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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: diatom
Synonyms and Other Names: Melosira binderana
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: This diatom is an obligate colonial species that occurs in filaments. Valve faces are flat but may exhibit some concentric undulation and occur at right angles to valve mantles. Valve spines are forked. On occasion some cells exhibit occluded or slit-shaped areolae. Thick pores occur in a ring on the mantle. Vacuoles comprise around 40% of cell volume (Round 1972, 1982; Stoermer and Sicko-Goad 1985). In Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, the cell volume of S. binderanus is around 830 µm3 (Sicko-Goad et al. 1977).
Size: Volume = 830 cubic microns
Native Range: S. binderanus was first described from the Baltic Sea and is considered a Eurasian species (Mills et al. 1993). However, it has expanded its range within Eurasia to places where it was not previously recorded. See last paragraph of Ecology section for more details.
Nonindigenous Occurrences: S. binderanus was first recorded from Lake Michigan in 1938. However, sediment samples indicate that it could have occurred in 1930 or possibly earlier in Lake Erie, and around the late 1940s to early 1950s in Lake Ontario. It also now occurs in Lake Huron as well as the Cuyahoga River, which is part of the Lake Erie drainage (Stoermer and Yang 1970; Williams 1972; Mills et al. 1993; Stoermer et al. 1996).
S. binderanus increased in abundance in Lake Erie in the period from 1940–1965. It then decreased dramatically, from around 70–98%, between 1970 and the 1980s, along with other nuisance or eutrophic species. By the early 1990s it increased again in abundance but by the late 1990s abundance was very low again (Stoermer et al. 1975; Makarewicz 1993; Stoermer et al. 1996; Barbiero et al. 2006). In Lake Michigan between 1930 and 1960 conditions became very eutrophic and many Stephanodiscus spp., including S. binderanus, increased in abundance. S. binderanus reached a peak in abundance in 1967 in this lake. However, throughout the 1970s conditions began to change back to those expected in oligotrophic-mesotrophic systems, and S. binderanus concentrations plummeted (Tarapchak and Stoermer 1976; Danforth and Ginsburg 1980; Makarewicz and Baybutt 1981).
Ecology: S. binderanus is a nitrogen-fixing species that often reaches high abundance in eutrophic and/or slightly brackish conditions. It is very tolerant of osmotic variability. Blooms are typically recorded in spring and fall in many water bodies, although there are also some records in summer. In the Great Lakes it usually occurs in eutrophic areas in the thermal bar region. It is most abundant in colder seasons but may persist throughout summer in relatively polluted areas.
It can form resting cells at reduced temperatures and in darker waters compared to other species occurring in the Great Lakes. Resting cells are typically triggered to reinitiate growth by changes in temperature, nutrients, and other abiotic conditions (Stoermer and Yang 1970; Round 1972; Stoermer et al. 1975; Stoermer and Ladewski 1976; Tarapchak and Stoermer 1976; Sommer 1984; Sicko-Goad et al. 1989; Mills et al. 1993; Laugasta et al. 1996; Kling 1998).
In Lake Michigan blooms of S. binderanus have been recorded both in spring and fall. Highest abundance typically occurs at water temperatures around 8–9ºC in nearshore areas (Round 1972; Lauer 1976; Stoermer and Ladewski 1976). In Lake Erie peaks in abundance have been recorded in spring, which is the largest peak, and also around November/December. In Lake Ontario abundance typically reaches a maximum after the thermal bar spring excursion and declines sharply in summer. In both these lakes blooms typically occur in offshore and often central regions (Round 1972; Stoermer and Ladewski 1976; Barbiero and Tuchman 2001). In the Cuyahoga River, which is part of the Lake Erie drainage, S. binderanus has been known to occur at temperatures of 26ºC (Williams 1972). It has also been recorded in the north channel of the St. Lawrence estuary at biovolumes over 50% in salinities of 1–5.5 psu (Winkler et al. 2003).
S. binderanus also sometimes specifically occurs at river outlets into lakes. It requires Si for growth but populations can persist in low Si conditions until this resource increases in abundance. Filaments are frequently grazed efficiently by zooplankton in native regions. This species grows best in 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark (Sommer and Stabel 1983; Knisely and Geller 1986; Sicko-Goad and Andersen 1991; Holopainen and Letanskaya 1999).
In the former USSR it is a eurythermal species that blooms around 15–16ºC in the spring and 19–20ºC in the summer, typically occurring in large lakes and reservoirs. It was historically limited to northern regions of the USSR and only a few more southerly locations, but this changed with the building of more reservoirs in southern regions. It likely require sediments, which often accumulate well in larger lakes and reservoirs, to overwinter (Priymachenko 1973). In Lake Baikal, where it is not endemic, its presence is associated with increasing anthropogenic impacts in recent history (Edlund et al. 1995).
Means of Introduction: S. binderanus was very likely introduced in ships’ ballast water to the Great Lakes basin (Mills et al. 1993).
Status: Established where recorded.
Impact of Introduction:
A) Realized: Ecological impacts unknown. In the Chicago region S. binderanus has been associated with water quality problems for treatment plants, which started around the mid-1950s. It can clog short run filters and negatively affect the taste and smell of drinking water (Brunel 1956; Vaughn 1961; Stoermer and Yang 1970; Stoermer and Ladewski 1976).
B) Potential: Edlund et al. (2000) mention that Stoermer et al. (1985) took a sediment core of Lake Ontario and discovered that around the time S. binderanus and Actinocyclus normanii fo. subsalsa were introduced to this lake, 4 native Cyclotella spp. and S. transilvanicus were locally extirpated from the system. It is unclear if these extirpations were due entirely or in part to competition with exotic taxa, but this could have been the case.
Remarks: S. binderanus was first recorded in the St. Lawrence River near Montreal in 1955 (Mills et al. 1993). S. binderanus is synonymous with Melosira binderana. Alternate spellings sometimes found in the literature are S. binderianus and M. binderiana.
References
Barbiero, R. P. and M. L. Tuchman. 2001. Results from the U.S. EPA’s biological open water surveillance program of the Laurentian Great Lakes: I. Introduction and phytoplankton results. Journal of Great Lakes Research 27(2):134-154.
Barbiero, R. P., D. C. Rockwell, G. J. Warren, and M. L. Tuchman. 2006. Changes in spring phytoplankton communities and nutrient dynamics in the eastern basin of Lake Erie since the invasion of Dreissena spp. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63:1549-1563.
Brunel, J. 1956. Addition du Stephanodiscus binderanus a la flore diatomique de l’Amerique du Nord. Naturaliste Canadien (Quebec) 83:91-95.
Danforth, W. F. and W. Ginsburg. 1980. Recent changes in the phyto plankton of Lake Michigan near Chicago, USA. Journal of Great Lakes Research 6(4):307-314.
Edlund, M. B., C. M. Taylor, C. L. Schelske, and E. F. Stoermer. 2000. Thalassiosira baltica (Grunow) Ostenfeld (Bacillariophyta), a new exotic species in the Great Lakes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 57:610-615.
Edlund, M. B., E .F. Stoermer, and C. H. Pilskaln. 1995. Siliceous microfossil succession in the recent history of two basins in Lake Baikal, Siberia. Journal of Paleolimnology 14(2):165-184.
Holopainen, A.-L. and G. I. Letanskaya. 1999. Effects of nutrient load on species composition and productivity of phytoplankton in Lake Ladoga. Boreal Environment Research 4(3):215-227.
Kling, H. J. 1998. A summary of past and recent plankton of Lake Winnipeg, Canada using fossil remains. Journal of Paleolimnology 19(3):297-307.
Knisely, K. and W. Geller. 1986. Selective feeding of four zooplankton species on natural lake phytoplankton. Oecologia (Berlin) 69(1):86-94.
Lauer, T. E. 1976. Principal components ordination of southern Lake Michigan, USA phyto plankton. Journal of Phycology 12(suppl.):8-9.
Laugasta, R., V. V. Jastremskij, and I. Ott. 1996. Phytoplankton of Lake Peipsi-Pihkva: species composition, biomass and seasonal dynamics. Hydrobiologia 338(1-3):49-62.
Makarewicz, J. C. and R. I. Baybutt. 1981. Long-term 1927-1978 changes in the phytoplankton community of Lake Michigan at Chicago Illinois, USA. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 108(2):240-254.
Makarewicz, J. C. 1993. Phytoplankton biomass and species composition in Lake Erie, 1970 to 1987. Journal of Great Lakes Research 19(2):258-274.
Mills, E. L., J. H. Leach, J. T. Carlton, and C. L. Secor. 1993. Exotic species in the Great Lakes: a history of biotic crises and anthropogenic introductions. Journal of Great Lakes Research 19(1):1-54.
Priymachenko, A. D. 1973. Role of reservoirs in the geographic distribution of planktonic algae. Hydrobiological Journal 9(5):31-34.
Round, F. E. 1972. Stephanodiscus binderanus or Melosira binderana (Bacillarophyta: Centrales). Phycologia 11(2):109-117.
Round, F. E. 1982. Some forms of Stephanodiscus species. Archiv fuer Protistenkunde 125(1-4):357-371.
Sicko-Goad, L. and N. A. Andersen. 1991. Effect of growth and light-dark cycles on diatom lipid content and composition. Journal of Phycology 27(6):710-718.
Sicko-Goad, L., E. F. Stoermer, and B. G. Ladewski. 1977. A morphometric method for correcting phytoplankton cell volume estimates. Protoplasma 93:147-163.
Sicko-Goad, L., E .F Stoermer, and J. P. Kociolek. 1989. Diatom resting cell rejuvenation and formation time course, species records, and distribution. Journal of Plankton Research 11(2):375-390.
Sommer, U. 1984. Population dynamics of 2 planktonic diatoms in Lake Constance, Europe. Holarctic Ecology 7(3):257-261.
Sommer, U. and H.-H. Stabel. 1983. Silicon consumption and population density changes of dominant planktonic diatoms in Lake Constance, West Germany. Journal of Ecology 71(1):119-130.
Stoermer, E. F., G. Emmert, M. L. Julius, and C. L. Schelske. 1996. Paleolimnological evidence of rapid recent change in Lake Erie’s trophic status. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53:1451-1458.
Stoermer, E. F., J. A. Wolin, C. L. Schelske, and D. J. Conley. 1985. An assessment of ecological changes during the recent history of Lake Ontario based on siliceous algal microfossils preserved in sediments. Journal of Phycology 21:257-276.
Stoermer, E. F. and J. J. Yang. 1970. Distribution and abundance of dominant plankton diatoms in Lake Michigan. Great Lakes Research Division, Publication No. 16, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 64 pp.
Stoermer, E. F., M. M. Bowman, and J. C. Kingston. 1975. Phytoplankton composition and abundance in Lake Ontario during IFYGL. National Environmental Research Center, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon. 373 pp.
Stoermer, E. F. and L. Sicko-Goad. 1985. A comparative ultrastructural and morphometric study of six species of the diatom genus Stephanodiscus. Journal of Plankton Research 7(1):125-135.
Stoermer, E. F. and T. B. Ladewski. 1976. Apparent optimal temperatures for the occurrence of some common phytoplankton species in southern Lake Michigan. Great Lakes Research Division Publication 18, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 49 pp.
Tarapchak, S. J. and E. F. Stoermer. 1976. Environmental status of the Lake Michigan region. Volume 4. Phytoplankton of Lake Michigan. Consultants to Division of Environmental Impact Studies, U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration. 211 pp.
Vaughn, J. C. 1961. Coagulation difficulties of the South District Filtration Plant. Pure Water 13:45-49.
Williams, L. G. 1972. Plankton diatom species biomasses and the quality of American rivers and the Great Lakes. Ecology 53(6):1038-1050.
Winkler, G., J. J. Dodson, N. Bertrand, D. Thivierge, and W. F. Vincent. 2003. Trophic coupling across the St. Lawrence River estuarine transition zone. Marine Ecology Progress Series 251:59-73.
Author: Rebekah M. Kipp
Contributing Agencies: 
NOAA - GLERL
Revision Date: 8/1/2007 Citation for this information:
Rebekah M. Kipp. 2009. Stephanodiscus binderanus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=1687> Revision Date: 8/1/2007
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