The Need for Biology in Understanding the Ecology of Lakes
Edward C. Mills , Lars G. Rudstam and Randy Jackson

Freshwater lakes are fascinating ecosystems and contain many biological organisms ranging from microscopic algae to fish which interact to form complex communities. In this exploration, a field trip is planned to the Cornell Biological Field Station located on Oneida Lake. The goal will be to learn about how biological organisms interact and influence lake trophodynamics.

Oneida Lake is a fertile lake and ecological research has been conducted on this water body since the beginning of the century. Numerous changes in the biological community have been documented historically and these changes have had a significant impact on the ecology of the lake. A tour of the Field Station lab and collections of organisms from Oneida Lake is planned. More specifically, zooplankton and fish will be collected and identified and the importance of these organisms to the lake food web will be discussed. Zebra mussels have recently invaded the lake and the biological impact of this exotic organism will be discussed. Since most time will be planned for the field, students should be prepared for cool and possibly wet weather.