Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Long Point Bay:

Breeding female ducks and growing ducklings require substantial quantities of invertebrates in their diet in order to lay eggs and grow, respectively. However, invertebrate surveys conducted by the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund (LPWWRF) indicate that the Inner Long Point Bay and several of the ponds and creeks on the Point itself have invertebrate densities below that which is considered optimal for duckling production. This and the fact that Long Point is on the periphery of the breeding range of most waterfowl species, may explain the low densities of breeding waterfowl in the area.

Although Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup and Buffleheads consume large quantities of zebra mussels, other species of fall staging waterfowl at Long Point consume extremely low quantities of native invertebrates. The most common native invertebrates in the diets of Long Point's waterfowl were snails (Gastropoda) and caddis fly larvae (Trichoptera). The fact that waterfowl, especially dabbling ducks, generally do not consume large quantities (<5%) of invertebrates during migration can be attributed to the fact that they obtain most of the protein required for egg production while on the breeding grounds, whereas quantities of fat are often acquired on and transported from the wintering and staging areas as body reserves. The energetics of flight probably also predispose spring and fall migrating waterfowl to consuming plant matter, as plants have much higher concentrations of carbohydrate than do invertebrates.

Whereas they are not consumed in large quantities by waterfowl at Long Point, invertebrates are a critical dietary component of most fish species, particularly of juveniles. Herein may lie the primary importance of Long Point's aquatic invertebrates, as Long Point Bay provides critically important fish spawning and nursery habitat. Invertebrates are also consumed by amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, and by several other species of wetland dependent birds. Invertebrates also facilitate aquatic plant breakdown and decomposition, and they provide an essential nutrient link between primary producers (e.g. algae) and higher trophic levels (e.g. waterfowl and fish).