Abbe Binning (MSc)

Project description: Across decades, the Great Plains experiences alternating periods of drought and wet conditions, resulting in fluctuating salinity levels for the region’s lakes. Over the coming century, salinity levels in Great Plains lakes are expected to rise due to climate change. Recent studies suggest that increased salinity could have negative impacts on the diversity and abundance of zooplankton in prairie lakes, but few studies have examined salinity tolerances of species common to this region. The objectives of this study are to: 1) Determine the salinity tolerance of common zooplankton species from the Great Plains; 2) Test for differences in tolerances of zooplankton in lakes with differing salinity levels; and 3) To compare salinity tolerances of zooplankton from Ontario lakes to those from the plains. Data collected for these three objectives will allow us to evaluate if common zooplankton species might be able to adapt to changing salinity levels, and if zooplankton from a region with a history of fluctuating salinity are more robust to changing salinities. To obtain zooplankton for experiments, we sampled 11 lakes in Saskatchewan and 9 in Ontario. Zooplankton were sorted into monospecific cultures and are currently being tested for salinity tolerance (EC50) in 48-h acute toxicity tests. Preliminary results from the Great Plains lakes show that lake salinity level does not appear to correlate with tolerance of individuals collected from the lake. Ongoing experiments will allow us to contrast salinity tolerance of zooplankton from the Great Plains with that for Ontario.

Associated projects: Can zooplankton keep up with climate-driven salinity change in Great Plains’ lakes?, Can disperal buffer against zooplankton community changes in Great Plains’ lakes?