Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of pollution on benthic invertebrate communities of the St. Marys River, 1985

  • Chapter
Environmental Assessment and Habitat Evaluation of the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 65))

  • 93 Accesses

Abstract

A survey was undertaken in 1985 to assess spatial and temporal trends in the benthic community structure in relation to sediment contamination and wastewater sources at 70 stations between Whitefish Bay and lower Lake George in the St. Marys River. Cluster analysis identified seven benthic communities. Three were identified as pollution impacted, based on a preponderance of tubificids and nematodes, usually at high densities (up to 259000 m-2), but sometimes at low densities (< 100 m-2) at individual stations. Impacted communities occurred downstream of industrial and municipal sources and in depositional areas, and were confined mainly to Canadian waters. Unimpacted communities had greater numbers of taxa, and occurred upstream of point sources, along the U.S. shoreline, and in most areas of downstream lakes. Impacted and unimpacted communities were separated along particle size and contaminant gradients in river sediments. Despite recent reductions in pollutant loadings and improvements in sediment quality, no major changes were apparent in the status of the benthic community from earlier surveys.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Barton D. R., & H. B. N. Hynes, 1978. Wave-zone macro-benthos of the exposed Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. J. Great Lakes Res. 4: 27–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brinkhurst R. O., & D. G. Cook, 1974. Aquatic earthworms. In; C. W. Hart & S. L. H. Fuller (eds.). Pollution Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates. pp. 143–156. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt A. J., P. M. McKee & D. R. Hart, 1988. Benthic invertebrate survey of the St. Marys River, 1985. Rep. Prep. for Ont. Min. Env., Avail. from Wat. Resources Br., Great Lakes Sect., 1 St. Clear Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1K6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A. H., 1973. The freshwater molluscs of the Canadian Interior Basin. Malacologia 13: 1.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cook D. G., & M. G. Johnson, 1974. Benthic macroinverte-brates of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 3: 763–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edmunds G. F., Jr., S. L. Jensen & L. Berner, 1976. The Mayflies of North and Central America. Univ. Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 330 pp. ISBN 0-8166-0759-1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edsall T. A., B. A. Manny, D. W. Schloesser, S. J. Nichols & A.M. Frank, 1991. Production of Hexagenia limbata nymphs in contamined sediments in the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Hydrobiologia 219: 353–361.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freitag R., P. Fung, J. S. Mothersill & G. K. Prouty, 1973. Geographical distribution and spatial relationships of macroinvertebrates of Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior, Ontario. Lakehead University M.S. Rep. 1-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golini, V. L, 1979. Benthic macro-and microinvertebrates of Lake Ontario, 1977: distribution and relative abundance. Env. Can., Fish. Mar. Serv., MS Rep. 1519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, R. H., 1979. Sampling Design and Statistical Methods for Environmental Biologists. Wiley & Sons, New York. 257 pp. ISBN 0-471-03901-2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamdy Y., J. D. Kinkead & M. Griffiths, 1978. St. Marys River water quality investigations 1973-1974. Great Lakes Surv. Unit, Wat. Res. Branch, Ont. Min. Env. Avail. from Wat. Res. Br., Great Lakes Sect., 1 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1K6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiltunen J. K., & D. W. Schloesser, 1983. The occurrence of oil and the distribution of Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) nymphs in the St. Marys River, Michigan and Ontario. Freshwat. Invertebr. Biol. 1983, 2(4): 199–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson, G. E., 1978. An Introduction to Population Ecology. Yale University Press, New Haven & London. 260 pp. ISBN 0-300-02155-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemm, D. J. (ed), 1985. A Guide to the Freshwater Annelida (Polychaeta, Naidid and Tubificid Oligochaeta and Hirudinea) of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., Dubuque Iowa, 198 pp. ISBN 0-8403-3577-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackie G. L., & S. U. Qadri, 1971. A polychaete, Manayunkia speciosa, from the Ottawa River and its North American distribution. Can. J. Zool. 49: 780–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mackie G. L., D. S. White & T. W. Zdeba, 1980. A guide to the freshwater molluscs of the Laurentian Great Lakes with species emphasis on the genus Pisidium. U.S. Env. Protect. Agency EPA-600/3-80-068.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKee P. M., A. J. Burt & D. R. Hart, 1984. Benthic invertebrate and sediment survey of the St. Marys River, 1983. Rep. Prep. Ont. Min. Env., Wat. Res. Br., Great Lakes Sect., 1 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1K6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nalepa T. F., & N. A. Thomas, 1976. Distribution of macro-benthic species in Lake Ontario in relation to sources of pollution and sediment parameters. J. Great Lakes Res. 2: 150–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norusis, J. J., 1986. Advanced Statistics SPSS/PC + for the IMB PC/XT/AT. SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver D. R., & M. E. Roussel, 1983. The genera of larval midges of Canada. In; The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 2. Biosystematics Res. Inst., Ottawa, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • OME (Ontario Ministry of the Environment), 1983. Handbook of Analytical Methods for Environmental Samples. Lab. Serv. Appl. Res. Br., Rexdale, Ontario, Canada, M9W 5L1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pennak, R. W., 1978. Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States, 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons. 803 pp. ISBN 0-471-04249-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Persaud D. & W. D. Wilkens, 1976. Evaluating construction activities impacting on water resources. Ont. Min. Env., Wat. Resources Br., 1 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1K6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poe, T. P. & D. C. Stefan, 1975. Several environmental factors influencing the distribution of the freshwater polychaete, Manayunkia speciosa Seidy. Chesapeake Sci. 15: 235–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roback, S. S., 1974. Insects: In; C. W. Hart & S. L. H. Fuller (eds.) Pollution Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates. Academic Press, New York: 314–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schloesser D. W., T. A. Edsall, B. A. Manny & S. J. Nichols, 1991. Distribution of Hexagenia nymphs and visible oil in sediments of the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Hydrobiologia 219: 345–352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Veal, D. M., 1968. Biological survey of the St. Marys River 1968. Biol. Br., Ont. Wat. Resources Commiss.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiggins, G. B., 1977. Larvae of the North American Caddisfly Genera (Trichoptera). University of Toronto Press. 401 pp. ISBN 0-8020-5344-0.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beak Consultants Limited, 14 Abacus Road, Brampton, Ontario, L6T 5B7, Canada

    A. J. Burt, P. M. McKee, D. R. Hart & P. B. Kauss

  2. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 1 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1K6, Canada

    P. B. Kauss

Authors
  1. A. J. Burt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. M. McKee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. R. Hart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. B. Kauss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

M. Munawar T. Edsall

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Burt, A.J., McKee, P.M., Hart, D.R., Kauss, P.B. (1991). Effects of pollution on benthic invertebrate communities of the St. Marys River, 1985. In: Munawar, M., Edsall, T. (eds) Environmental Assessment and Habitat Evaluation of the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 65. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3144-5_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3144-5_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5386-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3144-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation