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Epibenthic and benthic microcrustaceans (copepods, cladocerans, ostracods) from a nearshore area in southeastern Lake Michigan 1
Author(s) -
Evans Marlene S.,
Stewart John A.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1977.22.6.1059
Subject(s) - benthic zone , copepod , plankton , ostracod , water column , zooplankton , oceanography , eutrophication , environmental science , ecology , crustacean , biology , geology , nutrient
Cores of bottom sediments and overlying waters were collected from depths of 6 and 9 m in southeastern Lake Michigan. Copepod, cladoceran, and ostracod abundances were assessed in terms of known plankton. Species could be roughly divided into euplanktonic species showing no affinity for the sediments, epibenthic species occurring in the plankton but concentrated near the sediments, and benthic species inhabiting the sediments and rarely encountered in the plankton. While several epibenthic species left the sediments at night to enter the plankton, only a small fraction of the benthic species showed this migration. Epibenthic and benthic microcrustaceans in the lower 0.3 m of the water column accounted for 33–39% of the standing stock (by numbers) of the microcrustaceans within the 9‐m depth contour. Preliminary information on the local food web indicates that the microcrustaceans have a significant role in the trophodynamics of the inshore area. Several of the species found in southeastern Lake Michigan are tolerant of eutrophic, mesotrophic, or moderately saline waters.