Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-10
LIFE IN OUR LAKES.
PROF. MARsHs INVESTIGATION \,
THE DEEP-wATER WORLD.
BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS AID PLsNTO.
A militant Crusfacean, Known ss
The Mysis, Discovered I'm Greer
Lake-How the sun inhuences the
yeuetabIe Growth I'm Water.
nor the Dlspatch.)

| RIPON, WIS, September I-Bonoath'
the waters Of our American lakes Jhors
swarms a living mass whose existence
] is not recognized by most people. Noe
| only are there the plants which grow
weeds alongshore. but the open waters
! OF the lakes are, At certain seasons.
| green with luxurious growth Of plants
! that are minute I'm size but almost M
| finite I'm numbers. There are also count
| less numbers OF minute animals, mos1
| of them belonging 20 the crustacea. IN
| this inexhaustble field for research l.
| have been at work for a long time past.
! and now give the result OF my inyest-
cations 10 your readers, believing that
| the work Of the fish culturist ryIi b.
aided and scientific storehouses .cnr.ca-
/ cd thereby.
I have pursued my investigations f0r
the most part I'm the waters OF Green
, Lake. long. narrow body OF water some.
thing over seven miles In length. ana
with a maximum width Of less than tWo
miles. In the general manner OF its
vegetable life Green Lake resembles ~
a striking manner the great lakes. Have
ing chosen this lake for the scene OF my
investigations, / devised the necessary
apparatus for securing specimens 0f taa
animal anu FNbttAbAN AAAN va N'-r -f 90
any depth.
The dredge which have used vas
constructed after several experiments.
II is shown I'm the accompanying photo
graphs. The work Of dredging was d1nl
from a rowboat. In the winter the ape
paratus was hung from a tripod placed
over hole in the Ice.
with this dredge l set TO work ana
studied day By day the life thar my
/ apparatus brought from the depths ot
the lake water. I found that the animals
and plants. which are moved about ~
the wind and waves. and but little or
not at all by their own v0lition. ana
which are the ultimate food OF the largo
fish. varied I'm many ways.
These animals and plants are not tni-
formly distributed through The water.
but are more abundant near the surface.
and some Of the animals are aggregated
i'm masses or swarms. Tie mass varies,
too. somewhat I'm its vertical distribution.
being especially sensitive 20 the influence
OF light Many Of the floating plants
come 10 the surface in their fruians,
and are sometimes present in such NUM-
bers that the water seems like green
mass In time Of storm sections Of thes5
plants may be thrown mp alongshore.
and It is their decay which is a common
cause Of the "fshy" taste OF our public
water supplies.
In the deepest depths investigated [
discovered some animals which are never
found near the surface. In the great
lakes. for instance, ir found In abu1-
dance a beautiful crutacean known a3
the 'mysis." This little animal seems %
form the chief food Of the lake trout.
The rnysis Is not known 70 occur In any
Of the smaller lakes of the United state.
except I'm Green Lake. where l discoveri
ii. 1t would seem probable, then, th-I
Green Lake is especially well adapted ID
the culture Of lake trout, and mi ~ h'
made the national home OF this coyetlu
fish.
An important point emphasized by tho
Investigations was the influence OF no
sun on the vegetable growth Of ne
lakes. Shallow lakes as a rule, have
more vegetation than deep lakes. Tor %
sun reaches more Of the bottom. ana
sunlight is essential to vegetable growth.
Deep lakes are hence sometimes calico
vegetation poor" while shallow lak's
are rich. Il follows that the shallow
lakes are better fish producers than TIE
deep lakes, although certain fish lik'
lake trout, and white fish live only ~
deep and cold water.
N the deeper iakes the water Is NOT
warmed to any extent below about -
feet and in a lake 100 or 200 feet deem
there is a change Of temperature during
the year OF only about ten degrees.
while in a lake % or 80 feet deep Tho
temperature in summer is nearly mo
same from top 10 bottom. Green Lake.
which Is 237 feet deep. has n maximum
bottom temperature OF 43 degrees, while
the surface in August may rise as hish
as 50 degrees or course these tempert-
ture limitations would prevent the
growth IN shallow lakes OF fish needing
a comparatively low temperature.
The study OF this fauna and fora 81