Toronto Harbour AOC Plankton Sampling

2016

Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Ecosystem Research Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Pêches et Océans Canada

Status Report

• Survey plan

• Sampling accomplished

• Preliminary results

• Final report will be available when taxonomy returns for phytoplankton and zooplankton in 2017

• This report will give recommendations about status of BUI 13

Degradation of phytoplankton and

zooplankton populations

REQUIRES FURTHER ASSESSMENT

“When phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure does not significantly diverge from unimpacted control sites of comparable physical and chemical characteristics. Further, in the absence of community structure data, this use will be considered restored when phytoplankton and zooplankton bioassays confirm no significant toxicity in ambient waters” (IJC, 1991).

Existing Reports

• Currie and Koops (2014). Report on the feasibility of using MOE index plankton samples to evaluate BUI 13: Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations for Toronto Harbour Area of Concern

• Currie, Bowen and Niblock (2015). A lower trophic ecosystem assessment during September 2013 of the Toronto Harbour Area of Concern.

• Currie, W.J.S. Bowen, K.L., Niblock, H.A. and Koops. M.A. 2015. Compilation and evaluation of historical data and samples to support assessment of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3150: v + 152p.

The 2016 Survey • Currie et al. 2015 recommended a full growing

season survey of Toronto Region

• Geographic scope limited to Humber Bay, Inner Harbour, Outer Harbour and Ashbridges Bay

• 11 stations for phytoplankton, zooplankton and microbial community collections

• Continuous tow of EXO2 sonde

Laser Optical Plankton Counter (LOPC) on an Acrobat Towbody

Spatially

High-

Resolution

Intensive

Mapping

Plankton

Array

YSI EXO2 sonde

• Temperature

• Depth

• Conductivity

• pH

• Chlorophyll-a

• Phycocyanin

• fDOM (CDOM)

• Turbidity

Georeferenced tow using depressor at mid-epilimnion depths 1.5-3 m.

Bronte

L02

BUR

ITH OH

AB

HB

Toronto Sampling

• 11 stations

• Monthly sampling May-Oct (Nov)

• Sampling day was 0730 till ~ 1930

• Days were selected to have wave heights < 0.5 m

“Reference” station at Bronte added in addition to the Hamilton Nearshore Offshore Transect (HNOT) stations LO2 and BUR also sampled monthly

HB3

L08

1364

IH1 L10

L12

IH13 TH1

TH3

AB2

AB1

HB3

L08

1364

IH1 L10

L12

IH13 TH1

TH3

AB2

AB1

May 2016

Ashbridges Bay June 2016

Sept 2016

9-19-2016 Displacement from IH

fDOM RFU

Temp °C

Co

nd

uct

ivit

y µ

Scm

-1

Ordination of towed data

2016 Point Sampling

Parameters

• Nutrients & Chlorophyll

• Productivity (phytoplankton and bacteria)

• Taxonomy (phytoplankton, zooplankton, rotifers, microbial loop)

• Physical profiles:

EXO2 [DO, turbidity, temperature, etc.], FluoroProbe, Secchi Disk, Light Attenuation

02468

10121416

ug

L-1

Chlorophyll

0

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05m

g L-1

Total Phosphorus

August 2016 Example RAP targets for Quinte

West Lake

Ontario

Humber Bay

Inner Harbour

Outer Harbour

Ashbridges Bay

0

1

2

3

4

5

LO2

BU

R

HB

3

LO8

IH1

MO

E13

64 L10

L12

IH13

TH1

TH3

AB

1

AB

2

µg

C L

-1 h

r-1

Bacterial production

0

10

20

30

40m

g C

m-3

h-1

Size Fractionated Primary Productivity >20 µm

2-20 µm

<2 µm

West Lake

Ontario

Humber Bay

Inner Harbour

Outer Harbour

Ashbridges Bay

August 2016 Example

2016 Seasonal Average Productivity

0

5

10

15

20

25m

g C

m-3

hr-1

West Lake

Ontario

Humber Bay

Inner Harbour

Outer Harbour

Ashbridges Bay

HB3

L08

1364

IH1 L10

L12

IH13 TH1

TH3

AB2

AB1

Zooplankton and Rotifers August 2016

Zooplankton and Rotifers

• Counts and taxonomy will be finalized April 2017

• Preliminary observation suggest that Toronto Inner Harbour has similar densities of rotifers to other sites, but is almost lacking in macrozooplankton

• Densities and composition of zooplankton will be compared between sites and the samples collected at Bronte and the HNOT stations

A Team Effort

Heather Niblock Kelly Bowen

Mark Fitzpatrick Dallas Linley

Jocelyn Gerlofsma Robert Bonnell

Robin Roson Co-op Students

Mohi Munawar & Marten Koops

Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Ecosystem Research Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Pêches et Océans Canada