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W. Gary Sprules - Principal Investigator - The principal theme of my current research is the field measurement of spatial distributions of aquatic organisms, and the impacts of these patterns on the flow of energy through aquatic food webs. Organisms are not uniformly distributed in space and have to meet their energy requirements under these conditions. In fact some evidence suggests aquatic organisms could not survive if their prey were uniformly distributed. However the energy trade-offs that occur with changes in a predator's swimming behaviour, feeding rates, and digestion rates as it moves through spatially complex prey distributions are not understood. I am currently working with a team of colleagues, including physicists, modellers and ecologists, to study the effects of wind-induced water currents on near shore sediment resuspension and associated transfer of energy through algae, zooplankton and larval fish. Our prediction is that such localized nutrient fluxes may provide important subsidies in low productivity lakes typical of temperate zones. This work is being conducted at the Harkness Fisheries Laboratory on Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park, Ontario. |
Previous Graduate Students
- Lauren Barth (PhD) The utility of size spectrum parameters as ecological indicators. 2014 – 2020
- Audrey Reid (PhD) The influence of spatial heterogeneity of prey on predator growth and energetics. 2010 – 2016
- Lauren Barth (MSc) Surface winds affect the movement of water currents and entrained zooplankton in a depth specific manner. 2012 – 2013
- Fabio Cinquemani (MSc) Spatially heterogeneous prey patterns may be necessary for predator survival: a model and a review of the aquatic literature. 2010 – 2012
- Tom Stewart (PhD) Invasion-induced changes to the offshore Lake Ontario food web and the trophic consequence for bloater (Coregonus hoyi) reestablishment. 2004 – 2010
- Sean Bridgeman (MSc) Spatial patterns of zooplankton and water currents near the confluence of two major fetches in Lake Opeongo, Ontario. 2008 – 2010
- Michael Rennie (Ph.D) Influence of invasive species, climate change and population density on life histories and mercury dynamics of two Coregonus species. 2003 – 2009 .
- Agnes Blukacz (Ph.D) The effect of prey patchiness on zooplankton growth potential. 2001-2007
- Sophie Foster (Ph.D) Co-occurrence and interactions of large invertebrate predators in relation to the Bythotrephes invasion. 2001 – 2007
- K. Krupica (M.Sc.) Development of indices of marine zooplankton assemblage structure based on data from an optical zooplankton counter. 2003 – 2005
- Jessie Binks (M.Sc.) Local versus regional factors: what controls the recovery of zooplankton species diversity from cultural acidification. 2001 – 2004
- Charles Menza (M.Sc.) Effects of wind on horizontal zooplankton spatial patterns in Lake Opeongo, Ontario, Canada 2000 – 2003
- Todd Morris (Ph.D) Temporal and spatial patterns of zooplankton abundance and productivity in Lake Erie using an optical plankton counter. 1997 – 2002
- Scott Milne (M.Sc.) The foraging and schooling ecology of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) in Lake Opeongo. 1999 – 2001
- Lea Kull (M.Sc.) Wind-induced effects on the growth of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass in Lake Opeongo, Ontario 1998 – 2001
- Agnes Blukacz (M.Sc.) Error propagation: an aquatic example 1998 – 2001
- Jim Muirhead (M.Sc.) Feeding and swimming behaviour of Bythotrephes cederstroemi Schoedler. 1997 - 1999.
- Craig Hebert (Ph.D.) The role of diet in regulating reproductive success and contaminant accumulation in Great Lakes herring gulls. 1995-1999.
- Dr. Stuart Whipple (Post-doc) A simulation model of the Lake Ontario ecosystem. 1996-1998.
- Cristina Dumitru (M.Sc.) Impact of Bythotrephes cederstroemi on zooplankton assemblages of Harp Lake, Ontario. 1995-1998.
- Patti Lutz (M.Sc.) Crustacean zooplankton diapausing eggs: an examination of egg viability and density in three acid and three circumneutral lakes near Sudbury, Ontario. 1994-1997.
- Vanessa Allison (M.Sc.) Population dynamics and mortality of dreissenid (Dreissena) larvae in eastern Lake Erie. 1992-1995.
- Jason D. Stockwell (Ph.D.) Spatial distribution of zooplankton biomass in Lake Erie. 1991-1996.
- Donna Graham (M.Sc.) Growth and diet of juvenile yellow perch Perca flavescens and white perch Morone americanna during zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha establishment in western Lake Erie. 1990-1993.
- Dr. Hugh MacIsaac. (Post-doc) Impacts of invading zebra mussels on Lake Erie zooplankton. 1990-1992.
- Andrea Locke (Ph.D.) Response of enclosed zooplankton communities to decrease pH. 1986-1991.
- David Ghan (M.Sc.) Ecology and life history of larval burbot. 1988-1990.
- Charles W. Ramcharan (Ph.D.) Behavioural prey defense in Diaptomus spp. (Crustacea Calanoida) and its ecological implications. 1984-1989.
- Michael Arts (Ph.D.) Biotic factors affecting abundance, body size, and maternal investment of Holopedium gibberum Zaddach in oligotrophic lakes on the Canadian shield. 1983-1989.
- Dr. Howie Riessen (Post-doc) Life history consequences of anti-predator morphologies in Daphnia. 1986-1988.
- Redwood (Woody) Nero (Ph.D.) Mysis predation and zoogeographic patterns in zooplankton. 1981-1985.
- Charles W. Ramcharan (M.Sc.) Visual and mechanoreceptive predation in Mysis relicta Loven. 1981-1984.
- Kim Wong (Ph.D.) Feeding, mouthpart morphology and swimming behaviour in omnivorous calanoid copepods. 1980-1985.
- Pat Chow-Fraser (Ph.D.) Herbivorous feeding of zooplankton in lakes of south central Ontario. 1981-1985.
- Michael Arts (M.Sc.) Triacylglycerol energy reserves of Epischura lacustris Forbes, Holopedium gibberum Zaddach, and Diaptomus minutus Lilljeborg (Crustacea) from two lakes with different heavy metal concentrations. 1980-1983.
- Geoff L. Holroyd (Ph.D.) Foraging strategies and food of a swallow guild. 1972-1983.
- L.Blair Holtby (Ph.D.) Competition in zooplankton communities. 1975-1981.
- Tony Blouin (M.Sc.) Chaoborus predation on zooplankton communities. 1977-1980.
- Wayne F. Weller (M.Sc.) Ecology of Ambystoma jeffersonianum. 1974-1980.