The Lake Scugog Stewards partnered with Kawartha Conservation and Ontario Tech University to conduct analysis from 2016 to 2019 on Lake Scugog.
During that interval, researchers Dr. Andrea Kirkwood, Shelby Ravary, and Dr. Tyler Harrow Lyle studied water samples taken from 12 websites on the lake. By final February, 10 papers have been printed based mostly on their findings. Much of this analysis centered on a comparatively new invasive species, a macroalgae generally known as starry stonewort.
The researchers decided that its institution may have particularly dramatic impacts on the decrease aquatic meals internet and will trigger will increase in zebra mussels and blue inexperienced algae abundance. The discovered starry stonewort can be accountable for decrease dissolved oxygen and a rise in soluble reactive phosphorous ranges. Also, they think its growth throughout Ontario may trigger declines in native macroalgae.
Additional research
Kirkwood and her colleagues additionally printed two research on Lake Scugog’s general well being which discovered Scugog’s shoreline to be extremely variable in its ecological well being, with some areas in nice situation, whereas others have been extraordinarily poor. They famous that, regardless of representing the smallest proportion of Scugog’s watershed land-use, shorelines with city improvement had the best stage of water and ecological degradation.
Another examine centered on offshore websites chosen particularly for his or her previous or current use as walleye spawning grounds. The researchers noticed a shift from native species to an invasive species-dominant system over the interval of their examine, together with the beforehand dominant invasive plant, Eurasian water milfoil, being overtaken by starry stonewort.
High ranges of phosphorus, noticed as being on the rise, have been concluded to be a possible driver for the success of invasives like zebra mussels and starry stonewort in Lake Scugog and eutrophication gave the impression to be worsening.
The examine additionally discovered that offshore water and ecological well being relies on location, relatively than being constant throughout the waterbody. This might provide some hope for the way forward for the lake, as future stewardship actions can select key goal areas for max influence.
For extra data go to: scugoglakestewards.com/analysis