Critter and Plant Identification Key

Phytoplankton - small floating plants

Phytoplankton are the primary producers in all of the Finger Lakes. They harvest the energy of the sun and turn it into the plant biomass that everything else in the lake depends on for food. Examples include Fragillaria and Asterionella.

Zooplankton - small floating animals

Zooplankton are small floating animals that are found in the Finger Lakes. They float in the top layers of the water column, eating the phytoplankton, and sometimes each other for food. Examples include Copepods and Daphnia.

Science on Seneca Plankton and Zooplankton I.D. Cards

New York Fish Species

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Web site includes all of the fish species that you will find in the Finger Lakes.

Invasive Species

Learn more about invasive bivalve species: what they look like and why they are a problem in most of the Finger Lakes, including Seneca Lake. You can find out about the impact of zebra mussels on Seneca Lake or quagga mussels (PDF), a recent threat to the Finger Lakes.

Aquatic Plants

A guide to identifying some of the native and invasive aquatic plants in the Finger Lakes.