Information collected through the Sentinel Lakes Program is used to gain a better understanding of the biological, chemical and physical processes occurring in Minnesota's lakes. Here's a list of past and ongoing studies that have data collected during monitoring activities.
- Aquatic plants
Curly-leaf pondweed trends and interrelationships with water quality
Investigated how curly-leaf pondweed senescence corresponds to lake water quality. Found evidence that high early-season snowfall my lead to a decrease in production.
Investigators: Steve Heiskary
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Game and Fish Fund, Federal Sportfish Restoration Act, and Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund
Funding: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Game and Fish Fund, Federal Sportfish Restoration Act, and Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (proj. #067-B4)
Status: Completed January 2011
Lakes investigated: Belle, Carlos, Carrie, Cedar, Hill, Pearl, Peltier, Portage, South Center, St. James, St. Olaf
Publications: Report 1, Report 2
- Cisco and coldwater habitat
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) reverse diel vertical migrations in Ten Mile Lake, Minnesota
In this study we examined seasonal changes in partial, reverse diel vertical migrations of Cisco in Ten Mile Lake, Minnesota. During spring, fall, and winter Cisco remained deep in the water column; however, during summer extensive partial, reverse migrations were observed likely driven by prey abundance.
Investigators: Logan Jacobson, Tyler Ahrenstorff, and Dr. Tom Hrabik
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (proj. #067-B4)
Status: Completed November 2011
Lakes investigated: Ten Mile
Publications: Report 1
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) stomach composition and fullness in Minnesota lakes varying by depth and mixing regimes
We examined Cisco stomach contents in a range of lakes. Cisco consumed primarily copepods, cladocerans, and chaoborus spp. when available.
Investigators: Kyle Gilles, Tyler Ahrenstorff, and Dr. Tom Hrabik
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Funding: UMD's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Status: Completed
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Elk, Ten Mile, White Iron
Publications: Report 1
Pelagic habitat preference of Muskellunge, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Cisco
Acoustic telemetry was used to monitor the seasonal depths and temperatures of Muskellunge, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Cisco in Elk Lake. Concurrently, temperature and dissolved oxygen were continuously monitored throughout the water column and related to depths where fish were present to develop species specific habitat selectivity models.
Investigators: Dr. Andrew Carlson, Jerry Younk, and Rodney Pierce
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: Game and Fish Fund; Federal Sportfish Restoration Act; Muskies Inc.
Funding:
Status: Completed June 2012
Lakes investigated: Elk
Publications: Report 1
Population assessment tools, habitat use, and behavior of Cisco
We used hydroacoustics and vertical gillnets to examine Cisco density, habitat use, and behavior in 11 lakes. We found that cisco density and movements related to the temperature and oxygen conditions in each lake, as well as foraging potential and predation risk.
Investigators: Tyler Ahrenstorff and Dr. Tom Hrabik
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (proj. #067-B4)
Status: Completed June 2012
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Cedar, Elk, South Twin, Ten Mile, Trout, White Iron
Publications: Report 1
Simulating the combined effects of future watershed land cover and climate change on cold-water fish habitat
Investigators: Peter Jacobson, Dr. Richard Kiesling, Dr. Lucinda Johnson, Dr. Heinz Stefan, and Dr. Xing Fang
Contact: [email protected]
Partners:
Funding:
Status: Completed
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Cedar, Elk, South Twin, Trout, White Iron, Ten Mile
Publications: Report 1
Simulations of Cisco fish habitat in Minnesota lakes under future climate scenarios
Using the characteristics of Minnesota Cisco lakes and water quality models for those lakes, we identified which lakes in Minnesota will continue to provide habitat for Cisco under global warming scenarios.
Investigators: Dr. Xing Fang, Shoeb R. Alam, Liping Jiang, Peter Jacobsen, and Don Pereira
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory
Funding:
Status: Completed
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Cedar, Elk, South Twin, White Iron, Ten Mile, Madison, South Center, St. Olaf, Carrie, Elephant, Bear Head, Hill
Publications: Report 1, Report 2, Report 3
- Habitat
Characterization of Inshore Bottom Substrates and Influence on Fish Communities and Walleye Spawning Habitat in Minnesota Lakes
Investigators: Tim Cross
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: Sportfish Restoration Federal Aid, Minnesota Project 607
Funding:
Status: In Progress
Lakes investigated: Madison, Ten Mile, Belle, and Shaokotan
Publications: Report 1
Modeling Wind, Water Movement, and Physical Habitat on Minnesota Lakes and Associated Influences on Walleye Spawning Habitat
Investigators: Douglas Zentner and Dr. Joshua Raabe
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Sportfish Restoration Federal Aid, Minnesota Project 607
Funding:
Status: Completed May 2017
Lakes investigated: Madison, Ten Mile, Belle, and Shaokotan
Publications: Report 1
Prioritizing Shoreline Habitat Restoration in Minnesota Lakes
Investigators: Bill Herb
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory, Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (156-F)
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (156-F)
Status: In progress
Lakes investigated: TBD
Publications: Report 1
Quantifying wind-wave energy on Minnesota Lakes
Evaluation of sediment cores to reconstruct historical water quality conditions and correlation to major environmental events.
Investigators: William Herb, Ben Janke, and Heinze Stefan
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory
Funding:
Status: Completed July 2016
Lakes investigated: Belle
Publications: Report 1
Use of Wind Fetch and Shoreline Relief to Predict Nearshore Substrate Composition in a North Temperate Lake
Investigators: Benjamin Schall, Timothy Cross, Eric Katzenmeyer, and Douglas Zentner
Contact: [email protected]
Partners:
Funding:
Status: Completed May 2017
Lakes investigated: Belle
Publications: Report 1
- Harmful algal blooms
Assessing the Increasing Harmful Algal Blooms in Minnesota Lakes
Starting June 2016, new and advanced water quality monitoring equipment are deployed in Minnesota lakes to track the weather, environmental conditions, and lake processes that can produce, sustain, or prevent algal blooms. The research will help us better understand how algal blooms develop in our lakes and bring us one step closer to algal bloom prediction and prevention.
Investigators: Miki Hondzo, Michele Guala Christine Salomon and Shahram Missaghi
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory, Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2015-2016
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 2015-2016, ID: 038-B
Status: In Progress
Lakes investigated: Madison, South Center
Publications: Report 1
Tracking and preventing harmful algal blooms
Investigators: Dr. Adam Heathcote
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: St. Croix Watershed Research Station Funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, as recommended by the LCCMR
Funding:
Status: In Progress
Lakes investigated: Madison, St. James, Shaokotan, Pearl, South Center, Trout, Cedar, Carlos, Elk, Portage
Publications: Report 1
- Hydrology & limnology
Classification of Selected Minnesota Lakes Using Deuterium and d18O to Characterize Hydrologic Residence Time
Investigators: Lee Engel and Dr. Joe Magner
Contact: [email protected]
Partners:
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (proj. #067-B4)
Status:
Lakes investigated: All Sentinel Lakes
Publications: Report 1
Evaluation of sediment cores to reconstruct historical water quality conditions and correlation to major environmental events
Investigators: Dr. Mark Edlund
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: St. Croix Watershed Research Station
Funding: Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (proj. #067-B4)
Status: Completed June 2012
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Cedar, Elk, South Twin, Trout, White Iron, Ten Mile
Publications: Report 1
- Zooplankton
A millenial-scal chronicle of organism-environment interactions resulting in microevolutionary physiological and genomic shifts in Daphnia
We compared the genetics of Daphnia resting eggs from a eutrophic lake with those from a less production lake
Investigators: Punidan Jeyasingh, Larry Weider, and Mark Edlund
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: National Science Foundation
Funding: National Science Foundation (proj. #1256867)
Status: Completed June 2017
Lakes investigated: Hill, South Center
Publications: Report 1
Reconstruction of how a century of nutrient-enrichment of lakes has affected evolutionary changes in organisms, particular Daphnia pulex zooplankton
We hatched ~700 year-old Daphnia eggs and compared their nutrient use physiology with present-day descendents.
Investigators: Punidan Jeyasingh and Larry Weider
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: National Science Foundation
Funding: National Science Foundation (proj. #0924401)
Status: Completed June 2012
Lakes investigated: South Center
Publications: Report 1, Report 2
Zooplankton diel vertical migration patterns in Minnesota lakes
We exampined zooplankton diel vertical migration patterns in a range of lakes in Minnesota. Zooplankton densities were highest in the epilimnion with diel vertical migrations occurring with some of the larger copepod and cladoceran species.
Investigators: Jiethyl Piersak, Tyler Ahrenstorff, and Dr. Tom Hrabik
Contact: [email protected]
Partners: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Funding: UMD's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Status: Completed
Lakes investigated: Carlos, Elk, Ten Mile, White Iron
Publications: Report 1