| Spatial variability in zooplankton populations is determined by the complex interactions of physical, ecological and behavioural drivers. This study determined that the distribution of the non-indigenous Bythotrephes longimanus in Harp Lake, ON, was correlated with patterns of wind direction and the degree of thermocline tilting. A temporal correlogram indicated that when wind direction and thermocline tilting were integrated over time periods equal to 18 and 5 internal wave periods, respectively, prior to sampling, approximately 45% of the variability in Bythotrephes spatial distribution was explained. To further explore the distribution, a diel vertical migration algorithm was added to a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model to simulate the interacting effects of meteorology and migration on the invader's spatial distribution. The simulated distribution achieved significant rank correlations with field data. The validated model was used to determine the regulators of Bythotrephes patch formation and delivery to lake outflows, the first step in natural advective dispersal. |
