The patchiness of natural populations is of fundamental importance to many aspects of ecological theory. In aquatic environments the lack of vegetational structure and low visibility compared to terrestrial environments combine with continuous mixing processes to make assessment of patch size, structure, and function particularly difficult. Yet the importance of top-down control of aquatic communities suggests that the spatial and temporal distribution of predator and prey populations may be a primary regulator in community dynamics. Recent developments in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and video imaging technologies provide the potential to resolve spatial and temporal patchiness of plankton and fish populations on much finer scales than could ever be obtained with traditional sampling methods. The primary objectives of the SGER project is to apply recent advances in ROV and video imaging technologies to quantify the distribution and abundance of invertebrate and vertebrate predators and their prey in lakes of different trophic status. As part of the multiinstitutional Pocono Comparative Lakes Program, the project will be carried out in a highly interactive research and educational environment that maximizes the exposure of students and investigators to these new technologies. Transfer of information on ROV and video sampling will be facilitated by a symposium/workshop to be conducted after testing the ROV
