Phytoplankton ecology of a culturally eutrophic embayment: Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario

Hamilton Harbour is a chronically eutrophic embayment located at the western end of Lake Ontario that has experienced many decades of agricultural, industrial, and urban contamination. It has been identified as an Area of Concern under the terms of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States. This study examines the ecology of the phytoplankton communities at one centrally located station during the ice-free period (May–October) of three non-consecutive years: 2002, 2004 and 2006. This was the first comprehensive study to be conducted since the 1970s. It was found that the phytoplankton communities are diverse and fluctuate throughout the year, along with changing nutrient, physical and environmental conditions. No consistent patterns of seasonal succession were observed throughout the study. Phytoflagellates including Cryptophyceae and Dinophyceae had a tendency to outnumber and out-compete other phytoplankton since they are mobile and able to seek out optimal habitats wi...