadrata, A. rectangula, B. longirostris, T. crassus were widespread. There were no significant differences in the composition of zooplankton from the beginning to the end of summer in lakes Ali, Derevyannoe, Kosagash, Altinkol. However,  in the lakes Bolshaya Podkova, Malaya Podkova, and Pervomaika, the value decreased four times. A comparative analysis of the complex of widespread species of zooplankton revealed a significant similarity with those of water bodies, which are under the influence of planktivorous fish. The specific features of the zooplankton fauna of small lakes in the Almaty region are due to the combined impact of environmental factors, primarily the development of macrophytes, food resources, hydrochemical regime, and distribution of planktivorous fish.            Key words: small lakes, zooplankton, species richness.

Calanoid copepod grazing affects plankton size structure and composition in a deep, large lake

Abstract Cultural oligotrophication is expected to shift lake zooplankton to become dominated by calanoid copepods. Hence, understanding the influence of calanoids on the taxonomic and size structure of the lower plankton food web is crucial for predicting the effects of oligotrophication on energy fluxes in these systems. We studied the effect of an omnivorous calanoid, Eudiaptomus gracilis, on the lower planktonic food web using an in situ incubation approach in large and deep Lake Constance. We show that E. gracilis significantly reduced ciliate, phytoplankton, rotifer, but increased bacteria biovolume. Highest clearance rates were observed for ciliates whose biovolume declines may have caused a release of predation pressure on bacteria. E. gracilis grazing shifted the size structure of the phytoplankton community by reducing mean phytoplankton cell size (directional selection) and simultaneously increasing cell size variance (disruptive selection). Ciliate cell sizes experienced a similar selective regime in one of the experiments, whereas in the other two experiments, no change of size structure was detected. Results suggest strong influences of E. gracilis grazing on the lower plankton food web and a significant shift in phytoplankton size structure. For evaluating detailed effects of omnivorous consumers on plankton size structure, cascading interactions need to be considered.

Species Richness and Taxonomic Distinctness of Zooplankton in Ponds and Small Lakes from Albania and North Macedonia: The Role of Bioclimatic Factors

Resolving the contribution to biodiversity patterns of regional-scale environmental drivers is, to date, essential in the implementation of effective conservation strategies. Here, we assessed the species richness S and taxonomic distinctness Δ+ (used a proxy of phylogenetic diversity) of crustacean zooplankton assemblages from 40 ponds and small lakes located in Albania and North Macedonia and tested whether they could be predicted by waterbodies’ landscape characteristics (area, perimeter, and altitude), together with local bioclimatic conditions that were derived from Wordclim and MODIS databases. The results showed that a minimum adequate model, including the positive effects of non-arboreal vegetation cover and temperature seasonality, together with the negative influence of the mean temperature of the wettest quarter, effectively predicted assemblages’ variation in species richness. In contrast, taxonomic distinctness did not predictably respond to landscape or bioclimatic factors. Noticeably, waterbodies’ area showed a generally low prediction power for both S and Δ+. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of assemblages’ species composition indicated the occurrence of two distinct groups of waterbodies characterized by different species and different precipitation and temperature regimes. Our findings indicated that the classical species-area relationship hypothesis is inadequate in explaining the diversity of crustacean zooplankton assemblages characterizing the waterbodies under analysis. In contrast, local bioclimatic factors might affect the species richness and composition, but not their phylogenetic diversity, the latter likely to be influenced by long-term adaptation mechanisms.

Structure and dynamics of zooplankton in lakes of the Tom river floodplain

A study on zooplankton species composition, seasonal dynamic of numbers and biomass of three large floodplain’s lakes of the Tom River basin (near Tomsk, Western Siberia, Russia) during one year has been carried out. It has determined considerable transforming of qualitative and quantitative indicators of zooplankton communities during a year. The maximum qualitative indicators were registered in late spring and summer, the minimum ones – in winter. By the structure of zooplankton, the examined lakes water ecological status falls into class 1-2 of water quality (“moderately polluted” water). The most favourable conditions for zooplankton communities forming are in Boyarskoye and Shuchie lakes, the most unfavourable – in Kalmatskoe lake.

Sampling effects drive the species–area relationship in lake zooplankton

The island species–area relationship (ISAR) describes how the numbers of species increases with increasing size of an island (or island‐like habitat, such as lakes), and is one of the oldest laws in ecology. Despite its conceptual importance, there remains a great deal of ambiguity regarding the ISAR and its underlying processes. We compiled data from sampled zooplankton assemblages from several hundred lakes in North America and Europe to examine the influence of the three main hypothesized mechanisms leading to ISARs – passive sampling, disproportionate effects and habitat heterogeneity. We compiled data on lake zooplankton assemblages that reported sample‐level and lake level species richness estimates, as well as relative abundance data. In both North American and European lakes, we found a consistent and strong increase in total species richness with increasing lake area. However, when we compared the number of species standardized by number of individuals, there was no relationship between lake area and sample‐level species richness or an estimate of species relative abundances, calculated as the probability of interspecific encounter (PIE; a measure of evenness). This was true even when multiple samples were taken across lakes and combined, reducing the likelihood that habitat heterogeneity was driving the results. Overall, our results suggest that the ISAR of zooplankton in these lakes was most likely determined by sampling effects rather than disproportionate effects or habitat heterogeneity leading to more species in larger lakes. Understanding the mechanisms driving ISAR results such as ours can also help us develop predictions for biodiversity change when the area of these habitats changes.

Is the zooplankton of mesosaline lakes in protected areas in the semiarid Pampa of Argentina different from those in lakes with high anthropic influence?

Most of the mesosaline lakes in the semiarid central Pampas have a high anthropic influence. The objective was to determine the limnological and zooplankton parameters of a mesosaline lake with little human impact, the West Lake of the Parque Luro Reserve, and compare it with previously studied aquatic ecosystems. Monthly samples were taken (2014–2015). The mean depth and salinity were 0.66 m and 29.33 g/L, respectively. The transparency was high and favored the growth of the macrophyte Ruppia cirrhosa. Zooplankton diversity was low, with autochthonous halophilic crustaceans (Daphnia menucoensis and Boeckella poopoensis). Zooplankton density was 20 to 100 times lower than that of other pampean lakes, probably due to the presence of the macrophyte, which distinguishes this lake from others in the region.

Organic Contaminants in Zooplankton of Italian Subalpine Lakes: Patterns of Distribution and Seasonal Variations

Zooplankton is a key node in many trophic webs, both for food that for persistent organic contaminants that can accumulate in biota. Zooplankton of different size was seasonally sampled for two years in three deep Italian subalpine lakes (Maggiore, Como, Iseo) with the aim of determining the concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), DDT, and PCB, and assessing the seasonality impacts on contaminants concentrations. In general, Lake Maggiore showed the highest concentrations for each group of contaminants, with mean values of 7.6 ng g−1 ww for PFAS, 65.0 ng g−1 dw for DDT, and 65.5 ng g−1 dw for PCB. When considering the composition pattern, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected in 96% of the samples and it was the predominant PFAS compound in all of the lakes. pp’ DDE was the most detected congener among DDTs and their metabolites, while for PCBs, the prevalent group was hexa-CB that constituted 35.4% of the total PCB contamination. A seasonal trend was highlighted for all contaminant groups with concentrations in colder months greater than in spring and summer; it was evident that the contaminant concentrations were more dependent from seasonality than from size, trophic levels, and taxa composition of zooplankton. Principal component analysis showed that one of the main driver for the accumulation of most of the studied contaminants is their lipophilicity, except for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and octachlorobiphenyl.

A first study on the zooplankton-cyanobacteria interactions in Karaoun reservoir (Lebanon) during 2016-2017

The planktonic organisms are characterized by their strong capacity of reproduction as well as a high death rate. The factors that intervene simultaneously and result in the seasonal succession and change in the planktonic community are not well studied, especially in Middle East fresh water bodies. Stratification, nutrients, oxygen and light intensity can lead to an increase in phytoplankton and cyanobacteria biomass. In this study, we monitor the interaction between zooplankton and cyanobacteria in Karaoun Reservoir, the largest freshwater body in Lebanon. Karaoun Reservoir has gone through a degradation of its water quality and eutrophication with a very low phytoplankton biodiversity and a dominance of two toxic cyanobacteria species (Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon ovalisporum) forming a thick bloom that persisted during the years 2016 and 2017. This spring bloom assured the development of small cladoceran, rotifers that were replaced progressively by big cladoceran such as Daphnia and by copepods Calanoides. Having strongly contributed to the exhaustion of their food resources and being equally submitted to a strong predation from the zooplankton feeding fish such as the carps, the zooplanktonic species decrease gradually till their total disappearance at the beginning of summer. The lake's zooplankton does not proliferate until the end of spring and disappears completely after. The environment rich in cyanotoxins does not seem to be responsible for this decrease. This was attributed to the grazing by Cyprinus carpio. The cycle of these species pass through a period of spring reproduction which allows the zooplankton to develop without being reduced by these fish species.

Spatial distribution of zooplankton in the Kolsaiskie mountain lakes (Kungey Ala Tau, south-east Kazakhstan) and its connection with environment factors

The values of Clark W-statistics, ∆-Shannon-Weaver, and an average individual mass of specimen were used to characterize the spatial distribution of zooplankton in the Kolsay lakes. With a relatively constant species composition, the interannual dynamics of the size and quantity variables of zooplankton testified to an increase in the eutrophication processes of three of the four Kolsay lakes. Interannual changes in the structure of the zooplankton community were mostly determined by the introduction of allochthonous species of fish, reduction of the water level, and enhancement of biogenic load due to recreational use of the lakes. The effect of very low concentrations of heavy metals on the dimensional variables of zooplankton can be connected with the oligotrophic status of Kolsaiskie lakes.

Diversity of Planktonic Fauna of the Pechora River Delta

The structure and diversity of zooplankton of the mouth of the largest river in the European North, the Pechora, is studied. The river delta, an adjacent piece of the Pechora course, the estuary (Korovinskaya Bay), and lakes on its northern coast—in Timan Tundra—are in the studied region. In the delta of the Pechora River, the planktonic fauna is rich and unique in structure, in which rotifers (105 species) and cladocerans (55 species) prevailed; thermophilic invertebrates are present in zooplankton, but psychrophilic ones are revealed. Among copepods, brackish taxa and also a possible recent invader of the region (Eurytemora sp.) are found. The analysis of alpha and beta diversities of planktonic communities of the studied region shows the highest indexes for the delta water bodies relative to others and for the lake zooplankton in general. In our opinion, such diversity is due to a variety of environmental conditions and also features of gradients of the dominating environmental factors: temperature, anthropogenic, etc.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the main source of variation for the gamma diversity of plankton communities in subtropical shallow lakes

We determined the variation in the composition of plankton communities (zooplankton, phytoplankton, and ciliates) in subtropical lakes at different temporal scales, in relation to the seasons (dry and rainy seasons), as well as at finer (among months) and broader (ENSO—among El Nino, La Nina, and normal climate events) scales. Using a 16-year time-series dataset, we tested the hypothesis that seasonal variation would explain most of the gamma diversity of these plankton communities. We also investigated the environmental and temporal factors responsible for the variations in composition and species turnover. The scale related to dry and rainy seasons explained a considerable percentage of the gamma diversity and variation partitioning, showed that compositional changes occurred mainly over broader temporal scales. Environmental factors varying among seasons and ENSO events explained changes in composition, although some communities did not respond to the environment. Our results suggest that niche and stochastic processes operating at temporal scales correlated with ENSO climate events contributed to changes in species composition. Hence, climate anomalies might be important to maintain diversity in areas with reduced or loss of the natural variations in environmental conditions. Our results also suggest that, although communities show similar patterns of variation in composition, they might respond in a different degree to environmental and temporal factors. Thus, while niche-associated (environment) and stochastic (time) processes drove the phytoplankton, stochastic processes were more important for zooplankton, whereas neither were important for ciliates.

Terrestrial diet influences mercury bioaccumulation in zooplankton and macroinvertebrates in lakes with differing dissolved organic carbon concentrations

Dietary uptake is a key step in conveying both toxic mercury (Hg; particularly as highly bioavailable methylmercury, MeHg) and essential dietary biochemicals, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), across trophic levels within aquatic food webs. Using stable isotopes and fatty acids we evaluated the role of food sources in size-fractioned plankton and littoral macroinvertebrates for the bioaccumulation of total Hg and MeHg in six oligotrophic and one mesotrophic Swedish lakes with differing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We found that the consumption of both algal and terrestrial diets (assessed by PUFA and long-chain saturated fatty acids, respectively) predicted >66% of the Hg concentration variability in meso- (100–500 μm) and macrozooplankton (>500 μm) in oligotrophic lakes. In the mesotrophic lake, total Hg bioaccumulation in higher trophic level biota, carnivorous macroinvertebrates was also significantly related to terrestrial diet sources (R2 = 0.65, p < 0.01). However, lake pH and DOC correlated to total Hg bioaccumulation and bioconcentration across all lakes, suggesting the consumption of different diet sources is mediated by the influence of lake characteristics. This field study reveals that using dietary biomarkers (stable isotopes and fatty acids) together with the physico-chemical lake parameters pH and nutrients together improve our ability to predict Hg bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. Fatty acids used as dietary biomarkers provide correlative evidence of specific diet source retention in consumers and their effect on Hg bioaccumulation, while pH and nutrients are the underlying physico-chemical lake parameters controlling differences in Hg bioaccumulation between lakes.

Persistently rare species experience stronger negative frequency dependence than common species: A statistical attractor that is hard to avoid

AbstractAimWhy are so many species rare, yet persistent? Possibly, rare species experience strong negative frequency dependence (NFD, i.e. strong intraspecific competition relative to interspecific competition), which both makes them rare and buffers them against extinction. A second, not mutually exclusive, possibility is that rare species that experience weak NFD go extinct quickly due to demographic and environmental stochasticity. Both possibilities predict that persistent rare species will experience stronger NFD than common ones. A previous study confirmed this prediction in a range of mostly terrestrial communities. Here, we test that prediction in lake zooplankton and explore its theoretical basis.LocationFifty‐three temperate lakes.Time period1970–2011.Major taxa studiedCladocerans, copepods.MethodsWe used long‐term time series data to estimate the covariance between strength of NFD and mean frequency (relative abundance) for crustacean zooplankton. We used a randomization test to ask whether the covariance between NFD and mean frequency is stronger than expected, given sampling error. We also calculated the covariance between NFD and mean frequency in simulated communities from three different ecological models.ResultsRare species experience significantly stronger NFD than common species in over half of the communities. The distribution of associations between NFD and rarity is skewed towards weak associations, which always occur in communities with high evenness. All three theoretical models reproduce these empirical results, even though they are based on different mechanisms (demographic or environmental stochasticity, and mathematical constraints on possible NFD–frequency relationships).Main conclusionsRare species typically experience stronger NFD than common ones because there are many different ecological scenarios in which they will do so, and only a few scenarios in which they won’t. Like several other macroecological patterns, the tendency for rare species to experience stronger NFD than common ones is a “statistical attractor” that is hard to avoid.

Functional shifts in lake zooplankton communities with hypereutrophication

Abstract Functional variation among consumer communities can alter ecosystem nutrient cycling. These impacts on ecosystem function can be specifically driven by interspecific variation in stoichiometric traits; thus, functional trait‐based approaches can be used to explain the processes controlling ecosystem stoichiometry. However, eutrophication may reduce the functional importance of consumers in ecosystems by eliminating heterogeneity in nutrient recycling among taxa. To test whether zooplankton functional diversity, i.e. aspects of the stoichiometric trait space occupied by zooplankton communities, varies over gradients in trophic state and nutrient stoichiometry, we examined functional and taxonomic variation in the zooplankton communities of 130 lakes in the agriculturally dominated state of Iowa (U.S.A.) over 7 years. Stoichiometric functional dispersion decreased with trophic state index, supporting the trait abundance shift hypothesis that hypereutrophic lakes are characterised by different combinations of functional traits than their less eutrophic counterparts. Zooplankton communities became increasingly N‐rich relative to P as TSI increased. Specifically, P‐poor Bosmina, Chydorus, and cyclopoid copepods increased in abundance with eutrophication. Stoichiometric trait distributions of zooplankton shift with eutrophication, which implies that the unique functioning of hypereutrophic lakes could be due in part to the consumers inhabiting them. As zooplankton N:P increased with trophic state while lake total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratio decreased with trophic state, P‐poor zooplankton taxa may exacerbate excess P availability in these hypereutrophic systems by differentially recycling P at higher rates.