Nearshore Zooplankton Communities in Lake Michigan and Implications for Asian Carp Establishment.

341IAGLR 2017 / DETROITABSTRACTS Nearshore regions in the Great Lakes provide an important transition zone from the watershed to offshore waters and serve as spawning and nursery habitat for many fish. Zooplankton communities are an integral component of these nearshore systems, both as nutrient cyclers and a food source for higher trophic levels. However, recent anthropogenic alterations and invasive species introductions have dramatically changed species assemblages in the Great Lakes, including zooplankton communities. To better understand zooplankton's role within critical nearshore areas and how they may affect invasive species establishment, we compared zooplankton community assemblages around Lake Michigan, including in harbors, drowned river mouth lakes, open-water locations, and Green Bay over two years. This nearshore zooplankton community assessment can help determine energy available to consumers within Lake Michigan's food web and provide insights to emerging community structures in this dynamic system. In particular, our findings highlight how nearshore zooplankton communities have the potential to facilitate or hinder Asian carp establishment in the Great Lakes.