Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Investigating The Primary Production Of Bear Lake's Filamentous Algal Blooms, Maycee Page

Student Research Symposium

Filamentous algae blooms(FABs) have been appearing on the Western Shore of Bear Lake within the last couple of years with minimal research done on them. Through YSI meter sampling of light and dark trials of Bear Lake’s Eastern and Western shores and Fluorometer analysis of samples of filamentous algae taken from each site, gross primary production(GPP), net ecosystem production(NEP), and community respiration were calculated. Through graphical analysis between many of the factors that were accounted for, one statistical significance found was between the mass in milligrams of periphyton produced and the gross primary production. The two have a negative correlation …

Salmonine Consumption And Competition For Endemic Prey Fishes In Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, J. R. Ruzycki, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Chris Luecke

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Two principal sport fish—the indigenous Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki utah and the introduced lake trout Salvelinus namaycush—are the dominant piscivores in Bear Lake, a 282-km^2 oligotrophic system. These piscivores rely predominantly on four endemic prey fish species that make up a major portion of the unique Bear Lake fish assemblage. We estimated the annual biomass of pelagic and benthic prey fish by using hydroacoustic and trawling techniques. We also estimated the lakewide abundance of piscivores with a multiple mark–recapture survey and used a bioenergetics model to compare the population-level consumption of prey fish with prey fish production. Prey fish …

Ontogenetic Habitat Shifts Of Juvenile Bear Lake Sculpin, J. Ruzycki, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Bear lake sculpin Cottus extensus exhibit ontogenetic habitat shifts during their initial year of life. Distribution and habitat switching was measured with bimonthly bottom-trawl surveys repeated throughout the summer. Patterns of daily growth increments on otoliths were used to measure the history of habitat residence, individual size at the time of the habitat switch, and habitat-specific growth rates. Laboratory experiments and known-age fish confirmed daily increment formation of otoliths. After dispersing during an initial pelagic larval stage, postlarval juveniles settled in both the warm, food-rich littoral zone and the cold, unproductive profundal zone. During summer, initial profundal-zone inhabitants underwent a …

Aspects Of The Feeding Ecology Of The Bonneville Cisco Of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, David C. Lentz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bonneville cisco (Prospium gemmiferum), a small planktivorous whitefish, is an important part of the distinctive fish community of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho. The Bonneville cisco plays a key role in the trophic structure by converting zooplankton to fish biomass and providing a major forage source for cutthroat and lake trout. Aspects of cisco feeding ecology studied include characterization of the zooplankton community composition and dynamics and cisco feeding habits and prey selection.

Composition and seasonal dynamics of the zooplankton community were determined for a fifteen month period during 1981-1982. The community was dominated by a calanoid copepod, Epischura …

Coprecipitation Of Phosphorus With Calcium Carbonate In Bear Lake, Utah - Idaho, Paul W. Birdsey Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monitoring of Bear Lake was conducted in 1981 and 1982 to describe the current limnology and trophic state of the lake. The nutrient loadings of various parameters were measured from April, 1981 through June, 1982. The rate of coprecipitation of phosphorus was determined for different initial phosphorus concentrations by use of non-algal assays. Algal bioassays with Selenastrum capricornutum were used to determine the reduction in potential algal biomass as a result of the coprecipitation of phosphorus.

The lake exhibited chemical characteristics indicative of mesotrophy or eutrophy. Total phosphorus values averaged 11μg/1 for 1981 and 20 μg/1 for 1982. A hypolimnetic …

Eutrophication Trends Of Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah And Their Effect On The Distribution And Biological Productivity Of Zooplankton, David Nyquist

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zooplankton of the littoral and limnetic zones of Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah, were collected over a 17-month period. Twenty-three species of zooplankton were recorded, as well as nine other species represented by both flora and fauna. At the time of sampling 17 physical and chemical parameters were also measured. Methods of analysis for the plankton and the environment are described and discussed.

The objectives of this project were fourfold:

1. To establish a record of the current zooplankton population before changes due to the increase of organic nutrients occur.
2. To compile a qualitative and quantitative standard against which future populations can be …

Relationship Of Certain Environmental Factors To Benthic Fish Densities In Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah, Thomas J. Hassler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The project was initiated in June of 1958 and financed by the National Science Foundation and the Wildlife Management Department of Utah State University.

The broad aspects of the study were to determine if a relationship exists between certain physical and biological factors and benthic fish densities. The project vas divided into two parts: (l) to determine the time and extent of thermal stratification, zooplankton densities, conductivity changes within the lake and conductivity differences between the lake and its tributaries; (2) to determine it a relationship exist between benthic fish densities, temperatures, depths, conductivities and benthic zooplankton densities. The data …

An Evaluation Of Methods Of Concentrating And Counting The Phytoplankton Of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, William J. Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The phytoplankton, or plant plankton, live in the open water throughout their life cycle and obtain the necessary nutrients from the water. They are important contributors to the total plant production of lakes and ponds.