ZEBRA MUSSELS
         The steep decline in the mussels population density is the first thing I noticed this year. There are far fewer mussels on the reef than there has been in years past. This is only true for the swallow water area of 6 to 15 feet. I had one occasion to dive out deeper this year and in the 25 to 30 feet area the mussels seem to be doing quite well on the limited areas they have been able to colonize.   The Mussels had a large spawning in the Fall of 2001, this has been the largest in several years.
     ROUNDED GOBIES
         The number of gobies has always been hard to get a feel for. Early in Spring I thought their numbers had declined but I think I was mistaken and now think they are at nearly the same population density as they have been for the last several years.
      HYDRAS
         These animals are having a good year. There population density hasn't been this high in several years ( perhaps their density is correlated to the increase in cyclopoid copepods, see below).
      ZOOTHAMNIUMS
         These animals to are having a good year, there populations is close to that of when I first started this project.
      SPONGES
          The number of sponges has definitely decreased.
      BRYOZOANS
           They are still found in high numbers on the reef
       PLANARIANS
           This animal is still almost totally absent from the area.
        SNAILS
            None have been found. I still haven't run across any articles written on whether the snails disappearance is Lake wide. I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone having knowledge of how the snails are faring in other parts of the Lake.
 

                                          DATA FROM BENTHIC SAMPLES 2001
        I'm already starting to gather new data for 2002 and haven't complete going over the data for 2001. That year (2001)
was the worse yet for photography. The Lake's water was full of sediment which made getting any decent photos impossible
until October. Below is a month by month account of the my research notes from May (when I first went back into the water)
till October. I feel ashamed to have done so little research last year. Basically though the ecosystem has not changed much
since the year 2000. The rounded gobies are as numerous as ever. The Zebra mussels had a good spawning year in the Fall,
something that did not occur in the year 2000. The number of mussels has remained steady. There were far fewer sponges in
2000 than in almost any previous year. The Bryozoan F.sultana is still found in great numbers. AND THERE ARE NO SNAILS
FOUND AT ALL, EVERY SPECIES HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

Notes and samples from Avon Point May to October 2001.  The rocks were all taken from depths between 6 to 12 feet except for the June 27 sample
which was taken from a depth of 22 feet..  All these notes are concerned with only the underside of the rocks.
May 2   Rock size  19 X 11 cm.
       Z-mussels     3      3 to 22 mm.
      Zoothamniums       60
      Carichism              10
May 31   Rock size   15 X 12 X 13 cm. (triangle)
      Hydras                   21
     Zoothamniums       117
     Z Mussels               13        2 to 5 mm. long
    Planarians                  1        Unknown type photographed
    Midge nests              31
     Annilids                     4
          1 Mayfly in the water surrounding rock
June 10  Rock size 4 X 11 cm
       Bryozoan colony    small covering less than 1 cm. sq.
       Zoothamniums          34
       Midge nests               4
       Hydras                      32
       Z-mussels                  13          1 to 18 mm.
               Rock roughly 9 X 7.5 cm.
        Hydras                     37
        Byrozoan colonies     6
        Midge nests              4
        Z-mussels                 5
        Zoothamniums          7
June 13   Rock size        Triangle    8 x 7x 10.5
        Hydras                    52
        Midge nests             3
        Z-mussels                1
              Rock size       6 x 7 cm.
         Hydras                   2
June 27    This rock was taken from a depth of 22 feet off the Point.
                 Rock size 16 x 8 cm.
         Hydras                  52
         Byrozoan colonies  4    (F.sultana) largest colony was 2 cm. in diameter
         Midge nests           7
July 15   rock size 9 x 8 cm.
         Byrozoan colony     very large colony, took up about 1/4 of the rocks surface
         Z- mussels            10          3 to 5 mm.
         Midge nests           8
         Zoothamniums        1
Aug 15   Rock size 10 x 15 cm.
        Zebra mussels have spawned  175 mussels  1 to 2 mm. long
        Midge nests         18
       Bryozoan colony F.sultana        colony size 1 cm in diameter
Aug 26  Rock size   10 x 11 cm.
        Zebra mussels        356   small mussels      1 to 2 mm.
       Midge nests              22

             Rock 2 size   7 x 7 cm.
          Zebra mussels               32

             Rock 3   size  8 X 7 cm.
         Zebra mussels     42
        Byrozoan colony   small colony about 4 sq. mm.
Sept. 6  Rock size   12 X 10 cm.
        Z mussels             44                              10 to 40 mm. around rock edge
           small mussels     18                                1 to 2 mm.
        Midge nests           6
       Bryozoan colonies   2                                small
       Sponge                  1                                  brown, roughly 3 cm. in diameter
Sept 9     Rock size 36 cm. sq.
       Z -mussels             13                                4 to 8 mm. long
      Z- mussels              150                             .5 to 1.5 mm. long
      Bryozoan colonies    3                              F. sultana
      Ablab nests             14
              Rock size 7 x 6 cm.
       Z- mussels              9                                4 to 10 cm. long
      Z- mussels             153                              .5 to 1 mm.
     Bryozoan colony     1 ?                            Because of the midge nests and young mussels I couldn't tell if this was
                                                                    one large colony or several small ones. Covered an area of 2.5 cm.
     Midge nests           10
Oct 3 Rock size 11 X 13 cm.
        Bryozoan colony   large 4 cm. in diameter  F. sultana
        Sponge       going into gemmule body formation
        Z- mussels     226           small .5 to 2 mm. long
        midge nests     8
        Planarian         Dugesia  body type   6 mm. long