PaPond
Could it be that what we're really talking about here is a two-pronged issue. True--aeration will cool a small pond the way that stirring your coffee in a duck blind will speed the cooling process. The amount of cooling depends on the ratio of stirring (size of your aeration system) to water volume (size of your pond). A properly sized aerator, as noted by Ted Lea, probably doesn't have much impact. Anyway, the second issue could be suspension of bottom silt, detritus and waste created by a poorly placed winter aeration system. This would likely further inhibit light movement through your water column, resulting in less phytoplankton production and the subsequent reduction in available oxygen. Excessive cooling + suspended crud + less oxygen = more stress.
How's that for sloppy science??
