Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2022_WI_Zanden

Do freshwater species invasions alter ecosystem responses to external drivers?

Institute: Wisconsin
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2022 Start Date: 2022-12-01 End Date: 2025-11-30
Total Federal Funds: $299,974 Total Non-Federal Funds: $305,986

Principal Investigators: Jake Vander Zanden

Project Summary: Aquatic species invasions are accelerating globally. Moreover, they often have dramatic effects, to the point that they can fundamentally transform ecosystems. We hypothesize that invasive species can alter how an ecosystem responds to well-known external factors such as climate change and nutrient inputs from the watershed. This study will use a unique long-term dataset and cutting-edge metagenomics analysis to evaluate how the invasion of Lake Mendota and Monona by spiny water flea and zebra mussel interacts with a changing climate and nutrient inputs to affect planktonic biodiversity, nutrients, and water quality.