Deep chlorophyll maxima across a trophic state gradient: A case study in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract

Deep chlorophyll maxima (DCM) are common in stratified lakes and oceans, and phytoplankton growth within DCM often contributes significantly to total system production. Theory suggests that properties of DCM should be predictable by trophic state, with DCM becoming deeper, broader, and less productive with greater oligotrophy. However, rigorous tests of these expectations are lacking in freshwater systems. We use data generated by the U.S. EPA from 1996 to 2017, including in situ profile data for temperature, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), chlorophyll, beam attenuation (cp), and dissolved oxygen (DO), to investigate patterns in DCM across lakes and over time. We consider trophic state, 1% PAR depth (z1%), thermal structure, and degree of photoacclimation as potential drivers of DCM characteristics. DCM depth and thickness generally increased while DCM chlorophyll concentration decreased with decreasing trophic state index (greater oligotrophy). The z1% was a stronger predictor of DCM depth than thermal structure. DCM in meso-oligotrophic waters were closely aligned with maxima in cp and DO saturation, suggesting they are autotrophically productive. However, the depths of these maxima diverged in ultra-oligotrophic waters, with DCM occurring deepest. This is likely a consequence of photoacclimation in high-transparency waters, where cp can be a better proxy for phytoplankton biomass than chlorophyll. Our results are generally consistent with expectations from DCM theory, but they also identify specific gaps in our understanding of DCM in lakes, including the causes of multiple DCM, the importance of nutriclines, and the processes forming DCM at higher light levels than expected.