The Quagga Mussel has recently begun eating it's way through Lake Michigan's phytoplankton populations, threatening to destroy the Lakes food web.
In 1998 Michigan Technological University biologist W Charles Kerfoot and his research team discovered the "Phytoplankton Doughnut" which is formed when winter storms kick up nutrient-rich sediment along the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. The disturbed sediments begin circulating in a slow-moving doughnut shaped circle with the lake's currents and provides a massive supply of food for phytoplankton's.
This doughnut, in turn feeds the entire lake. Zooplankton, feeding on phytoplankton, thrive there. This seasonal bloom helps them survive the winter months. The doughnut helps them maintain the entire food web.
However, the doughnut, recognized by the signature of the plants chlorophyll pigment that captures sunlight has started to disappear. Since 2001, the chlorophyll has been nibbled away on the edges, right where the Quagga's live, Kerfoot said. Kerfoot believes a high percent of the fish biomass could be lost in the next couple of years. The impact from a tiny quagga, which is no larger then a fat Lima Bean, could soon render moot the more headline grabbing concerns about the invasive zebra mussel or Asian Carp.
