Kevin Keeler is a Aquatic Research Laboratory Manager based out of Ann Arbor.
Science and Products
Lake trout hatch rates using adults collected in 2019 from Northern Refuge, Lake Michigan
Data includes hatch, unfertilized, underdeveloped, and larval mortality count data of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) eggs fertilized from adult gametes collected within Northern Refuge reefs in Lake Michigan conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center during Fall 2019 gill net survey. Adult lake trout were collected using gill net (4.5, 5.5, and 6.0 inch) panels. Gametes
Zooplankton of the St. Clair-Detroit River System, 2012-2014 (ver. 1.2, February 2021)
Crustacean zooplankton were collected, enumerated, identified, and measured within the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS). Collections were made using a 0.5 m diameter 153 um zooplankton net. Nets were lowered to about 0.5 m from bottom depth and retrieved. Nets were utilized with a General Oceanics flowmeter to calculate the distance the net traveled. At sites of collection, both temperature
Diets of Deepwater Sculpin collected from fall forage (2003-05 and 2010-14) in Lake Huron
Diet contents of Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) were identified, enumerated, and measured to monitor the changes in the offshore benthic fish community within Lake Huron. Collections were made using a 21-m headrope with a 4.76mm square mesh cod-end with 10 minute contour trawl tows.. Deepwater Sculpin collected from the USGS fall forage (2003-2005 and 2010-2014) were counted and weig
Zooplankton dynamics in a Great Lakes connecting channel: Exploring the seasonal composition within the St. Clair-Detroit River System
The connecting channels linking the Laurentian Great Lakes provide important migration routes, spawning grounds, and nursery habitat for fish, but their role as conduits between lakes for zooplankton is less understood. To address this knowledge gap in the St. Clair–Detroit River System (SCDRS), a comprehensive survey of crustacean zooplankton was performed in both riverine and lacustrine habitats
Continued feeding on Diporeia by deepwater sculpin in Lake Huron
Monitoring changes in diets of fish is essential to understanding how food web dynamics respond to changes in native prey abundances. In the Great Lakes, Diporeia, a benthic macroinvertebrate and primary food of native benthivores, declined following the introduction of invasive Dreissena mussels and these changes were reflected in fish diets. We examined the diets of deepwater sculpin Myoxocephal
Large-scale changes in bloater growth and condition in Lake Huron
Native Bloaters Coregonus hoyi have exhibited multiple strong year-classes since 2005 and now are the most abundant benthopelagic offshore prey fish in Lake Huron, following the crash of nonnative AlewivesAlosa pseudoharengus and substantial declines in nonnative Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax. Despite recent recoveries in Bloater abundance, marketable-size (>229 mm) Bloaters remain scarce. We used
Eurytemora carolleeae in the Laurentian Great Lakes revealed by phylogenetic and morphological analysis
In the Laurentian Great Lakes, specimens of Eurytemora have been reported asEurytemora affinis since its invasion in the late 1950s. During an intensive collection of aquatic invertebrates for morphological and molecular identification in Western Lake Erie in 2012-2013, several specimens of Eurytemora were collected. Analysis of these specimens identified them as the recently described species Eur
Evaluating the importance of abiotic and biotic drivers on Bythotrephes biomass in Lakes Superior and Michigan
The ability of planktivorous fishes to exert top-down control on Bythotrephes potentially has far-reaching impacts on aquatic food-webs, given previously described effects of Bythotrephes on zooplankton communities. We estimated consumption of Bythotrephes by planktivorous and benthivorous fishes, using bioenergetics and daily ration models at nearshore (18 m), intermediate (46 m), and offshore (1
Evidence of the St. Clair-Detroit River system as a dispersal corridor and nursery habitat for transient larval burbot
Burbot Lota lota are distributed across the Laurentian Great Lakes where they occupy a top piscivore role. The St. Clair-Detroit River System is known to provide a migration corridor as well as spawning and nursery habitat for many indigenous fishes of economic and ecological significance. However, knowledge is scant of the early life history of burbot and the importance of this system in their di
Comparing seasonal dynamics of the Lake Huron zooplankton community between 1983-1984 and 2007 and revisiting the impact of Bythotrephes planktivory
Zooplankton community composition can be influenced by lake productivity as well as planktivory by fish or invertebrates. Previous analyses based on long-term Lake Huron zooplankton data from August reported a shift in community composition between the 1980s and 2000s: proportional biomass of calanoid copepods increased while that of cyclopoid copepods and herbivorous cladocerans decreased. Herein
Non-USGS Publications**
Thompson, P. A., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., O’Brien, T. P., & Bowser, D. A. (2017). Continued feeding on Diporeia by deepwater sculpin in Lake Huron. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 100(4), 407-419.
Prichard, C. G., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., O’Brien, T. P., & Riley, S. C. (2016). Large-scale changes in bloater growth and condition in Lake Huron. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145(6), 1241-1251.
Vasquez, A. A., Hudson, P. L., Fujimoto, M., Keeler, K., Armenio, P. M., & Ram, J. L. (2016). Eurytemora carolleeae in the Laurentian Great Lakes revealed by phylogenetic and morphological analysis. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 42(4), 802-811.
McCullough, D. E., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., DeBruyne, R. L., Pritt, J. J., Thompson, P. A., ... & Provo, S. (2015). Evidence of the St. Clair-Detroit River System as a dispersal corridor and nursery habitat for transient larval burbot. Hydrobiologia, 757(1), 21-34.
Bunnell, D. B., Davis, B. M., Chriscinske, M. A., Keeler, K. M., & Mychek-Londer, J. G. (2015). Diet shifts by planktivorous and benthivorous fishes in northern Lake Michigan in response to ecosystem changes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 41, 161-171.
Keeler, K. M., Bunnell, D. B., Diana, J. S., Adams, J. V., Mychek-Londer, J. G., Warner, D. M., ... & Vinson, M. R. (2015). Evaluating the importance of abiotic and biotic drivers on Bythotrephes biomass in Lakes Superior and Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 41, 150-160.
Science and Products
- Data
Lake trout hatch rates using adults collected in 2019 from Northern Refuge, Lake Michigan
Data includes hatch, unfertilized, underdeveloped, and larval mortality count data of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) eggs fertilized from adult gametes collected within Northern Refuge reefs in Lake Michigan conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center during Fall 2019 gill net survey. Adult lake trout were collected using gill net (4.5, 5.5, and 6.0 inch) panels. GametesZooplankton of the St. Clair-Detroit River System, 2012-2014 (ver. 1.2, February 2021)
Crustacean zooplankton were collected, enumerated, identified, and measured within the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS). Collections were made using a 0.5 m diameter 153 um zooplankton net. Nets were lowered to about 0.5 m from bottom depth and retrieved. Nets were utilized with a General Oceanics flowmeter to calculate the distance the net traveled. At sites of collection, both temperatureDiets of Deepwater Sculpin collected from fall forage (2003-05 and 2010-14) in Lake Huron
Diet contents of Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) were identified, enumerated, and measured to monitor the changes in the offshore benthic fish community within Lake Huron. Collections were made using a 21-m headrope with a 4.76mm square mesh cod-end with 10 minute contour trawl tows.. Deepwater Sculpin collected from the USGS fall forage (2003-2005 and 2010-2014) were counted and weig - Publications
Zooplankton dynamics in a Great Lakes connecting channel: Exploring the seasonal composition within the St. Clair-Detroit River System
The connecting channels linking the Laurentian Great Lakes provide important migration routes, spawning grounds, and nursery habitat for fish, but their role as conduits between lakes for zooplankton is less understood. To address this knowledge gap in the St. Clair–Detroit River System (SCDRS), a comprehensive survey of crustacean zooplankton was performed in both riverine and lacustrine habitatsContinued feeding on Diporeia by deepwater sculpin in Lake Huron
Monitoring changes in diets of fish is essential to understanding how food web dynamics respond to changes in native prey abundances. In the Great Lakes, Diporeia, a benthic macroinvertebrate and primary food of native benthivores, declined following the introduction of invasive Dreissena mussels and these changes were reflected in fish diets. We examined the diets of deepwater sculpin MyoxocephalLarge-scale changes in bloater growth and condition in Lake Huron
Native Bloaters Coregonus hoyi have exhibited multiple strong year-classes since 2005 and now are the most abundant benthopelagic offshore prey fish in Lake Huron, following the crash of nonnative AlewivesAlosa pseudoharengus and substantial declines in nonnative Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax. Despite recent recoveries in Bloater abundance, marketable-size (>229 mm) Bloaters remain scarce. We usedEurytemora carolleeae in the Laurentian Great Lakes revealed by phylogenetic and morphological analysis
In the Laurentian Great Lakes, specimens of Eurytemora have been reported asEurytemora affinis since its invasion in the late 1950s. During an intensive collection of aquatic invertebrates for morphological and molecular identification in Western Lake Erie in 2012-2013, several specimens of Eurytemora were collected. Analysis of these specimens identified them as the recently described species EurEvaluating the importance of abiotic and biotic drivers on Bythotrephes biomass in Lakes Superior and Michigan
The ability of planktivorous fishes to exert top-down control on Bythotrephes potentially has far-reaching impacts on aquatic food-webs, given previously described effects of Bythotrephes on zooplankton communities. We estimated consumption of Bythotrephes by planktivorous and benthivorous fishes, using bioenergetics and daily ration models at nearshore (18 m), intermediate (46 m), and offshore (1Evidence of the St. Clair-Detroit River system as a dispersal corridor and nursery habitat for transient larval burbot
Burbot Lota lota are distributed across the Laurentian Great Lakes where they occupy a top piscivore role. The St. Clair-Detroit River System is known to provide a migration corridor as well as spawning and nursery habitat for many indigenous fishes of economic and ecological significance. However, knowledge is scant of the early life history of burbot and the importance of this system in their diComparing seasonal dynamics of the Lake Huron zooplankton community between 1983-1984 and 2007 and revisiting the impact of Bythotrephes planktivory
Zooplankton community composition can be influenced by lake productivity as well as planktivory by fish or invertebrates. Previous analyses based on long-term Lake Huron zooplankton data from August reported a shift in community composition between the 1980s and 2000s: proportional biomass of calanoid copepods increased while that of cyclopoid copepods and herbivorous cladocerans decreased. HereinNon-USGS Publications**
Thompson, P. A., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., O’Brien, T. P., & Bowser, D. A. (2017). Continued feeding on Diporeia by deepwater sculpin in Lake Huron. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 100(4), 407-419.Prichard, C. G., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., O’Brien, T. P., & Riley, S. C. (2016). Large-scale changes in bloater growth and condition in Lake Huron. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145(6), 1241-1251.Vasquez, A. A., Hudson, P. L., Fujimoto, M., Keeler, K., Armenio, P. M., & Ram, J. L. (2016). Eurytemora carolleeae in the Laurentian Great Lakes revealed by phylogenetic and morphological analysis. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 42(4), 802-811.McCullough, D. E., Roseman, E. F., Keeler, K. M., DeBruyne, R. L., Pritt, J. J., Thompson, P. A., ... & Provo, S. (2015). Evidence of the St. Clair-Detroit River System as a dispersal corridor and nursery habitat for transient larval burbot. Hydrobiologia, 757(1), 21-34.Bunnell, D. B., Davis, B. M., Chriscinske, M. A., Keeler, K. M., & Mychek-Londer, J. G. (2015). Diet shifts by planktivorous and benthivorous fishes in northern Lake Michigan in response to ecosystem changes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 41, 161-171.Keeler, K. M., Bunnell, D. B., Diana, J. S., Adams, J. V., Mychek-Londer, J. G., Warner, D. M., ... & Vinson, M. R. (2015). Evaluating the importance of abiotic and biotic drivers on Bythotrephes biomass in Lakes Superior and Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 41, 150-160. - News
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.