Constructed inland aquatic systems (e.g., reservoirs, ponds, lakes, canals) are managed to provide ecosystem services, such as drinking water supply, flood control, irrigation, hydropower generation, and recreation. These socioeconomically important systems are ecological and biogeochemical hotspots and are increasingly affected by anthropogenic disturbances and hydro-climatic fluctuations. Here, we invite research contributions that take the “pulse” of these constructed ecosystems to understand their physical, ecological, and biogeochemical responses to local and global changes. Research focused on past reconstructions, present observations, or future projections/forecasts of such responses are invited. We aim to use the session to bring together the broader scientific community to understand current conditions of constructed aquatic systems and identify future research needs and directions related to the management and conservation of these important ecosystems. As such, contributions from scientists studying all aspects of man-made ecosystems utilizing methodologies including, but not limited to, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, modeling, field surveys, long-term monitoring, experimental manipulations, or big data are encouraged.
Lead Organizer: Ruchi Bhattacharya, Dept. of Biological, Geological, & Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, OH, USA (ruchi.bhattacharya@gmail.com)
Co-organizers:
Xinyu Sun, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, MI, USA (16xs6@queensu.ca)
Carolina C. Barbosa, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Department, Colorado State University, CO, USA (carolina.barbosa@colostate.edu)
Tonya Delsontro, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, ON, CA (tonya.delsontro@uwaterloo.ca)
Presentations
02:30 PM
Constructed aquatic ecosystems in the Chicago Region are an important source and pathway for the continent-wide spread of invasive species (9480)
Primary Presenter: Reuben Keller, Loyola University Chicago (rkeller1@luc.edu)
The Chicago metropolitan region straddles the boundary between the Laurentian Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins. Since 1900 these basins have been hydrologically connected by the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal. This Canal has facilitated the spread of many invasive species, and construction of harbors in nearby Lake Michigan has created novel habitat that allows the establishment of invasive species. The combination of these constructed ecosystems with high rates of species introduction has resulted in high numbers of invasive species. I will report on sampling results and experiments that show how these waterways have been colonized by a range of non-native species and how the spread of these species can be slowed. Sampling results cover crayfishes, macrophytes, and mollusks, and include our recent discovery that starry stonewort (Nitelopsis obtusa) is established in multiple Chicago harbors. I will also cover the effectiveness of electric barriers and pollution at limiting the spread of invasive species in these constructed waterways. Our experimental results show that electric barriers are not an effective prevention technology for invertebrates, but that pollution is a barrier for some species, including the high-risk invaders scud (Apocorophium lacustre) and bloody red shrimp (Hemimysis anomola). These results emphasize that constructed aquatic ecosystems in the Chicago region are a major hub for species invasions and that management could reduce environmental and economic impacts across North America.
02:45 PM
FROM RINK TO RIVER: TRACING BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND CONTAMINANT IMPACTS OF ICE ARENAS (9383)
Primary Presenter: Ryan Hutchins, Toronto Metropolitan University (hutchins.ryan@gmail.com)
Urban environments are significant contributors to biogeochemical fluxes affecting aquatic ecosystems along the land-ocean continuum. Ice hockey arenas, often overlooked in this context, serve as persistent sources of contaminants such as dissolved organic matter (DOM), microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), trace metals, and nanoparticles. These contaminants, originating from ice-making water, maintenance chemicals, and human activity, accumulate in drainage systems, ice shavings, and snow piles, potentially entering streams, rivers, and large lakes or coastal oceans. This study employs Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to analyze the composition of DOM in ice shavings and snow piles. Results reveal that DOM is dominated by nitrogen-containing aliphatics. Additionally, we detected up to 856 microplastic particles per mL, along with trace levels of PFAS and silver nanoparticles. We assess how these contaminants may travel through waterways and contribute to biogeochemical transformations, potentially disrupting carbon and nutrient cycling, altering microbial community composition, and affecting ecosystem health in coastal zones. By linking these findings to broader biogeochemical processes and ecosystem adaptation, we emphasize the importance of considering built environments like arenas in discussions of carbon, nutrient, and contaminant fluxes across aquatic gradients. This study also explores the implications of these urban sources in the context of their contributions to Great Lake systems, such as Lake Ontario.
03:00 PM
QUANTITATIVE SEDIMENT INFILL MODELS OF JACKSON LAKE, WY (USA) (9294)
Primary Presenter: Samuel Whitehead, University of Kentucky (samuel.jw@uky.edu)
Lakes and reservoirs host critical ecological, environmental, and socio-economic services; their central role in water security in the face of ongoing climate change cannot be overstated. Erosion and siltation affect water capacity and reservoir pool, yet robust, quantitative models of sediment infilling timescales are rare. Here, data-rich infilling models were completed on Jackson Lake, WY (USA), an important reservoir for the Upper Snake River system. A multi-disciplinary approach combined basin-wide CHIRP seismic reflection profiles and a suite of radionuclide-dated (210Pb, 137Cs) sediment cores (n = 23) to showcase the importance of lake-wide sampling design for accurate determination of lake volume and variability in sedimentation. Three infill models were developed, including: (1) a 1-D linear infill model derived from radionuclide-dated sediment cores, (2) a 3-D mass-based infill model derived from radionuclide-dated sediment cores, and (3) a model derived from seismic reflection data centered on sediment volumes and assumptions of basin age. All three models exhibited strong agreement on an infilling time of ~30 ka from present. The adaptability of the infilling models is highlighted, with estimates modelled for both the current state of Jackson Lake as well as a “natural condition” model derived from the pre-dam morphology of the lake. Development of data-rich infilling models would advance global lake/reservoir research, and their application to critical waterbodies could help guide conservation and management practices to ensure their long-term sustainability.
03:15 PM
DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN URBAN AQUATIC NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS – POZNAN CASE STUDY (9061)
Primary Presenter: Daniel Gebler, Poznan University of Life Sciences (daniel.gebler@up.poznan.pl)
Aquatic Nature-Based Solutions (aquaNBS) are designed to address a range of environmental and social challenges cities face and aid in adapting to climate change while offering various ecosystem services, such as providing recreational spaces for residents, creating specific microclimate conditions, improving water retention and enhancing biodiversity. We studied the links between planktonic microbes, aquatic vegetation and environmental parameters in 12 aquaNBS (ponds and streams) in Poznan (Poland). Our study was conducted within the BiNatUr project, which aimed to take a comprehensive approach to examine the interactions among social, ecological, and technological factors related to aquaNBS. Land use structure, hydrological conditions, morphology, and physical-chemical parameters of water and sediments influenced the biological communities of the studied aquaNBS. Stable water isotopes, deuterium and oxygen-18, indicated the impact of hydroclimatic factors on ecosystem functioning and were among the most significant factors affecting aquatic biota in the surveyed sites. We conclude that microbial communities differ among aquaNBS types (ponds vs streams) and between sites, enhancing urban freshwater biodiversity. This research was conducted within the BiNatUr project, funded through the Biodiversa and Water JPI joint call under the BiodivRestore ERA-NET Cofund (GA N°101003777) and financed by the National Science Centre (Poland; UMO-2021/03/Y/NZ8/00100) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany; BMBF No. 16WL015).
03:30 PM
CLIMATE, FLOW SOURCE, AND NUTRIENTS IMPACT PHYTOPLANKTON BIOMASS IN A HYDROLOGICALLY MANAGED, SHALLOW DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR (9300)
Primary Presenter: Danielle Spence, University Of Saskatchewan (danielle.spence@usask.ca)
Climate and human activities play important roles in driving phytoplankton biomass, which can strongly impact drinking water treatment, especially in shallow lakes where biomass is often both high and highly variable. We present a study that used ~40 years of data and generalized additive models to assess the factors influencing changes in chlorophyll a concentrations in a shallow reservoir that serves as a major drinking water source in Saskatchewan, Canada. We show that between 1992 and 1997, chlorophyll a levels rose significantly, coinciding with increased precipitation and catchment inflows, along with intermittent warm, dry periods linked to El Niño events—all which had considerable effects on nutrient dynamics and algal growth. Our findings demonstrate that nutrients, climate, and hydrological management are key predictors of chlorophyll a variability, with flow releases from the mesotrophic upstream reservoir having a beneficial effect by reducing algal biomass. Managing flow releases from upstream reservoirs and nutrient export from the watershed are important strategies to lower drinking water treatment costs in shallow, hydrologically managed reservoirs.
03:45 PM
THE PROLIFERATION OF STORMWATER PONDS IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA, USA (9230)
Primary Presenter: Erik Smith, University of South Carolina (erik@baruch.sc.edu)
Stormwater ponds are inland aquatic systems specifically constructed to meet stormwater permit requirements associated with land development. Although commonly associated with development practices nationally and internationally, stormwater ponds are especially prevalent in the southeastern coastal plain of the United States, an area that has very few natural ponds and lakes. Based on 2021 aerial imagery, the eight coastal counties of South Carolina, USA, contain a total of 27,651 ponds, which collectively comprise a cumulative area of 146.7 km2. Of this total, 12,278 ponds were obviously associated with development, and thus interpreted as created for or functioning as stormwater best management practices. The remainder were associated with agricultural or rural land uses in the more inland region of the coastal zone. For the two largest coastal urban areas, a retrospective analysis revealed total stormwater pond area increased by more than 4 percent per year between 1994 and 2021, which is greater than the rate of increase in developed land cover and suggests pond density within developed landscapes is increasing over time. Concurrent field research efforts by our group have revealed these ponds to be hotspots of sediment carbon burial, phytoplankton production and nutrient cycling, and dissolved organic matter export. As such, the proliferation of ponds in coastal SC represents a significant alteration of coastal hydrology with attendant consequences for the transport and transformations of material carried by stormwater runoff to coastal receiving waters.
SS28B - Taking the pulse of constructed ecosystems: past, present, and future
Description
Time: 2:30 PM
Date: 29/3/2025
Room: W206A