Densities of major taxonomic groups and species (or higher taxa) of benthic macroinvertebrates sampled in lake-wide surveys of Lake Ontario conducted in 1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Burlakova, L., A. Karatayev, A. Hrycik, S. Daniel, K. Mehler, L. Rudstam, J. Watkins, R. Dermott, J. Scharold, A. Elgin, and T. Nalepa. Six decades of Lake Ontario ecological history according to benthos.. JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH. International Association for Great Lakes Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48(2): 274-288, (2022).

Raw data from the benthic macroinvertebrate surveys conducted in Saginaw Bay in 2006-2009, and in Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay and North Channel, in 2007 and 2012. These basic benthic survey data provide number of each taxon in each replicate sample (abundance), density, and biomass.

This file has a listing of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa found in samples collected from coastal waters of Isle Royale and Chequamegon Bay (both in Lake Superior) in 2012 and 2013 respectively, This dataset is associated with the following publication: Meredith, C., A. Trebitz, and J. Hoffman. Post-processing of aquatic biodiversity data collected at multiple levels of resolution: Implications for estimates of taxa richness, abundance, and rarefaction curves. Freshwater Science. The Society for Freshwater Science, Springfield, IL, 98: 137-148, (2019).

Raw data from the benthic macroinvertebrate lake wide surveys conducted in Lake Michigan in 2015. These basic benthic survey data provide the number of each taxon in each replicate sample (abundance), density, and biomass. Similar lake wide surveys were conducted to assess the status of benthic taxa beginning in 1994/1995 and repeated every five years through 2015.

Benthic invertebrates are important trophic links in aquatic food webs and serve as useful bioindicators of environmental conditions because their responses integrate the effects of both water and sediment qualities. However, long-term data sets for benthic invertebrate assemblages across broad geographic areas are rare and, even if collected, historic data sets are often not readily accessible. This data set provides densities of benthic macroinvertebrates for all taxa collected during lake-wide surveys in Lake Ontario, a Laurentian Great Lake, from 1964 to 2018. This information resulted from surveys funded by the governments of the United States and Canada to investigate the status and changes of Lake Ontario benthic community. Of the 13 lake-wide benthic surveys conducted in Lake Ontario over the course of 54 yr, we were able to acquire taxonomic data to the species level for 11 of the surveys and data to the group level for the other two surveys. Density data are provided for taxa representing the Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Nemertea, and Platyhelminthes phyla. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the compositional structure of Lake Ontario invertebrate assemblages differed markedly by depth and were also significantly altered by the Dreissena spp. invasion in early 1990s. The introduction of invasive dreissenids has changed the community historically dominated by Diporeia, Oligochaeta, and Sphaeriidae, to a community dominated by quagga mussels and Oligochaeta. Considering the rarity of long-term benthic data of high taxonomic resolution in lake ecosystems, this data set could be useful to explore broader aspects of ecological theory, including effects of different environmental factors and invasive species on community organization, functional and phylogenetic diversity, and spatial scale of variation in community structure. The data set could also be useful for studies on individual species including abundance and distribution, species co-occurrence, and how the patterns of dominance and rarity change over space and time. Use of this data set for academic or educational purposes is encouraged as long as the data source is properly cited using the title of this Data Paper, the names of the authors, the year of publication, the journal name, and the article number. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Karatayev, A., L. Burlakova, K. Mehler, A. Elgin, L. Rudstam, J. Watkins, and M. Wick. Dreissena in Lake Ontario 30 years post-invasion. JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH. International Association for Great Lakes Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48(2): 264-273, (2022).

Benthic invertebrates are important trophic links in aquatic food webs and serve as useful bioindicators of environmental conditions because their responses integrate the effects of both water and sediment qualities. However, long-term data sets for benthic invertebrate assemblages across broad geographic areas are rare and, even if collected, historic data sets are often not readily accessible. This data set provides densities of benthic macroinvertebrates for all taxa collected during lake-wide surveys in Lake Ontario, a Laurentian Great Lake, from 1964 to 2018. This information resulted from surveys funded by the governments of the United States and Canada to investigate the status and changes of Lake Ontario benthic community. Of the 13 lake-wide benthic surveys conducted in Lake Ontario over the course of 54 yr, we were able to acquire taxonomic data to the species level for 11 of the surveys and data to the group level for the other two surveys. Density data are provided for taxa representing the Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Nemertea, and Platyhelminthes phyla. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the compositional structure of Lake Ontario invertebrate assemblages differed markedly by depth and were also significantly altered by the Dreissena spp. invasion in early 1990s. The introduction of invasive dreissenids has changed the community historically dominated by Diporeia, Oligochaeta, and Sphaeriidae, to a community dominated by quagga mussels and Oligochaeta. Considering the rarity of long-term benthic data of high taxonomic resolution in lake ecosystems, this data set could be useful to explore broader aspects of ecological theory, including effects of different environmental factors and invasive species on community organization, functional and phylogenetic diversity, and spatial scale of variation in community structure. The data set could also be useful for studies on individual species including abundance and distribution, species co-occurrence, and how the patterns of dominance and rarity change over space and time. Use of this data set for academic or educational purposes is encouraged as long as the data source is properly cited using the title of this Data Paper, the names of the authors, the year of publication, the journal name, and the article number. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Karatayev, A., L. Burlakova, K. Mehler, A. Elgin, L. Rudstam, J. Watkins, and M. Wick. Dreissena in Lake Ontario 30 years post-invasion. JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH. International Association for Great Lakes Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48(2): 264-273, (2022).

This database contains aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate abundance data derived from samples collected from 33 75-meter stream site locations within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area in September of 2006. The database contains two separate table files (i.e., entities) in csv format: 1) Macroinvertebrate site abundance data and 2) site location data. For macroinvertebrate data, six samples were collected within 2-3 riffle areas within each site location with Portable Invertebrate Box Samplers (0.1-m2 sample area, 350 micron mesh collecting nets). Where possible, organisms were identified to the genus taxonomic level using a stereoscope except for organisms of the family Chironomidae and class Oliogochaeta, which were mounted on slides and identified with compound microscopes. For each site, data from six samples compiled into a single site abundance value for each taxon. Site location data consists of UTM coordinates (NAD 1983, UTM zone 18N) for the 33 sample sites.

This database contains aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate abundance data derived from samples collected from 33 75-meter stream site locations within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area in September of 2006. The database contains two separate table files (i.e., entities) in csv format: 1) Macroinvertebrate site abundance data and 2) site location data. For macroinvertebrate data, six samples were collected within 2-3 riffle areas within each site location with Portable Invertebrate Box Samplers (0.1-m2 sample area, 350 micron mesh collecting nets). Where possible, organisms were identified to the genus taxonomic level using a stereoscope except for organisms of the family Chironomidae and class Oliogochaeta, which were mounted on slides and identified with compound microscopes. For each site, data from six samples compiled into a single site abundance value for each taxon. Site location data consists of UTM coordinates (NAD 1983, UTM zone 18N) for the 33 sample sites.

This data set contains a single table of descriptions of benthic samples collected in 1998 at Nelson and Izembek lagoons, Alaska. This includes: the weight of the sample, the species or species group of benthic animals (also vegetation) and their number, size and weight, and the amount of sand and gravel. These data provide a basis for additional studies that includes sampling of the benthos in Nelson and/or Izembek lagoons. These data are important as historic information useful in examining long-term changes in the lagoons in light of changing climate.