Water Quality in Offshore Lake Ontario during Intensive Sampling Years 2003 and 2008: Results from the LOLA (Lake Ontario Lower foodweb Assessment) program.

Data Set Citation

Rudstam L of Cornell Biological Field Station, Luckey F of US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, and Koops M of Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.Water Quality in Offshore Lake Ontario during Intensive Sampling Years 2003 and 2008: Results from the LOLA (Lake Ontario Lower foodweb Assessment) program..
jimont.133.5

Data Tables, Images, and Other Entities:

Metadata download:

Ecological Metadata Language (EML) File

Data Table:

Name:

LOLA_Locations_Jul9.csv

Description:

Locations of stations for LOLA sampling program in 2003 and 2008

Online Distribution Info:
Download File:	ecogrid://knb/jimont.123.9

Physical Structure Description:

Object Name:

LOLA_Locations_Jul9.csv

Text Format:

Attribute Orientation:

column

Simple Delimited:

Field Delimeter:

Attribute(s) Info:

Attribute Description
(label and definition)

Measurement Type and Domain

Station - Station number in LOLA program

ratio

Unit	number
Type	natural

Site Depth (m) - water depth of site in meters

ratio

Unit	meter
Precision	0.1
Type	natural

Latitude - Latitude N in decimal degrees

ratio

Unit	degree
Precision	0.0001
Type	natural

Longitude - Longitude E in decimal degrees

ratio

Unit	degree
Precision	0.0001
Type	natural

Data Table:

Name:

merged for KNB_July20.csv

Online Distribution Info:
Download File:	ecogrid://knb/jimont.130.6

Physical Structure Description:

Object Name:

merged for KNB_July20.csv

Size:

8483 byte

Text Format:

Number of Header Lines:

Record Delimiter:

#x0A

Attribute Orientation:

column

Simple Delimited:

Field Delimeter:

Number Of Records:

154

Attribute(s) Info:

Attribute Description
(label and definition)

Measurement Type and Domain

Date date - date of sampling

dateTime

Format	YYYYMMDD
Precision	1 day

Ship - sampling platform

nominal

Enumerated Domain

Code Definition

Order
Code	Limnos
Definition	CCGS Limnos
Source

Code Definition

Order
Code	Guardian
Definition	R/V Lake Guardian
Source

Attribute Definition Reference

Attribute Definition Order

Station - LOLA site sampled

nominal

Def

LOLA sites

Time - Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) of sampling

dateTime

Format	hh:mm
Precision	1 minute

integration depth - integrated sample depth from surface

ratio

Unit	meter
Precision	0.1
Type	real

Silicate - Soluble Reactive Silicate (SiO2) in ug/L

ratio

Unit	microgram per liter
Precision	1
Type	real

SRP - Soluble Reactive Phosphorus in ug/L

ratio

Unit	microgram per L
Precision	0.1
Type	real

TP - total phosphorus in ug/L

ratio

Unit	microgram per L
Precision	0.1
Type	real

NO3+NO2 - nitrate plus nitrite

ratio

Unit	microgram per L
Precision	1
Type	real

Chl a - chlorophyll a in ug/L

ratio

Unit	microgram per L
Precision	0.01
Type	real

Secchi - water clarity as Secchi depth in meters

ratio

Unit	meter
Precision	0.1
Type	real

Data Set Owner(s):

Individual:

Dr. Lars Rudstam

Organization:

Cornell Biological Field Station

Position:

Director and Professor

Address:

900 Shackleton Pt Rd,

Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA

Phone:

315-633-9243 (voice)

Phone:

315-633-2358 (fax)

Email Address:

lgr1@cornell.edu

Individual:

Fred Luckey

Organization:

US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2

Position:

Environmental Scientist

Address:

290 Broadway, 24th Floor,

New York, NY 1007-1866 USA

Phone:

212-637-3853 (voice)

Email Address:

luckey.frederick@epa.gov

Individual:

Dr. Marten Koops

Organization:

Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Position:

Research Scientist

Address:

867 Lakeshore Road,

Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6 Canada

Phone:

905-336-4559 (voice)

Phone:

905-336-6437 (fax)

Email Address:

Marten.Koops@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Abstract:

Intensive sampling of the offshore waters of Lake Ontario occurs on a five-year cycle. The 2003 and 2008 binational sampling program is known as the Lake Ontario Lower foodweb Assessment (LOLA). Research cruises were conducted in spring (April), summer (July or August) and fall (September) along several north-south transects. Trophic indicators in this data package include nutrients (total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved silicate(Si02), and total dissolved inorganic nitrogen(nitrate and nitrite), water clarity (Secchi depth), and chlorophyll a. Other measurements measured include density and biomass of zooplankton, assessment of phytoplankton and the microbial food web, benthic community assessment, and water column profiles (temperature, fluorescence, turbidity, and oxygen).

Keywords:

Thesaurus:

Global Change Master Directory

lakes
Secchi depth
phosphorus
chlorophyll
Lake Ontario

License and Usage Rights:

This data set is made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License: http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/. Users of this data set are very strongly encouraged to check with the data set Owner or the individual listed as the Contact for this data set to verify that they have the most current and correct version of the data. Users are also encouraged to notify the data set Owner/Contact to describe their intended use of the data set, including planned publications, and to supply the Owner/Contact with a copy of any publication or derivative work using or citing the data set.

Geographic Coverage:

Geographic Description:

Lake Ontario

Bounding Coordinates:

West:	-79.345 degrees
East:	-76.391 degrees
North:	44.102 degrees
South:	43.568 degrees

Temporal Coverage:

Begin:

2003

End:

2008

Contact:

Individual:

Kristen Holeck

Organization:

Cornell Biological Field Station

Position:

Research Support Specialist

Address:

900 Shackleton Pt Rd,

Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA

Phone:

315-633-9243 (voice)

Phone:

315-633-2358 (fax)

Email Address:

kth1@cornell.edu

Methods Info:

Step 1:

Description:

LOLA 2003 and 2008 – Background

Extensive surveys for each Great Lake occur generally on a rotating five-year schedule. The binational lakewide sampling effort of Lake Ontario for 2003 and 2008 is known as LOLA (Lake Ontario Lower foodweb Assessment). Standard sites on several north-south transects were sampled once during isothermal (April) and twice during stratified (July-September) conditions. Ecosystem indicators included water chemistry, microbial food web, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos. Two ships were used- the EPA’s R/V Lake Guardian and Environment Canada’s R/V Limnos. The project was similar in scope and design to the LOTT (Lake Ontario Trophic Transfer) program of 1990 and 1996. This data package documents several water quality indicators including water clarity (secchi depth), chlorophyll a, and nutrients.

Step 2:

Description:

Water Sample Collection

During spring isothermal conditions, integrated water samples were collected from 20-m depth or two meters above the bottom (for shallow stations) to the surface. In summer and fall, integrated water samples were collected from one meter
above the thermocline to the surface. An electronic bathythermograph (EBT, Limnos) or conductivity-temperature-depth (Seabird SBE25 CTD, Lake Guardian) profiler was used to determine thermocline depth. Aboard the Limnos, water samples were collected using an integrated tube sampler (1.9-cm inside diameter Nalgene tube) lowered to the appropriate depth. Aboard the Lake Guardian, three discrete (1.5 m, intermediate and 1 m above the thermocline) Niskin bottles were combined. Time of sampling was recorded as Eastern Daylight Time. Secchi depth measurements were only taken at stations visited during daylight hours. Water column profiles that include sensors for temperature, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence (chl a), turbidity, and light attenuation are also available.
Duplicate samples of total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), soluble reactive silicate (SiO2), and Nitrate+Nitrite (NO3+NO2, 2008 only) were collected. Total phosphorus samples were unfiltered and placed in acid rinsed 500 ml HDPE bottles with 1 ml of sulfuric acid added. For SRS, SRP, and NO3+NO2, 30 ml of water was filtered in the field (0.45 micron membrane filter) and stored in separate 30 ml HDPE bottles. Sample volume was reduced if filter clogging occurred. SRS and SRP were not acidified but 1-2 drops of sulfuric acid were added to the NO3+NO2 samples. All nutrient samples were frozen.
Triplicate samples of chlorophyll a (chl a) were taken. At least 800 ml was filtered using a Whatman GF/C (nominal pore size of 1.2 um) glass fiber filter at a pressure not exceeding 300 mm Hg, and the filter was wrapped in foil and frozen for later analysis.
I

Step 3:

Description:

Sample Analysis

In 2003, nutrient and chl a samples were analyzed at Environment Canada in Burlington, Ontario. The National Lab for Environmental Testing (George Braedon) ran the chemistry samples. Michele Burley analyzed the chl a samples. For 2008, an EPA-certified laboratory at SUNY-Brockport (Ted Lewis and Joe Makarewicz, 585-395-5747) processed the nutrient and chl a samples.
Nutrients were analyzed with an autoanalyzer using the following methods-
TP concentration was determined using the ammonium molybdate – stannous chloride method after persulfate digestion. SRP was analyzed using the ammonium molybdate-stannous chloride method without digestion (APHA 1999, SM 4500-P F).
Dissolved Silicate (SiO2) was analyzed using the heteropoly blue method (APHA 1999, SM 4500-Si F).
Nitrate+Nitrite was analyzed in 2008 using the cadmium reduction method (APHA 1999, SM 4500-NO3 F).
Chl a filters were ground and extracted in 90% acetone. In 2003, filter extracts were analyzed for chl a using the spectrophotometric technique. Values reported here are for uncorrected chl a (before acid addition). In 2008, a calibrated Turner 10-AU fluorometer was used yielding chl a (Wetzel and Likens 2000).
Detection limits for each analyte were below levels given by the standard work order (SWO) to the two laboratories. Average values presented here are calculated assuming that values below the detection limit or given as not detected are at the detection limit. Many summer SRP values are therefore given as the detection limit (0.2 for 2003 and 0.5 for 2008). Two samples with TP not detected (20030429, station 64 and 20030820, station 40) and one sample with NOx not detected (20080726, station 33) were assumed to be in error and not included. -999 entries indicate these culled data as well as no data present.
Detection Limits
TP 0.2 ug/L (2003) and 1.2 ug/L (2008) [2.0 ug/L in SWO]
SRP 0.2 ug/L(2003) and 0.6 ug/L (2008) [2.0 ug/L in SWO]
Dissolved Silicate 20 ug/L (2003) and 50 ug/L (2008) [100 ug/L in SWO]
Nitrate + Nitrite 40 ug/L (2008 only) [100 ug/L in SWO]
Chlorophyll a 0.5 ug/L (2003) and 0.5 ug/L (2008) [0.5 ug/L in SWO]
References
APHA. 1999 Standard Methods for the Examination of Waste and Wastewater, New York: American Public Health Association.
Wetzel, R.G. and Likens, G.E. 2000. Limnological Analysis, 3rd Edition. New York: Springer-Verlag.

Step 4:

Description:

Published research that used previous versions of this dataset

Holeck, K., Watkins, J.M., Mills, E.L., Johannsson, O. Millard, S., Richardson, V., Bowen
K. 2008. Spatial and long-term temporal assessment of Lake Ontario water
clarity, nutrients, chlorophyll a, and zooplankton. Aquatic Ecosystem Health
and Management. 11:377-391.

Project Info:

Title:

Lake Ontario Lower Trophic Level Foodweb Assessment (2003, 2008)

Personnel:

Individual:

Dr. Lars Rudstam

Organization:

Cornell Biological Field Station

Position:

Director and Professor

Address:

900 Shackleton Pt Rd,

Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA

Phone:

315-633-9243 (voice)

Phone:

315-633-2358 (fax)

Email Address:

lgr1@cornell.edu

Role:

PI for 2008 Project

Individual:

Dr. Ed Mills

Organization:

Cornell Biological Field Station

Position:

Professor and Former Director

Address:

900 Shackelton Pt Rd,

Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA

Phone:

315-633-9243 (voice)

Email Address:

elm5@cornell.edu

Role:

PI for 2003 Project

Funding:

For LOLA 2003, EPA grant CR-83209001 to Cornell University and a Canada Ontario Agreement (COA) from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). For LOLA 2008, EPA funded project under Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) “Evaluation of the current status of the Lake Ontario ecosystem.”

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Access Control:

Auth System:

knb

Order:

allowFirst

Access Rules:

ALLOW:

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public

ALLOW:

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ALLOW:

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