Field experiments investigating the Benthic Pelagic coupling over a zebra mussel be in the western basin of Lake Erie
- Univ. of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
- National Water Research Institute, Burlington, Ontario (Canada)
- Univ. of Northern British Columbia, Prince George (Canada)
Unlike the relatively well-known unidirectional tidal flows in coastal marine environments, mixing in freshwater lakes is likely to be primarily wind driven and intermittent. Moreover, recent data indicates that flow rate affects zebra mussel filter feeding in a ramp-like manner not predicted by conventional static-flow models. Both of these outcomes indicate that direct measurements of the physical transport processes and the resultant biology of filter feeding must be made in situ to begin to understand the impact of zebra mussels on the pelagic foodwebs. The purpose of the following paper is to report the results of a preliminary study of the biophysical factors that relate to the benthic-pelagic coupling in a zebra mussel bed within the western basin of Lake Erie. Althoug work is still in progress, our preliminary results indicate a complex flow field over the zebra mussel bed. By means of a simple model, we have demonstrated that the extrapolation of individual laboratory-based feeding rates to a field situation leads to a significant overestimation of the actual feeding rates. Further work is in progress to refine the model to allow for vertical variability in organic concentration, a more accurate prescription of the turbulent transport or organic material above the bed and to validate other model assumptions such as the assumption of two-dimensional flow over the bed.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 146964
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-105116; CONF-9502124-; TRN: 95:007969-0023
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. international Zebra mussel and other aquatic nuisance organisms conference, Toronto (Canada), 14-21 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the fifth international zebra mussel and other aquatic nuisance organisms conference 1995; Ackerman, J.D. [Univ. of Northern British Columbia, Prince George (Canada)]; PB: 494 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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