Twiss Studies Microbes in Lake Erie

What are the effects of a climate warming trend on microbial ecology in a freshwater lake?

Associate Professor of Biology Michael Twiss and colleagues from The University of Tennessee, Bowling Green State University, and Environment Canada spent three days this February investigating the status of microbial ecology of Lake Erie during the depth of winter.

Lake Erie is commonly ice covered in winter. Last February, Lake Erie had over 90% of its surface frozen with depths ranging from fractions of an inch in newly opened areas to over 10 feet thick. But, as recently as 2002 there was no ice cover on the lake. Moreover, a four-year running average of the ice-cover percentage on Lake Erie calculated by the EPA shows a downward trend, possibly a harbinger of regional climate warming.

“What impact this could have on how the lake functions is not entirely clear,” says Twiss. “Some evidence suggests that ice protection prevents sediment suspension and keeps phosphorus, a key algal nutrient locked in sediments. Lower phosphorus levels will reduce the bloom of algae that happens every spring. Algal blooms are considered the prime culprit for the absence of oxygen deep in Lake Erie during the summer months due to the sinking of the algae and their decomposition.”

Twiss and his colleagues are members of the MELEE (Microbial Ecology of Lake Erie Ecosystems) research network, a group of U.S. and Canadian researchers exploring the limnology of Lake Erie. Twiss is also the director of The Great Rivers Center at Clarkson University.

Learn more about The Great Rivers Center.