One of the main functions of this laboratory will be to monitor nutrients in the lakes each year. The bioindicators laboratory will be used to monitor the condition of various groups of organisms in the lakes. The composition of plant and animal communities in lakes is very sensitive to changes in chemical and physical conditions. Consequently, the composition of these communities is a good indicator of the environmental health of a lake and changes in their composition are a good indicator of whether it is improving or not. The bioindicator laboratory will monitor regularly, among other communities, the algal communities in the lakes.
Algal communities are one of most sensitive and well understood indicators of water quality.
Monitoring the lakes for the establishment of new nuisance species will be another function of the bioindicator laboratory. One potential nuisance species that could have a disastrous impact on the lakes and the economy of the Iowa Great Lakes region, if it became established, is the submersed aquatic species, Eurasian water millfoil. This species is spreading westward in North America and is already established in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It forms very dense beds that supplant native species of submersed aquatics and interfere with boating, swimming and fishing. Early detection and intervention by removal of new populations is the easiest and cheapest way to control it.