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Eutrophication of Viking Lake

Project Abstract: 
After over a decade of substantial acid rain, this already dystrophic lake was inundated with acidity, creating an inhospitable environment for aquatic life. In an effort to reverse these changes, the Viking Lake Association added a carbonate buffer, supplemental nutrients, and stocked the lake with fish with little consideration of trophic cascading. An imbalance in nutrient loading and reduction in community diversity has created an overgrowth of phytoplankton with regular surface level algal blooms and a visibility of <0.5 meters. Additionally, the once dystrophic littoral zone has become blanketed with nuisance submerged macrophytes. The ecology of phytoplankton and macrophyte overgrowth has been influenced by both bottom-up and top-down trophic cascading as well as intentional and unintentional nutrient loading. In addition to DO and nutrient profiling, an assessment of the site-specific ecology of phytoplankton and macrophyte overgrowth – including the identification of phytoplankton species, herbivorous predators, and cascading trophic interactions – will be addressed.
Investigator(s): 
Years Active: 
2011
Methods: 
Off-site water sampling and assessment will be conducted. Research needs include access to a DO meter, Secchi disk, and microscopes.