While tied up at a boat launch on Lake Michigan, preparing the Great Lakes Science Center’s R/V Stonecat for a day of field work, the research team was met with a surprise: A car boat coming in off the water!
Mary Anne Evans, PhD
Mary Anne Evans is a Research Ecologist based in Ann Arbor, MI.
Mary Anne Evans is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center where she contributes to the Restoration and Conservation Science branch. Her current research focuses on drivers and consequences of harmful and nuisance algal blooms (HABs and NABs) including nutrient, light, and dreissenid influences on benthic algal blooms, cyanobacterial HABs in western Lake Erie, nutrient and algal dynamics in other river influenced nearshore areas of the Great Lakes, and translating HABs and NABs science for diverse audiences. Prior to joining the USGS, she studied hypoxic “dead zones” in Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico as a post-doctoral scientist at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and recreational lakes in Michigan as a post-doctoral scientist at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Michigan, studying the phytoplankton ecology of arctic lakes.
Research Summary
My research explores the interaction of physical and biological processes that control ecosystem functions. I am especially interested in controls of phytoplankton and benthic algae growth. Understanding the regulation of primary producers is integral to predicting, managing, and conserving ecosystem function, especially for systems impacted by both local human stresses and global climate change. In addition, large accumulations of algal biomass, either of toxic species or leading to decomposition induced hypoxia, can be detrimental to human use of aquatic resources. The conditions necessary for such harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxic events are predicted to increase under climate change scenarios; thus, understanding their controls will be increasingly important to ecosystem management.
My approach to research is to combine field studies with mathematical modeling. I use numerical models to explore a broader range of mechanistic variability than is practical in field experiments, while, at the same time, I use field data to test model predictions. In this way, each approach informs the other, allowing for more robust and general conclusions that may be extrapolated across aquatic ecosystems.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, 2012 – present, Great Lakes Science Center, United States Geological Survey
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, 2009-2012, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
Post Doctoral Researcher, 2007-2009, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., 2007 University of Michigan, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI. Dissertation title “Phytoplankton Ecology of Arctic Lakes"
M.S., 2001 University of Michigan, Department of Biology, Ann Arbor, MI
B.S., 1999 Summa cum laude, University of Louisville, Department of Biology, Louisville, KY. Honors thesis “The effects of elevated NO3 deposition on nitrogen retention in forest soils “
Science and Products
Data releases by this scientist
Data from water column and sediment incubations from streams of Duck Creek and Fox River watersheds in Wisconsin, as well as the Fox rivermouth, the Saginaw rivermouth (Lake Huron, MI) and the Maumee rivermouth (Lake Erie, OH)
Biofouling and mussel growth from mussels deployed in Great Lakes embayments (2013-2016)
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2021
Phytoplankton Community Composition in Western Lake Erie, 2014-2018; Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, 2015; and Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, 2015
Temperature and invertebrate community composition at nearshore Great Lakes sites, 2013-2016
Code associated with analysis and modeling of benthic and pelagic inorganic nutrient processing rates at the interface between a river and lake
Data Release Sediment and water column flux data from the Fox Rivermouth (Green Bay, WI; 2017)
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2020 (ver. 2, May 2023)
Hyperspectral Characterization of Common Cyanobacteria Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms (ver. 2.0, October 2020)
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2019 (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2018 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
Multimedia related to this scientist
While tied up at a boat launch on Lake Michigan, preparing the Great Lakes Science Center’s R/V Stonecat for a day of field work, the research team was met with a surprise: A car boat coming in off the water!
Publications by this scientist
Comparison of sediment and water column nutrient processing rates in agricultural streams of contrasting buffer land use
Role of trace metal co-limitation in cyanobacterial blooms of Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan)
Dissolved organic matter transformations in a freshwater rivermouth
Biofouling of a unionid mussel by dreissenid mussels in nearshore zones of the Great Lakes
Sub-indicator: Cladophora
Episodic nutrient addition affects water column nutrient processing rates in river-to-lake transitional zones
Benthic and planktonic inorganic nutrient processing rates at the interface between a river and lake
Great Lakes harmful algal blooms: Current knowledge gaps
Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Elucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling
Preliminary analysis to estimate the spatial distribution of benefits of P load reduction: Identifying the spatial influence of phosphorus loading from the Maumee River (USA) in western Lake Erie
Phosphorus, nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon fluxes from sediments in freshwater rivermouths entering Green Bay (Lake Michigan; USA)
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
News about this scientist
Science and Products
- Data
Data releases by this scientist
Data from water column and sediment incubations from streams of Duck Creek and Fox River watersheds in Wisconsin, as well as the Fox rivermouth, the Saginaw rivermouth (Lake Huron, MI) and the Maumee rivermouth (Lake Erie, OH)
Nutrient reduction on the landscape scale often focuses on actions that reduce the movement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural lands into streams and rivers. However, processing of N and P in streams and rivers can be substantial and increasing these in-stream processing rates could result in reductions or transformations of nutrients to less labile or less mobile forms. We hypotBiofouling and mussel growth from mussels deployed in Great Lakes embayments (2013-2016)
Many taxa of North American unionid mussels are imperiled due to biofouling by invasive dreissenid mussels. Here, we report on biofouling rates of unionid mussels suspended in cages during the growing season in nearshore embayments in Lake Erie (2013-2016), Lake Michigan (Green Bay 2016, Grand Traverse Bay 2015) and Lake Huron (Saginaw Bay 2015). Mussels were deployed in early summer (late May orCladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2021
This dataset records Cladophora and associated benthic algae, collectively Cladophora community or submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), biomass collected during the growing season of 2021 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: -Phytoplankton Community Composition in Western Lake Erie, 2014-2018; Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, 2015; and Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, 2015
This dataset contains a tabular file of phytoplankton abundance and community composition analysis in samples collected from eight sites in the Western Lake Erie Basin; four sites in Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan; and five sites in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Samples were collected and processed by the Great Lakes Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and analyzed by BSA EnvironmentTemperature and invertebrate community composition at nearshore Great Lakes sites, 2013-2016
Data on ambient water temperatures and invertebrate community composition from ~40 sites in the western basin of Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), Grand Traverse Bay (Lake Michigan) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan). These samples were collected as part of a study on spatial variation in ecosystem processes.Code associated with analysis and modeling of benthic and pelagic inorganic nutrient processing rates at the interface between a river and lake
In this data release the authors have code and 'data' that are used to model how sediment flux and water column processing of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), ammonium (NH4/NHX) and nitrate (NOX). The file 'README.md' contains background information on how to access and use the data and code files.Data Release Sediment and water column flux data from the Fox Rivermouth (Green Bay, WI; 2017)
These are data associated with water column incubation experiments performed in the Fox rivermouth. The Fox River is a Lake Michigan tributary that enters Green Bay. These experiments are used to measure the transformation of inorganic and total dissolved nutrients occurring in the surface water of the rivermouth. Experiments had light and dark treatments, and some experiments were paired withCladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2020 (ver. 2, May 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected during the growing season of 2020 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - measurements of Secchi disk depth and water chemistry; - wateHyperspectral Characterization of Common Cyanobacteria Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms (ver. 2.0, October 2020)
This dataset is a collection of hyperspectral imagery profiles of 13 common algae associated with Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB). Data were retrieved from a hyperspectral microscope at, and with the cooperation of, the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Samples were collected from USGS water quality sampling efforts, and were also purchased from commercial vendors of biological materialsCladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2019 (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected approximately monthly during the growing season of 2019 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - seasonal time series of light,Cladophora biomass and supporting data collected in the Great Lakes, 2018 (ver. 2.0, June 2023)
This dataset records Cladophora and associated submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) biomass collected approximately monthly during the growing season of 2018 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - seasonal time series of light, - Multimedia
Multimedia related to this scientist
Car Boat Comes to Dock in Lake MichiganWhile tied up at a boat launch on Lake Michigan, preparing the Great Lakes Science Center’s R/V Stonecat for a day of field work, the research team was met with a surprise: A car boat coming in off the water!
While tied up at a boat launch on Lake Michigan, preparing the Great Lakes Science Center’s R/V Stonecat for a day of field work, the research team was met with a surprise: A car boat coming in off the water!
- Publications
Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 29Comparison of sediment and water column nutrient processing rates in agricultural streams of contrasting buffer land use
Watershed nutrient management often focuses on actions that reduce the movement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural lands into streams. One area of management focus is the buffer of land adjacent to streams. Wetlands and forests in this buffer can intercept and retain N and P from the landscape. In addition to directly intercepting agricultural nutrients, natural habitats in the bAuthorsJames H. Larson, Sean Bailey, Rebecca Kreiling, Lynn A. Bartsch, Paul C. Frost, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos, Nolan J.T. Pearce, Mary Anne EvansRole of trace metal co-limitation in cyanobacterial blooms of Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan)
The open waters of large lakes can sometimes become so depleted in important metals that phytoplankton communities become either growth limited or limited in some metabolic function. Metals such as Fe, Ni, Mo, and Zn are used as co-factors for enzymes by phytoplankton in core metabolic functions, as well as metabolic pathways that allow phytoplankton to use less preferred forms of N and P (e.g. niAuthorsJames H. Larson, Keith Loftin, Erin A. Stelzer, David M. Costello, Sean Bailey, Mary Anne Evans, Carrie E Givens, Lisa R. FogartyDissolved organic matter transformations in a freshwater rivermouth
River-to-lake transitional areas are biogeochemically active ecosystems that can alter the amount and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as it moves through the aquatic continuum. However, few studies have directly measured carbon processing and assessed the carbon budget of freshwater rivermouths. We compiled measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and DOM in several water columAuthorsNolan J.T. Pearce, James H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Sean Bailey, Paul C. Frost, William F. James, Marguerite A. XenopoulosBiofouling of a unionid mussel by dreissenid mussels in nearshore zones of the Great Lakes
In North America, native unionid mussels are imperiled due to factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species. One of the most substantial threats is that posed by dreissenid mussels, which are invasive mussels that attach to hard substrates including unionid shells and can restrict movement and feeding of unionids. This dreissenid mussel biofouling of unionids varies spatiallAuthorsJames H. Larson, Sean Bailey, Mary Anne EvansSub-indicator: Cladophora
Every three years the Great Lakes Executive Committee reports on the status of the Great Lakes' ecosystem based on 9 indicators and several sub-indicators. This sub-indicator technical report supports assessment of the Nutrients and Algae Indicator by evaluating the status of Cladophora and other benthic algae that can grow to nuisance levels. Based on established criteria, the overall status foAuthorsDavid Depew, Harvey A. Bootsma, Todd Howell, Megan McCusker, Mary Anne EvansEpisodic nutrient addition affects water column nutrient processing rates in river-to-lake transitional zones
Storm-driven nutrient loading from tributaries can fuel eutrophication in nearshore and open water areas of lentic ecosystems. However, nutrient processing in river-to-lake transitional zones can substantially alter the amount and composition of nutrients transported to lakes from upstream surface waters. We measured the removal of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the water columnAuthorsNolan J.T. Pearce, James H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Paul C. Frost, Marguerite A. XenopoulosBenthic and planktonic inorganic nutrient processing rates at the interface between a river and lake
The interface between lotic and lentic ecosystems is often a zone of intense metabolic activity, as primary production in streams and rivers can be light limited whereas nutrients often limit primary production in lake ecosystems. Our objective was to model the influence that rivermouths (the lotic-lentic interface) could have on the loads of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved inorganAuthorsJames H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Paul C. Frost, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos, William F. James, Paul ReneauGreat Lakes harmful algal blooms: Current knowledge gaps
Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) pose serious risks throughout the world to drinking water, recreation, and ecosystem health. The Great Lakes, which contain nearly 20% of the world’s available surface freshwater, have been experiencing an increase in HABs since the 1990s. Knowledge gaps relating to HABs remain even after extensive and ongoing research efforts. These knowledge gaps are presenAuthorsGregory L. Boyer, Mary Anne Evans, Timothy Maguire, Silvia Newell, Heather Raymond, Dale M. Robertson, Katie Stammler, Nicole Zacharda, Kenneth J. GibbonsSequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Daunting amounts of microplastics are present in surface waters worldwide. A main category of microplastics is synthetic microfibers, which originate from textiles. These microplastics are generated and released in laundering and are discharged by wastewater treatment plants or enter surface waters from other sources. The polymers that constitute many common synthetic microfibers are mostly denserAuthorsJulie R. Peller, Meredith B. Nevers, Muruleedhara Byappanahalli, Cassie Nelson, Bharath Ganesh Babu, Mary Anne Evans, Eddie Kostelnik, Morgan Keller, Jenna Johnston, Sarah ShidlerElucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling
The adverse impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing worldwide. Lake Erie is a North American Great Lake highly affected by cultural eutrophication and summer cyanobacterial HABs. While phosphorus loading is a known driver of bloom size, more nuanced yet crucial questions remain. For example, it is unclear what mechanisms are primarily responsible for initiating cyanobacterial dominanAuthorsDario Del Giudice, Shiqi Fang, Donald Scavia, Timothy W. Davis, Mary Anne Evans, Daniel R ObenourPreliminary analysis to estimate the spatial distribution of benefits of P load reduction: Identifying the spatial influence of phosphorus loading from the Maumee River (USA) in western Lake Erie
Since the early 2000s, Lake Erie has been experiencing annual cyanobacterial blooms that often cover large portions of the western basin and even reach into the central basin. These blooms have affected several ecosystem services provided by Lake Erie to surrounding communities (notably drinking water quality). Several modeling efforts have identified the springtime total bioavailable phosphorus (AuthorsJames H. Larson, Enrika Hlavacek, Nathan R. De Jager, Mary Anne Evans, Timothy WynnePhosphorus, nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon fluxes from sediments in freshwater rivermouths entering Green Bay (Lake Michigan; USA)
Transitional areas between ecosystem types are often active biogeochemically due to resource limitation changes. Lotic-to-lentic transitions in freshwaters appear active biogeochemically, but few studies have directly measured nutrient processing rates to assess whether processing within the rivermouth is important for load estimates or the local communities. We measured oxic fluxes of inorganic nAuthorsJames H. Larson, William F. James, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Paul C. Frost, Mary Anne Evans, Paul C. Reneau, Marguerite A. XenopoulosNon-USGS Publications**
N. S. Bosch, M. A. Evans, D. Scavia, and J. D. Allan. 2014. Interacting effects of climate change and agricultural BMPs on nutrient runoff entering Lake Erie. Journal of Great Lakes Research 40(3): 581-589Michalak, A.M., E. Anderson, D. Beletsky, S. Boland, N.S. Bosch, T.B. Bridgeman, J.D. Chaffin, K.H. Cho, R. Confesor, I. Daloğlu, J. DePinto, M.A. Evans, G.L. Fahnenstiel, L. He, J.C. Ho, L. Jenkins, T. Johengen, K.C. Kuo, E. Laporte, X. Liu, M. McWilliams, M.R. Moore, D.J. Posselt, R.P. Richards, D. Scavia, A.L. Steiner, E. Verhamme, D.M. Wright, M.A. Zagorski. 2013. The 2011 Lake Erie harmful algal bloom: Perfect storm or harbinger of future conditions? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(16): 6448–6452.M.A. Evans, D. Scavia. 2013. Exploring estuarine eutrophication sensitivity to nutrient loading. Limnology & Oceanography 58(2): 569–578M. A. Evans, G.A. Fahnenstiel, and D. Scavia. 2011. Incidental oligotrophication of North American Great Lakes. Environmental Science and Technology 45(8): 3297–3303. DOI: 10.1021/es103892w
M. A. Evans and D. Scavia. 2010. Forecasting hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico: Model accuracy, precision, and sensitivity to ecosystem change. Environmental Research Letters 6: 015001
C. R. Johnson, C. Luecke, S. C. Whalen, M. A. Evans. 2010. Direct and indirect effects of fish on pelagic nitrogen and phosphorus availability in oligotrophic Arctic Alaskan lakes. Freshwater Biology 67: 1635–1648Liu, Y, M.A. Evans, D. Scavia. 2010 Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia: Exploring Increasing Sensitivity to Nitrogen Loads. Environmental Science and Technology 44(15): 5836-5841M. A. Evans, S. MacIntyre, G. W. Kling. 2008. Internal wave effects on photosynthesis: experiments, theory, and modeling. Limnology & Oceanography 53(1): 339-353J. Vandermeer, M. A. Evans, P. Foster, T. Höök, M. Reiskind, M. Wund. 2002. Increased competition may promote species coexistence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99:8731-8736**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.
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