Picoplankton is associated with a microbial food web while nanoplankton is associated with 
zooplankton consumers and commercially and charismatically important higher tropic levels. 
This research will provide insight into the chemical and biological factors controlling pelagic 
phytoplankton community. 
AED-Will also measure stable isotope shifts and will provide a test of the WED food web model 
including average food chain length. AED will investigate the effects of nutrients on saltmarsh 
species changes and generate methods to relate nutrient loading to chl-a levels using remote 
sensing, (i.e., airframe and satellite spectral analyses), including the ability to distinguish between 
different types of phytoplankton blooms (diatoms vs. dinoflagellates). 
MED-Will initially focus on two of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan. 
In addition to using stable isotopes to investigate food web structure in Great Lakes coastal 
wetlands, nutrient effects oriented research will be employed to investigate several assumptions: 
• Algal-zooplankton size distribution in response to nutrient loading, 
• Algal community responses to N/P ratios in freshwater coastal wetlands, and 
• Modeling efforts focusing on establishing relationships of nutrient loadings and ambient 
concentrations with chlorophyll, DO, N/P ratios, phytoplankton species composition, 
food chain productivity, and water column transparency. 
In addition, where possible, we will partner and collaborate with other coastal nutrient efforts 
(i.e.. State of the Lake Ecosystem Conference [SOLEC], GLEI, Atlantic Coast Environmental 
Indicators Consortium, Great Lakes Coastal Initiative, States, and Tribes). 
Products 
APM ID FY 02 (GPRA # 166) Effects of nutrient loadings and altered nutrient ratios on HABs 
(GED). 
APM 3 (GPRA #201) Comparison of effects of zooplankton grazing on estuarine phytoplankton 
community under differing natural levels of grazing (GED). 
APM 6A FY04 Sensitivity of food web responses to nutrient loading in coastal systems (GED). 
APM 6B FY05 Propose classification scheme for predicting sensitivity of coastal receiving 
waters to effects of nutrients on food web structure (GED). 
APM 6C FY06 Report on empirical and numeric models for food webs (WED). 
APM 6D FY 06 Report on parameterization of food web models (GED). 
APM 6E FY06 Report on classification scheme for grouping coastal or lake receiving waters 
based on sensitivity to food web alterations (WED, GED, AED, MED). 
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