Berkman, P. A., D. W. Garton, G. Kennedy, 1996.  Expansion and Persistence of Dreissena Assemblages On Soft Substrates in the Western Basin of Lake Erie,  Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University, Indiana University at Kokomo,  National Biological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center

Abstract from The Sixth International Zebra Mussel and Other Aquatic Nuisance Species Conference, Dearborn, Michigan, March 1996

Expansion and Persistence of Dreissena Assemblages On Soft Substrates in the Western Basin of Lake Erie

Establishment and impacts of Dreissena populations on hard substrates in the Great Lakes and surrounding waterways are well known. However, the magnitude of Dreissena invasions onto soft substrates, which represent the vast majority of benthic habitats in these watersheds, has not been interpreted. The objective of this study was to assess the expansion rates, colonization patterns and characteristics of Dreissena populations on soft substrates in western Lake Erie.

Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis assemblages were studied with SCUBA, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Side Scan Sonar (SSS) on sand and silt substrates in the Western Basin of Lake Erie in 1994 and 1995. Data on the distribution, abundance, size frequency, species percentage and sediment grain size indicate that Dreissena assemblages persisted and expanded on soft substrates during this 2-year study. In these soft substrate habitats, Dreissena assemblages are altering: (1) sediment characteristics and flow dynamics; (2) nutrient exchange between the benthos and the overlying water; (3) benthic communities; and (4) the distribution of hard-substrate dependent species in the ecosystem.

Keywords: Zebra_mussel, Colonization, Population_dynamics
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