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Poster Abstracts
Title: Optical Characterization of Absorption and Scattering Components in the Three Rivers System
Authors:
Christopher C. Strait, MaryGail Perkins, David M. O'Donnell, Steven W. Effler, Adam Effler, Amy Kolb, Lingsen Zhang
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Charles T. Driscoll
Syracuse University
Abstract: Light absorbing constituents are important in regulating optical features of water quality, including the spectral composition of emergent light flux, a prominent feature of the signal available for remote sensing. In contrast, light scattering particles regulate the magnitude of the signal. The magnitudes and spectral features of absorbing (a) and scattering (b) components were determined for 11 sites on the Three Rivers System in 2007 using a combination of in situ and laboratory instrumentation. The degree of heterogeneity in the optical characteristics between sites, and closure between field and laboratory absorption measurements, is evaluated. Predictions of spectral absorption for selected locations were made using WASI (the Water Colour Simulator) software and compared to both field and laboratory measurements. In situ spectral measurements of the light scattering coefficient (b) and backscattering (bb) are also presented. Preliminary calculations of remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) based on a common remote sensing algorithm (Rrs = bb/(a+bb)) using field measurements of a and b are compared to in situ hyperspectral measurements of Rrs. Wide differences in measured optical properties prevailed over this system associated with differences in the concentrations of phytoplankton, inorganic particles and colored dissolved organic matter.
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Title: A Near-Real-Time Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Ground Station on Onondaga Lake, NY
Authors:
David M. O'Donnell, MaryGail Perkins, Chris Strait, Steven W. Effler
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Charles Driscoll
Syracuse University
Abstract: A Near-Real-Time (NRT) remote sensing ground station (platform) has been deployed on Onondaga Lake since the April 2008. This system is part of an on-going effort by the Upstate Freshwater Institute (UFI) to advance mechanistic approaches for remote sensing of water quality in inland waters. The platform consists of a datalogger, cellular modem and two hyperspectral radiometers (350-800 nm with ~2.5 nm resolution; Satlantic®). One radiometer measures upwelling radiance (Lu) and is located just below the water surface. The other radiometer measures the incident downwelling irradiance (Ed) and is located approximately a meter above the water surface. Together these sensors make hourly measurements during the daylight hours of the remote sensing radiance reflectance (Rrs=Lu/Ed). The platform is deployed from the UFI robotic buoy located at South Deep. We believe this effort is the first continuous deployment of such a platform on a freshwater system.
Rrs specifies the signal available from the surface waters for remote sensing; observations of Rrs are reported daily at www.ourlake.org. The information available in the Rrs signal is a function of the Inherent Optical Properties (IOP) and can be modeled according to the following expression
(IOP model)
where bb is the backscattering coefficient and a is the absorption coefficient
Various constituents contribute to the magnitude and spectral character of the signal and thus may be resolvable by remote sensing, including phytoplankton (biomass and type), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and non-algal particles (NAP; organic detritus and minerogenic particles). These concentrations, and thereby the Rrs signal, vary greatly seasonally and year-to-year in Onondaga Lake, offering a good opportunity to resolve the roles the dynamics in the various constituents play in regulating the signal.
The poster discribes the on-going effort in development and deployment of this platform. Example sensor output and website graphics are presented. Comparisons are made between the platform measurements and weekly manual measurements. Changes in Rrs during the 2008 deployment are highlighted. Finally the IOP model is tested using platform data.
Title: Remote Sensing Reflectance on Four Regional Lakes, Preliminary Results
Authors:
David Kalenak
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Steve Effler,
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Charles T. Driscoll
Syracuse University
Abstract: Remote sensing reflectance (Rsr) is a measure of the water-leaving radiance and is a function of certain inherent optical properties (IOPs) controlling the upwelling emergent flux within the upper layers of the water column. A commonly used semi-analytical algorithm that relates Rsr to IOPs is reviewed on four regional lakes. Since IOPs are considered optical proxies of biogeochemical substances affecting underwater light environments, inversion of Rsr can be used to identify these important optically active constituents IF the proportionality constant ( f ) connecting Rsr to IOPs can be modeled accurately. However, f is highly variable in complex optical waters (e.g. lakes) and cannot be measured directly. Therefore, the main objective here is to provide a preliminary verification of the this relationship (to within a constant) and to discuss factors influencing the variability of the f parameter.
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Title: Optical Implications of Inorganic Particles in the Three River System According to SAX
Authors:
Feng Peng, Steven W. Effler, David M. O'Donnell, Chris C. Strait
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Charles T. Driscoll
Syracuse University
Abstract: Inorganic particles are increasingly found to be important in regulating optical properties and metrics of water quality. Inorganic particles, collected from 11 sites within the Central New York "Three Rivers-Lakes" study system, were morphologically and chemically characterized by individual particle analysis conducted with scanning electron microscopy interfaced with automated image and X-ray analyses (SAX). Wide spatial differences in the concentration and chemical composition of the inorganic particle populations are reported for these sites. For areas with dense zebra mussel populations, large aggregates (>100 m) of inorganic particles of heterogeneous types are detected, presumably pseudofeces from this non-selective filter-feeding bivalve. The most important inorganic particle types were clay minerals and calcium carbonate. The SAX results, combined with Mie light-scattering theory calculations, are used to estimate the value of the scattering coefficient associated with inorganic (or mineral) particles (bm). The organic particulate component of scattering (bo) is estimated by a widely applied bio-optics model based on chlorophyll a concentration. The summation of bm and bo agreed reasonably well with independent measurements of the overall particulate scattering coefficient (bp; bp bm + bo). Differences in inorganic particulate scattering (bm) are demonstrated to be the primarily regulator of differences in clarity (Secchi disc) in the study system. Inorganic particles in the size range of 1-10 m contributed most significantly to light scattering.
Title: Automated Analysis of Near-Real-Time Surface Water Quality Data
Authors:
David M. O'Donnell, Susan M. Doerr O'Donnell and Anthony R. Prestigiacomo
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Charles T. Driscoll
Syracuse University
Abstract: Central New York's Near-Real-Time Surface Water Quality Network was established in 2000 on Onondaga Lake and the Seneca River. The network has continued to expand and now includes robotic platforms on the three eastern most Finger Lakes (Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco Lakes), Onondaga Creek, and multiple sites on the Seneca River. Data from these platforms are made available in near-real-time on the project's website (www.OurLake.org). Significant improvements have been made to the website over the past six years including the addition of an automated data analysis section in 2005. Current data analyses include: 1) the determination of thermocline depths for the lakes in the network, 2) estimation of density stratification including density gradients, 3) the prediction of interflows (density currents), 4) estimation of transparency in Onondaga Lake from in situ turbidity measurements, and 5) the calculation of suspended solid loading estimates to Onondaga Lake from Onondaga Creek. This poster highlights some of these analyses.
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Title: Contrasting Inorganic Particle Populations by Individual Particle Analysis: Tributaries, Onondaga Lake, and the In-Lake Waste Deposits
Authors:
Feng Peng and Steven W. Effler
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: Inorganic particles have been demonstrated to be an important regulator of water clarity (through the process of light scattering) in the pelagic waters of Onondaga Lake, as well as an increasing number of other lakes. Dredging of near-shore deposits (ILWD) along the western shore of the lake (to commence in 2012) represents a new potential source of inorganic particles for the pelagic waters of Onondaga Lake. Resolution of the origins of inorganic particles in such waters that have multiple sources with commonly used aggregate measures of particles is difficult, if not impossible. Individual particle analysis, with respect to morphological and chemical composition, with scanning electron microscopy interfaced with automated image and X-ray analyses (SAX), is a powerful technique with greater resolution capabilities. SAX has been used elsewhere to resolve particle origins in such complex situations.
SAX was conducted on surface samples collected from the ILWD (11 sites), and water samples collected from the largest tributaries during high flow conditions and from the upper waters of a pelagic lake site, to preliminarily evaluate the potential to differentiate ILWD particles from other sources. Morphological and chemical characterizations of the various particle populations are presented. Substantial differences in particle characteristics of the ILWD versus other sources are demonstrated. For example, the particles delivered from Onondaga Creek during runoff events are mostly clay minerals. The ILWD particle populations were dominated by calcium-based particles, mostly CaCO3, with a rich array of morphological types that differ substantially from those presently observed in the lake. Noteworthy spatial differences in particle characteristics are reported for the ILWD sites. SAX technique shows promise for identifying ILWD particles in pelagic waters. Related impacts on water clarity can be quantified through Mie light-scattering theory calculations.
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Title: Recent Changes in Deposition Rates in Onondaga Lake
Authors:
Craig A. Hurteau, David A. Matthews, Steven W. Effler
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: Long-term temporal patterns in the deposition of total (TSS), fixed (FSS), and volatile suspended solids (VSS) are documented for eutrophic Ca2+-rich Onondaga Lake, NY for a 29 year interval, 1980 to 2008. Weekly collections were made from sediment traps deployed below the thermocline from mid-May to mid-September in the deepest area of the lake (~20 m). Downward fluxes of TSS (DFTSS), FSS (DFFSS), and VSS (DFVSS) decreased 42%, 38%, and 41%, respectively, following closure of a soda ash facility in 1986 that discharged ionic waste to the lake. Following a long period of relatively stable dry weight deposition, marked decreases were observed in recent years. DFTSS, DFFSS, and DFVSS decreased 47%, 52%, and 13%, respectively, from 2007 to 2008. Sediment accumulation rates derived from dry weight deposition were estimated to decrease from 0.8 cm/yr in the pre-closure interval to 0.4 cm/yr in the post closure interval to 0.2 cm/yr in 2008. DFFSS accounted for 80% to 85% of DFTSS, and deposition of CaCO3 accounted for 75% to 80% of DFFSS. Observed trends in CaCO3 deposition remained consistent in 2007 and 2008, despite a shift in magnitude between the two years. Although a definitive cause for the observed decrease in deposition in 2008 has not been identified, likely drivers include variations in temperature, concentration of Ca2+, primary production (pH), and the availability of nucleation sites. Because in-lake processes accounted for 85% of DFTSS, changes in primary production and lake chemistry could have significant effects on the burial of contaminants and microbial metabolism in the sediments.
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Title: They're Back! Daphnia and the Clear Water Phase in Onondaga Lake
Authors:
Michael E. Spada, Steven W. Effler, and David A. Matthews
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: Abrupt dramatic increases in clarity, associated with intense grazing by large daphnids, described as clear-water phases (CWP's), occur widely in productive lakes. CWP's occurred annually in Onondaga Lake from 1987 (one year after closure of the soda ash production facility) through 2002, and had substantial benefits for the lake's clarity (Secchi disc transparency, SD) over that period. Large daphnids were generally absent over the 2003-2007 interval and SD values remained below 3.5 meters. The return of large daphnids (mainly Daphnia galeata mendotae) in substantial concentrations and coupled increases in SD in 2008 are documented here. Daphnia concentrations are reported for July 2008 (seasonal measurements are pending). and the long-term annual records of SD are extended. Thresholds of Daphnia density (Lampert 1988) and SD (SD ? 3.5m) for this lake (Effler et al. 2008) reported in the literature are found to be consistent with the 2008 observations during CWP's. Changes in composition and timing of the daphnia population from the 1987-2002 interval to 2008 are reported.
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Title: Both Sediment and Water Quality Affect Survivorship of the Mayfly
Stenonema femoratum in Onondaga Lake, NY.
Authors:
Brandy L. Brown, Kimberly L. Schulz, Neil H. Ringler
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Abstract: The objective of this study was to independently assess the effects of Onondaga Lake water quality and sediment quality on the survivorship of the mayfly species, Stenonema femoratum. We incubated mayfly nymphs in a field experiment in both Onondaga Lake and Otisco Lake. The nymphs were given either Onondaga Lake or Otisco Lake sediment and then checked for survival after 24h, 48h, and 9 days. Nymphs incubated in Otisco Lake and given Otisco Lake sediment experienced 100% survival over a period of 48 hours. Nymphs incubated in Onondaga Lake and given Onondaga Lake sediment experienced 0% survival after 24 hours. If able to disperse to Onondaga Lake, Stenonema sp. would still not likely survive in the current habitat conditions of Onondaga Lake. However, when provided with a higher quality substrate (Otisco Lake sediment), survival increased by 80%. Results indicate that water quality may also play a role in survival of this species and that it is likely a combination of both water quality and sediment quality that is limiting survival. Implications of future sediment remediation are discussed.
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Title: Testing and Calibration of Turbulence Levels within a Sediment Oxygen Demand Chamber
Authors:
Peter J. Rusello and Edwin A. Cowen
Cornell University
Abstract: Turbulence at the sediment-water interface can significantly alter the flux of oxygen or other scalar by sharpening gradients in the concentration boundary layer. Prior work examining SOD in the hypolimnion of a reservoir in California demonstrated this effect in the laboratory but did not provide any quantitative details on the structure and intensity of the turbulence. Importantly, the applied turbulence field came from a single source, a turbulent round jet, and was not calibrated to levels typically found in the reservoir bottom boundary layer (BBL). Single jets are known to produce strong mean flows that may contribute to, or even dominate, the sediment-water interface exchange. Field measurements made Fall 2007 in the BBL of Onondaga Lake showed relatively weak mean flows (maximum O(5 cm/s)) with relatively weak turbulence levels but spanned only modest meteorological forcing conditions. Based on these short term measurements, a typical range of turbulent intensities expected in Onondaga Lake over longer times and wider forcing conditions, expressed as an RMS fluctuation value, was estimated to be 1-10 mm/s. To reproduce these levels in typical laboratory SOD chambers, the randomly actuated synthetic jet array (RAJSA) of Variano and Cowen (2008) was adapted for a smaller system with fewer degrees of freedom. The system is driven by three peristaltic pumps with computer controlled direction and user controlled flow rate providing six locations for momentum sources/sinks in the top of the SOD camber. The pumps change direction randomly with the time between changes selected from a Gaussian distribution with user controllable mean and standard deviation. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used to measure the mean and turbulent radial and vertical velocities in the chamber and calibrate the pump rotation rate to turbulence intensity. A more thorough investigation of the turbulence structure details some minor shortcomings of the smaller system, primarily due to the limited number of degrees of freedom. Despite it's shortcomings the turbulence generation system is capable of producing the range of expected turbulence levels in the Onondaga Lake BBL and provides a necessary and important tool for the i
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Title: Determination of Methylmercury Flux From Lake Sediments Using Flow-Through Reactors
Authors:
G. Albert Galicinao and Martin T. Auer
Michigan Technological University
Abstract: A novel technology has been proposed for limiting methylmercury flux from contaminated lake sediments through augmentation with electron acceptors (oxygen and nitrate). The approach is being tested using an incubation technique in which intact sediment cores are maintained in a flow-through reactor exposed to varying electron acceptor concentrations. The chambers are constructed of Teflon with removable a threaded top and friction-fit bottom and are filled to one-half their height by sub-sampling a box core collection. The chamber top is outfitted with six ports to provide mixing by continuous, random jet recirculation. The top is also outfitted with a feed stock inlet port, a gas inlet port and a vent. An outlet port on the sidewall delivers effluent to a sample collection vessel.
The experimental design calls for measurement of methylmercury flux over a matrix of oxygen (0, 1, 2 and 4 mg/L) and nitrate (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mgN/L) concentrations. Nitrogen is added by augmenting an artificial lake water feed stock that mimics the ionic composition of the test system. Oxygen is added by bubbling a gas mix into the water overlying the sediment via a fritted glass diffuser, with oxygen concentrations established and maintained by blending air and nitrogen. After an equilibration period of three chamber retention times, the methylmercury concentration is measured in the chamber effluent for 3-5 days. The methylmercury flux is then calculated by mass balance assuming steady state conditions. Example runs are provided illustrating observed methylmercury flux over a range of electron acceptor concentrations.
Title: Characterization of Legacy Labile Organic Carbon Reserves Using a Sediment Bioassay and Modeling Approach
Authors:
Philip A. DePetro, Kenneth J. Windsand and Martin T. Auer
Michigan Technological University
Abstract: The time course of lake recovery, following reductions in external loading, is typically governed by conditions in the sediments, especially where legacy reserves of contaminants (e.g. mercury, phosphorus or organic carbon) are present. Quantification of the timing of a lake's response requires determination of the magnitude of the legacy deposit and a characterization of its lability, i.e. susceptibility to diagenesis and recycle. This is particularly problematic for organic carbon which is present in lake sediments in a refractory form as well as fractions of differing lability.
Here we apply a bioassay approach where sediments are incubated in batch reactors, measuring the consumption of oxygen as a function of time and replenishing the oxygen reserves at each sampling interval. The incubation is maintained until the consumption of oxygen ceases, i.e. supplies of labile organic carbon are exhausted. Carbon lability is quantified as the cumulative oxygen consumption, converted to units of carbon, and expressed as mass labile organic carbon per mass total organic carbon (or, alternatively, % labile organic carbon). Incubation results typically yield a time course of oxygen consumption that is well described by a rectangular hyperbola with the ascending limb reflecting the reaction rate constant and the asymptote the total amount of labile organic carbon initially present. The results of incubations performed on sediment slices collected over a 50 cm core (representing ~50 years of deposition) are presented. The fit of lability assay results to mathematical models portraying labile carbon as being composed of single and multiple fractions is described.
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Title: Turbulence Mediation of Induced Oxygen and Nitrate Demand in Lakes.
Authors:
Brandon J. Ellefson, Martin T. Auer
Michigan Technological University
P.J. Rusello, Edwin A. Cowen
Cornell University
David A. Matthews
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: The occurrence of a phenomenon termed induced oxygen demand has been hypothesized where hypolimnetic aeration or oxygenation have been implemented as a means of lake management. The phenomenon is manifested as an increase in sediment oxygen demand (SOD) and/or sediment nitrate demand (SND) compared with that estimated prior to implementation. The response has been ascribed to increasing turbulence at the sediment-water serving to increase mass transport and thus oxygen/nitrate demand.
Recent studies have replicated the induction effect in laboratory microcosms, however, quantification of the turbulence - oxygen demand relationship, application of such a relationship to in situ conditions and development of a predictive capability in this regard remain problematic. Here we report the results of measurements of SND and SOD made on intact cores collected from Onondaga Lake (Syracuse, NY) using flow-through microcosms over a range of turbulence levels. The resulting rates of sediment nitrate and oxygen demand, 60-80 mgN/m-2/d-1 and 0.8-1.0 gO/m-2/d-1, compare favorably with those calculated from field observations of hypolimnetic depletion rates. In both cases, rates increased with increasing turbulence in the microcosm, reaching a saturation value as velocities inducing sediment resuspension were approached. Turbulence in the microcosm was quantified as spatial mean velocity using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and compared with in situ velocity measurements for Onondaga Lake as recorded with acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs). The relationship between turbulence at the interface and SND/SOD will be described.
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Title: Patterns of Bacterial Contamination in Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook, Syracuse, NY, During Dry Weather
Authors:
Donald J. Hughes, Robert P. Griffiths, Ed Michalenko
Onondaga Environmental Institute
Jeanne Powers, Joe Mastriano, and Janaki Suryadevara
Onondaga County Dept. of Water Environmental Protection
Abstract: We examined temporal and spatial patterns of bacteria density in two tributaries of Onondaga Lake: Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook. Fecal coliforms have been monitored biweekly by, among others, Onondaga County at two sites on each tributary for over twenty years. These data indicate historical dry-weather inputs of bacteria in both systems. While both tributaries are impacted by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and separated storm water, this study examined bacteria density and related parameters only during periods of dry weather. During the initial period of sampling (Sept. 19- Oct.7, 2008; 4 rounds), fecal coliform densities in Onondaga Creek were found to average 260 cfu/100ml in the upstream urban creek section, and 2,400 cfu/100 ml in the downtown area. Subsequent sampling (Oct. 15 - Nov. 5; 4 rounds) found that mean densities in the upstream section dropped by a factor of ~3*, and that an even more dramatic reduction in bacterial density occurred in the downtown section (mean = 189* cfu/100 ml). This 13-fold reduction can probably be attributed to rehabilitation of a deteriorated sewer line in the downtown area. In Harbor Brook, fecal coliforms (cfu/100 ml) were found to range from 20 to 210 upstream, and from 110 to 1,100 downstream. Temporal trends were not readily apparent; no construction activities were occurring in the vicinity. Point sources to both tributaries, sampled during dry weather, were found to contain a wide range of fecal coliform densities: <10 to >60,000 cfu/100 ml.
* these numbers subject to change when new data are incorporated.
Title: A Post-Audit of a Nitrogen Model for a Severely Polluted Urban Lake
Authors:
Daniele M. Baker and Myron J. Mitchell
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Susan M. O'Donnell, Rakesh K. Gelda and Steven W. Effler
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: A post-audit was conducted on a nitrogen (N) model for Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, New York. The model was previously developed and applied to support implementation of a nitrogen control program. While the importance of water quality models is well known, the opportunities of a post-audit are rare. The objective of this research was to analyze the model's ability to predict changes in the water quality due to reduction in N loads to the lake. The two-layer N model, originally developed and validated for 1988-1989, was applied for an additional 16 years. Model performance was quantified by calculation of a root mean square error for total ammonia (T-NH3) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). T-NH3 and NOX were both overpredicted in the upper mixed layer for the conditions of reduced N loads in the recent years using the original model. Representations of three porcesses in the model were modified to support recalibration. (1) The period of anoxia originally fixed was made dynamic to reflect reduced length of anoxia. (2) The sediment release rate was changed such that it decreased during periods of oxygen availability. (3) The algal uptake of NOX was increased when the concentration of T-NH3 was low. The resulting model simulations made more accurate predictions and highlighted the processes that have become important as the lake health improves.
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Title: Applications of Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Models to Lakes and Reservoirs
Authors:
Emmet M. Owens
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Abstract: The Upstate Freshwater Institute (UFI) is using three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic and water quality models to investigate specific water quality problems that require application of these sophisticated tools. UFI has applied the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) to reservoirs that supply drinking water to the City of New York as a part of studies of elevated turbidity in these systems. At Schoharie Reservoir, EFDC was used to evaluate the performance of a baffle or diversion wall in the reservoir, one of several management alternatives considered for turbidity control. This wall would divert turbid stream inflow away from the drinking water intake. The 3D model is required in order to simulate transport in the vicinity of the wall.
In Onondaga Lake, the Estuary, Lake, and Coastal Ocean Model (ELCOM) is being used to investigate various processes, including mixing and transport associated with plunging inflows and transport in the hypolimnion. ELCOM is unique in its incorporation of a submodel that simulates the 3D flow and transport associated with a dense (plunging) tributary inflow. Onondaga Creek commonly plunges due to low temperature and/or elevated salinity relative to lake surface waters. In addition, ELCOM is being used to simulate transport in the hypolimnion, which is driven by internal waves (seiches) during periods of thermal stratification.
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Title: Simulation of Phytoplankton Group Composition in Cannonsville Reservoir
Authors:
Hampus Markensten, Emmet Owens and Steven W. Effler
Upstate Freshwater Institute
Donald Pierson,
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Abstract: A one dimensional (1D) lake model that simulates temperature, hydrodynamics, nutrient dynamics and total phytoplankton biomass has previously been developed by the Upstate Freshwater Institute (UFI) and applied to the NYC Cannonsville reservoir. PROTECH (phytoplankton response to environmental change) is a model developed by Colin Reynolds that focuses on the phytoplankton biology. Phytoplankton growth rates are calculated from size and volume relationships that affect light harvesting and temperature dependence. Eight different functional groups of phytoplankton are simulated that differ in their capability to fix nitrogen, use silica and regulate their buoyancy. In order to better predict total biomass of phytoplankton and potentially nuisance groups (e.g. Cyanobacteria). In this study we merge the two models into one model retaining the best properties of the two models. The results show that the new composite model captures the seasonal succession, including timing and magnitude, of phytoplankton functional groups , comparing well to observed phytoplankton areal counts (ASU).
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Title: Mercury Levels in breeding Songbirds of the Northeastern United States
Authors:
Julia Braunmueller, Charles T. Driscoll and ,Amy Sauer
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Melissa Duron
BioDiversity Research Institute
Gorham, Maine
Abstract: Atmospheric deposition of sulfur, nitrogen and mercury (Hg) has potential widespread and profound effects on forest ecosystems and their inhabitants. There are new reasons for studying MeHg availability in Northern forests, particularly in areas of high elevation or having acidic conditions. Air pollution has been linked to adverse effects in wildlife, including impairing reproductive success in Songbirds (Saldiva and Bohm 1998, Llacuna et al 1993, Janssens et al 2003). New findings indicate MeHg availability is more prevalent in terrestrial birds than previously considered (Evers et al 2005). Birds in montane terrestrial habitats are especially at risk (Rimmer et al 2005), which is likely related to atmospheric deposition of wet and dry Hg that is higher than lower elevation habitats (VanArsdale et al. 2005).
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