A Durable and Transportable Limnetic Enclosure System Suitable for Wind-Exposed Lakes

A2-m-wide, transportable enclosure system suitable for cold, windy lakes is described. Incubation of these enclosures in the shallow (mean depth = 1.5 m) Lake Tjeukemeer, The Netherlands, has shown that its construction resists wind speeds of 14–20 m/s and temperatures below 5 °C. Potentially lethal concentrations of at least five toxic chemicals necessitate preliminary leaching in lake water of the polyvinylchloride material used in bag construction. Phytoplankton inside and outside the enclosures behaved similarly 3 d and 3 wk into incubation.