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Alfred M. Beeton

Publications and source records attributed to Alfred M. Beeton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2003

Eutrophication of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes

Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior are classified as oligotrophic lakes on the basis of their biological, chemical, and physical characteristics. Lake Ontario, although rich in nutrients, is morphometrically oligotrophic or mesotrophic because of its large area of deep water. Lake Erie, the most productive of the lakes and the shallowest, is eutrophic. Several changes commonly associated with eutrophication in small lakes have been observed in the Great Lakes. These changes apparently reflect accelerated eutrophication in the Great Lakes due to man's activity. Chemical data compiled from a number of sources, dating as early as 1854, indicate a progressive increase in the concentrations of various major ions and total dissolved solids in all of the lakes except Lake Superior. The plankton has changed somewhat in Lake Michigan and the plankton, benthos, and fish populations of Lake Erie are greatly different today from those of the past. An extensive area of hypolimnetic water of Lake Erie has developed low dissolved oxygen concentrations in late summer within recent years.

Limnology and Oceanography↗
USGS1991

Effect of environment on reproduction and growth of Mysis relicta

Published and unpublished data were examined to determine whether the time to first reproduction, brood size, and growth rate of Mysis relicta are related to environmental conditions. Time to first reproduction ranged from 1 year in eutrophic lakes to 4 years in a ultraoligotrophic lake. Mysids in nutrient-rich lakes may have 45 eggs per brood, whereas those in less productive lakes had 10-12 eggs per brood. Growth rates ranged from 1.0 to 1.5 mm/month in productive lakes to only 0.2 mm/month in ultraoligotrophic Lake Tahoe. Some differences in reproduction and growth rate consistent with the above observation occurred between areas of Lakes Tahoe and Michigan that differed in trophic conditions.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS1969

Comparison of thermal data from airborne and vessel surveys of Lake Erie

A study of the applications of airborne infrared equipment for detecting water masses and currents of the Great Lakes is described. Infrared scanners were used to make thermal strip maps and an infrared radiometer was used to obtain surface temperatures of the western end of Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. Simultaneously, surface water temperatures were taken and water samples were collected for chloride determinations from four vessels making a 4 day synoptic survey of the test area. The remote infrared measurements are compared with shipboard temperature data to evaluate their usefulness in demonstrating thermal structure, water masses, and currents in the test area.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1967

Physical limnology of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

Water temperature and the distribution of various chemicals measured during surveys from June 7 to October 30, 1956, reflect a highly variable and rapidly changing circulation in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. The circulation is influenced strongly by local winds and by the stronger circulation of Lake Huron which frequently causes injections of lake water to the inner extremity of the bay. The circulation patterns determined at six times during 1956 reflect the general characteristics of a marine estuary of the northern hemisphere. The prevailing circulation was counterclockwise; the higher concentrations of solutes from the Saginaw River tended to flow and enter Lake Huron along the south shore; water from Lake Huron entered the northeast section of the bay and had a dominant influence on the water along the north shore of the bay. The concentrations of major ions varied little with depth, but a decrease from the inner bay toward Lake Huron reflected the dilution of Saginaw River water as it moved out of the bay. Concentrations in the outer bay were not much greater than in Lake Huron proper. The proportions of various cations and anions were similar to the average proportions for the freshwaters of the world. The average flushing time was 186 days, but was 113 days during the period of peak river discharge. The lakeward transport of Saginaw River water ranged from 619 to 2,294 feet per day in the inner bay to 1,410 to 3,000 feet per day in the outer bay on June 7 and October 30, respectively.

Technical Report↗
USGS1965

Detection and measurement of organic lampricide residues

The selective lampricide, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), and its synergist, 5,2'-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide (DCN), are separable from natural waters by anion exchange. The adsorbed compounds can then be recovered from the resin as concentrates by elution with selective solvent mixtures. Measurements of the amounts of lampricides in the final concentrates can be made colorimetrically at 395 mI? for TFM and at 530 mI? for the safranin complex of DCN. TFM has also been separated for quantitative determination from homogenates of whole fish. The fish is first macerated in a blender and then hydrolyzed in hot, 3 N hydrochloric acid. The amount of background color, due to certain components of the fish in the hydrolysate, is reduced by one or a combination of three methods: (1) a series of three extractions with ether, methylene chloride, and benzene; (2) cation exchange followed by methylene chloride extraction; or (3) ether extraction followed by anion exchange and subsequent desorption with amyl acetate-acetic acid.

Technical Report↗
USGS1965

Field application methods for recovery of the selective lampricide, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol

Colorimetric methods are described for the detection of residues of the selective lampricide, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), in natural waters and fish tissues. Solvent extraction and anion exchange were used to separate and concentrate the lampricide, and to reduce high background colors which often interfere with the determinations. Data from the Pentwater and Muskegon Rivers (Michigan) showed an exponential rate of disappearance of TFM from the water immediately after treatments to eradicate larvae of the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ). No TFM was recovered from fish exposed in their natural environment to low levels of the lampricide during treatment; residues were recovered, however, from fish exposed to high concentrations in the laboratory.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1964

Lake Michigan chemical data, 1954-55, 1960-61

This report presents without interpretation methods used in and the results of chemical analyses, and supplemental observations of temperatures at depth, transparency, and meteorological conditions for Lake Michigan in 1954, 1955, 1960, and 1961.

Data Report↗
USGS1963

Food of the bloater, Coregonus hoyi, in Lake Michigan

Stomachs were examined from 1,469 Lake Michigan bloaters, Coregonus [Leucichthys] hoyi, greater than 7 inches long which contained identifiable food. An additional 461 ciscoes less than 7 inches long were incorporated into the study; these latter fish were not positively identified, but most of them undoubtedly were bloaters. The specimens were caught in bottom nets except for 49, all less than 6 inches long, taken in midwater trawls. Lake Michigan bloaters under 7 inches long depend heavily on zooplankton. Those larger than 7 inches feed predominantly on Pontoporeia affinis and Mysis relicta, although fish of the 7.0- to 7.9-inch size range commonly eat zooplankton, expecially in shallower water. Generally, Mysis becomes more important, and Pontoporeia less so, as the depth increases and as the season progresses from spring to fall. Incidence of Pontoporeia increases and that of Mysis declines as the fish size increases. Other food items, in decreasing order of importance, are fingernail clams, midges (all stages of development), fish eggs, ostracods, and miscellaneous adult and immature insects other than midges.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1963

Limnological survey of Lake Erie 1959 and 1960

Federal, provincial, state, and university organizations participated in cooperative limnological surveys of Lake Erie in September 1959 and August 1960 to determine the extent and severity of the low dissolved-oxygen content of the hypolimnetic waters. Observations were restricted to the central basin in 1959, but were lake-wide in 1960. Approximately 70 percent of the bottom waters of the central basin had a serious oxygen deficiency during both years. Data were obtained also on the distribution of temperature, transparency, specific conductance, pH, and phenolphthalein and total alkalinity. The distributions of the chemical values are discussed in terms of their relationships to each other, and to thermal stratification, river outflow, lake morphometry, and lake currents.

Technical Report↗
USGS1963

Quantitation of microorganic compounds in waters of the Great Lakes by adsorption on activated carbon

Microorganic compounds in waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron have been sampled by adsorption on activated carbon in filters installed aboard the M/V Cisco and at the Hammond Bay Laboratory of the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. The organic compounds were eluted from the carbon according to techniques developed at the U.S. Public Health Service. On the assumption that chloroform eluates represent less polar compounds from industrial sources and alcohol eluates the more polar varieties of natural origin, plots of chloroform eluates against alcohol eluates appear to be useful in judging water qualities. Based upon these criteria, the data in this paper indicate that both the waters of northern Lake Michigan and of Lake Huron, in the vicinity of Hammond Bay, Michigan, are relatively free from pollution. The limnetic waters of Lake Michigan showed a particularly high ratio of alcohol to chloroform eluates. Data for monthly samples indicated that this ratio fluctuated seasonally. The periodicity of the fluctuations was similar to those of lake levels and water temperatures.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1961

Environmental changes in Lake Erie

Comparison of data compiled during the past 60 years with those from recent studies shows that major changes have occurred in the bottom and fish faunas of Lake Erie. The bottom fauna was formerly dominated by the nymphs of Hexagenia, but at present midge larvae and oligochaetes are most abundant. Blue pike (Stizostedion vitreum glaucum) and cisco (Coregonus artedii), which formerly dominated the commercial catch, are scarce, while other species are more plentiful than formerly. The concentrations of various major ions have increased as much as 10 p.p.m. The mean annual water temperatures are approximately 2° F. warmer today than during the 1918-28 period. Low levels of dissolved oxygen have been observed several times since 1930, and recently very low concentrations were found in the bottom waters covering many square miles of the central basin. Although similar conditions may have existed in the past, it appears that greater areas are involved at the present.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1960

The vertical migration of Mysis relicta in Lakes Huron and Michigan

During the day Mysis relicta could be taken only near the bottom of Lakes Huron and Michigan. In the evening they migrated into the overlying strata as the surface light intensity decreased from 15 to 1 foot-candles. Frequently the mysids migrated through the metalimnion when first ascending, but later in the night the majority occurred in or immediately below this layer. As the length of day decreased following the summer solstice, the mysids ascended progressively earlier each evening and descended later each morning (they descended when the surface light intensity was increasing from 10 −3 to 10 −2 foot-candle). Moonlight and fog influenced the extent and time of vertical migration.The optimum light intensity for mysids is so low that they are concentrated near the bottom during the day. As the light decreases at sunset, they move upward rapidly; possibly because of a positive reaction to decreasing light. Their night-time distribution is determined by their response to the existing light and thermal conditions. Their dawn descent may be due to a photo-negative condition which originated during the night.

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada↗