Investigating Macroinvertebrate Communities at Select Lentic Systems at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Joanna Joyner-Matos
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 10:45 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
In 1999, the non-native Brook Stickleback (Culaea inconstans) fish was found on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (WA). As this refuge is managed for waterfowl it is of concern that the fish could negatively impact aquatic habitats, predominantly through macroinvertebrate consumption. In 2012 and 2015 our lab investigated the water quality and macroinvertebrate communities in lakes that did or did not have fish. In 2022 we observed fish in two lakes (Long and Lasher) that previously were fishless. To further explore the potential impact of this non-native fish, we examined four lakes in 2023: the two recently-“invaded” lakes, one lake in which fish have been historically recorded (30 Acre), and a fishless lake (TLES). We surveyed multiple sites per lake (May-October) as water depths allowed. We measured water temperature, dissolved O2, conductivity, and pH. We used baited traps to verify fish presence/absence. Macroinvertebrates from the water/substrate interface were collected in a standardized sweep and counted. Across the historically-invaded, fishless, and one recently-invaded lake, there were no significant differences in the number of taxa or number of macroinvertebrates per site (both P=0.361). Compared 2012 and 2015, both recently-invaded lakes had fewer taxa, and all lakes had fewer macroinvertebrates collected. Water quality measurements in 2023 were indistinguishable across lakes. Conductivity in the historically-invaded lake and dissolved O2 in the fishless lake were higher in 2023 than in 2015. While we did not detect significant differences between lakes in 2023, this study contributes to ongoing monitoring of Brook Stickleback and their potential impact.
Recommended Citation
Hamada, Emily J.A.; Heaton, Jacob R.; McGuire, Natalie P.; Merritt, Sayla M.; and Oredugba, Bukky O., "Investigating Macroinvertebrate Communities at Select Lentic Systems at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 12.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/ps_2024/p1_2024/12
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Investigating Macroinvertebrate Communities at Select Lentic Systems at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge
PUB NCR
In 1999, the non-native Brook Stickleback (Culaea inconstans) fish was found on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (WA). As this refuge is managed for waterfowl it is of concern that the fish could negatively impact aquatic habitats, predominantly through macroinvertebrate consumption. In 2012 and 2015 our lab investigated the water quality and macroinvertebrate communities in lakes that did or did not have fish. In 2022 we observed fish in two lakes (Long and Lasher) that previously were fishless. To further explore the potential impact of this non-native fish, we examined four lakes in 2023: the two recently-“invaded” lakes, one lake in which fish have been historically recorded (30 Acre), and a fishless lake (TLES). We surveyed multiple sites per lake (May-October) as water depths allowed. We measured water temperature, dissolved O2, conductivity, and pH. We used baited traps to verify fish presence/absence. Macroinvertebrates from the water/substrate interface were collected in a standardized sweep and counted. Across the historically-invaded, fishless, and one recently-invaded lake, there were no significant differences in the number of taxa or number of macroinvertebrates per site (both P=0.361). Compared 2012 and 2015, both recently-invaded lakes had fewer taxa, and all lakes had fewer macroinvertebrates collected. Water quality measurements in 2023 were indistinguishable across lakes. Conductivity in the historically-invaded lake and dissolved O2 in the fishless lake were higher in 2023 than in 2015. While we did not detect significant differences between lakes in 2023, this study contributes to ongoing monitoring of Brook Stickleback and their potential impact.
