Browsing by Subject "aquatic invasive species"
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Item Complete data for Overwinter survival of Corbicula fluminea in a central Minnesota lake(2021-11-01) Weber, Megan M; Cibulka, Daniel; mmweber@umn.edu; Weber, Megan M; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research CenterCorbicula fluminea is regarded as one of the most pervasive freshwater aquatic invasive species in the world. It has been widely cited to have a lower lethal temperature threshold of 2 degrees Celcius, which suggests the species would be unable to survive in Minnesota outside of areas of thermal refuge from sources such as power plant, water treatment facility, and other raw water user effluent). In August 2020 a volunteer participating in Starry Trek, an aquatic invasive species early detection event, recovered live C. fluminea from an inland Minnesota lake with no known thermal refuge (Briggs Lake, Sherburne County). This data set documents the distribution, overwinter survival, and size class structure of the population in Briggs Lake and observational data at a nearby lake (Big Lake, Sherburne County) where additional clams were discovered by a volunteer towards the end of the Briggs Lake project timeline. The data from this study are available here for public use.Item Data in support of Quantifying the effectiveness of three aquatic invasive species prevention methods(2023-05-04) Angell, Nichole R; Campbell, Tim; Brady, Valerie; Bajcz, Alex; Kinsley, Amy; Doll, Adam; Dumke, Josh; Keller, Reuben; Phelps, Nicholas BD; nangell@glc.org; Angell, Nichole R; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC)Efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been widely implemented at many scales to mitigate economic and environmental harms. Boater education, watercraft inspection, and hot water decontamination are popular strategies for prevention of AIS moving through the recreational boating pathway. However, few studies have actually quantified the effectiveness of these strategies under field conditions. We estimated their effectiveness based on the performances of boaters, watercraft inspectors, and hot water decontaminators. Participants (n=144) were recruited at 56 public water access sites in Minnesota and 1 in Wisconsin. Each participant was asked to inspect and remove AIS from a boat staged with macrophytes, dead zebra mussels, and spiny water fleas. The types and amounts of AIS removed were used to estimate the effectiveness of each prevention method. We observed that removal varied by type of AIS, with macrophytes being most commonly removed for all participants. There were also regional (metro and outstate) differences for some species perhaps due to awareness and education. Hot water decontamination was the most effective (83.7%) intervention but was not significantly better at reducing risk of spread than was watercraft inspection (79.2%). Boaters were less effective at AIS removal (56.4%). Our results suggest that watercraft inspection is an effective prevention method for most boats, and that hot water decontamination is an important tool for high-risk boats. However, robust decontamination protocols are difficult to effectively execute. Furthermore, our results provide insights into how to increase boater awareness of often-overlooked locations and help reduce risk when inspectors cannot be present at a public water access site.Item Data in Support of Widespread declines in walleye recruitment following zebra mussel invasion in Minnesota lakes(2023-04-26) Kundel, H; Hansen, Gretchen J A; kunde058@umn.edu; Kundel, H; University of Minnesota Dr. Hansen Research TeamInvasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) alter lake ecosystems and can negatively affect first-year growth of walleye (Sander vitreus), potentially lowering walleye overwinter survival and recruitment success. Zebra mussel effects also vary among lakes, and walleye resilience to the effects of zebra mussels may vary depending on lake characteristics (e.g., depth, clarity) or fish community composition. To test these hypotheses, we used data from 1,438 surveys across 348 lakes collected between 1993 and 2019 to measure walleye recruitment, defined as relative abundance of age-0 walleye in their first fall. We fitted Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify the effects of zebra mussels on walleye recruitment while accounting for the effects of lake temperature, surface area, and water clarity. A before-after-control-impact (BACI)-like design was used to account for potential changes in recruitment due to factors other than zebra mussel invasion. Age-0 walleye recruitment to their first fall was ~41% lower (95% credible interval of 38 - 44%) in lakes containing zebra mussels compared to uninvaded lakes. Invaded lakes had higher recruitment prior to zebra mussel invasion than lakes that remain uninvaded. Conversely, walleye recruitment increased slightly (7% (95% credible interval 2 - 11%)) in lakes without zebra mussels over the same time period. Walleye recruitment was higher in larger lakes and lakes with lower water clarity. Water temperature, as indexed by degree days (base 5 °C), did not affect walleye recruitment. Our results demonstrate negative effects of zebra mussel invasion on walleye population dynamics at a landscape scale.Item Defining the Risk-Release Relationship of Daphnia magna, a Non-native Aquatic Species in the Environment of Duluth-Superior Harbor(2015-07) TenEyck, MatthewUnderstanding how inoculation characteristics (propagule pressure) affect establishment outcome of a non-native, invading species in the context of abiotic and biotic factors (ecological resistance) is a recent area of emphasis in ecology given an urgent need to prevent and manage invasive species globally. The overarching objective of this dissertation research is to quantify how a non-native species (Daphnia magna) establishes in response to different levels of propagule pressure in the context of a Laurentian Great Lakes port receiving system. Specifically, I described spatial and temporal patterns in the density and diversity of crustacean zooplankton in the context of abiotic factors of the Duluth-Superior Harbor and St. Louis River Estuary (DSHSLRE) and used those measures to develop establishment criteria for the propagule pressure experiments. Next, I evaluated the ability of a surrogate invader, D. magna to successfully colonize 200-L mesocosm aquaria by manipulating propagule pressure and several components of ecological resistance. Special attention was paid to the density of 10 individuals m-3 as this is the current standard suggested by the International Maritime Organization for density of permissible non-native species in ballast water discharge from oceangoing vessels. Lastly, I re-analyzed the results from the propagule pressure experiments to evaluate how different establishment criteria, which vary in rigor, influence the perceived outcome. Results demonstrate notable spatial and seasonal patterns in the abiotic conditions and zooplankton diversity and density measured at nine locations sampled biweekly during 2007 and 2008 in the DSHSLRE. Abiotic characteristics of upstream sites were indicative of littoral habitats and changed more dramatically within a year and from year to year. Overall 49 distinct taxa were identified, half at the genus level Copepoda and half Cladocera. Colonization of the mesocosm aquariums by D. magna populations ranged from 50-80% in the spring and fall experiments but never achieved success greater than 33% in the summer experiments. Only when the background assemblage of zooplankton was first removed from the tanks in the summer was D. magna able to establish suggesting that ecological resistance related to resource competition was prohibitive. Risk of establishment evaluated by different threshold criteria influenced the perceived outcome of the mesocosm experiments. This study demonstrates the multi-faceted nature of drivers that determine establishment success of a non-native species and the complexities of evaluating standards on permissible biological pollution using an experimental, mesocosm venue.Item Diel and horizontal patterns in the densities of Bythotrephes, Chaoborus, and Leptodora in a Minnesota Reservoir(2023-11) Corum, MeganUnderstanding the simultaneous distributions of three invertebrate planktonic predators—Bythotrephes cederstroemii, Chaoborus punctipennis, and Leptodora kindtii—in one system can help describe food web dynamics and inform management decisions. The population densities of these three species were examined in a tannin-stained lake (Island Lake Reservoir, Duluth, MN, USA) on eight dates in 2020 and 2021. Four shallow to deep (nearshore to offshore) sites, ranging from 2-16 m, were sampled during the day and the same night to target diel movement and nearshore to offshore population density differences across seasons. Night population densities increased on average by 364% (Bythotrephes), 129% (Chaoborus), and 493% (Leptodora) compared to daytime densities. Increases were likely driven by reduced water column net avoidance and nighttime diel vertical migration from a daytime refuge. Differences in nearshore to offshore density were variable, with marginally significant differences in the Bythotrephes distribution during the night (larger nearshore) and significant differences in the Chaoborus distribution during the day (larger offshore). The nearshore to offshore densities at night may be controlled by food and predator avoidance. Contemporary zooplankton sampling practices that focus on daytime, pelagic collections may underestimate invertebrate predator densities, thus misrepresenting the roles of predatory invertebrates in food webs. Further analysis of day-to-night and nearshore-to-offshore distributions of Bythotrephes, Chaoborus, and Leptodora are necessary to explain the extent of these differences and how they may differ between tannin-stained and clear-water ecosystems.Item Evaluation Of A Method For Ballast Water Risk-Release Assessment Using A Protist Surrogate(2015-08) Aliff, MeaganAquatic invasive species cost the United States billions of dollars annually and are most often introduced via ships' ballast tanks. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a set of standards that sets limits on the number of viable organisms that can be discharged with ballast water. These standards require scientific research to determining the risk-release relationship (i.e. the number of propagules needed for an invasion). To examine the risk-release relationship a surrogate invader, the diatom Melosira varians, was used. Varying densities of the surrogate were added to 19-L mesocosms containing water from Duluth-Superior Harbor. Each mesocosm was sampled weekly for four weeks and the response of the phytoplankton community was measured via cell counts. Population responses varied by starting conditions but M. varians establishment was generally noted at higher inoculation densities. These findings suggest the mesocosm approach can inform the understanding of risk-release relationships.Item Network connectivity patterns of Minnesota waterbodies and implications for aquatic invasive species prevention(2020-10-28) Kao, Szu-Yu; Enns, Eva A; Tomamichel, Megan; Doll, Adam; Escobar, Luis E; Qiao, Huijie; Craft, Meggan E; Phelps, Nicholas B D; phelp083@umn.edu; Phelps, Nicholas B D; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center, University of Minnesota; Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of MinnesotaThe data contains simulated boater movements across lakes in the state of Minnesota (MN). The data were simulated based on the boater inspection program conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 2014-2017. Using the inspection survey, we employed machine learning technique, XGBoost, to construct three predictive boater movement models. First, we predicted the number of boater traffic on a lake for a year. Second, we predicted the boater connection between any pair of lakes in MN. Third, we predicted the number of boaters between two lakes that were predicted to have connection.Item R Code and Data Supporting: A comparison of survey method efficiency for estimating densities of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)(2023-05-25) Ferguson, Jake M; Jimenez, Laura; Keyes, Aislyn A; Hilding, Austen; McCartney, Michael A; St. Clair, Katie; Johnson, Douglas H; Fieberg, John R; jfieberg@umn.edu; Fieberg, John RThis repository contains data and R code supporting Ferguson et al. A comparison of survey method efficiency for estimating densities of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha).Item R Code, Data, and Output Supporting: Facilitating effective collaboration to prevent aquatic invasive species spread(2023-09-05) Bajcz, Alex, W.; Kinsley, Amy; Haight, Robert; Phelps, Nicholas; bajcz003@umn.edu; Bajcz, Alex W.; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center; Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine; USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyThis repository contains R code, raw and processed data, and associated outputs supporting the results reported in: Kinsley, A, Bajcz A, Haight R, and Phelps N. 2023. Facilitating effective collaboration to prevent aquatic invasive species spread. Biological Invasions [in press]. In brief, this repository provides the inputs, code, and documentation for our process of generating optimization models, using linear integer programming (LIP) in R, that would find optimal placement patterns for watercraft inspection stations to thwart the movement of boats at risk of carrying aquatic invasive species from one lake to another within the state of Minnesota, given certain assumptions about how jurisdictional authority operates within the state.Item R Code, Data, and Output Supporting: A within-lake occupancy model for starry stonewort, Nitellopsis obtusa, to support early detection and monitoring(2022-12-19) Bajcz, Alex W; Glisson, Wesley; Larkin, Daniel J; Fieberg, John; bajcz003@umn.edu; Bajcz, Alex W; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyThese data and files support the published paper "A within-lake occupancy model for starry stonewort, Nitellopsis obtusa, to support early detection and monitoring" | Scientific Reports (nature.com). It contains both input files and data as well as processed output files from the modeling effort described in the paper, which uses predictor variables to predict both occupancy and detection for within-lake locations by starry stonewort, an invasive aquatic macrophyte. The files being submitted include everything needed to fully replicate and further interpret our results and provide a framework for constructing similar models in similar contexts.Item Recreationist willingness to pay for aquatic invasive species management at four Minnesota lakes(2021-02-12) Levers, Lucia; Pradhananga, Amit; llevers@umn.edu; Levers, Lucia; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research CenterWillingness to pay data from surveys conducted with recreationists (primarily boaters) at four Minnesota Lakes (Minnewaska, Koronis, Gull, and Pokegama) in the summer of 2019.