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Understanding and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in Freshwaters

Understanding and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in Freshwaters. Elena Litchman Michigan State University and Kellogg Biological Station. Fresh Water is a Limited Resource. Only 2.5% of water on Earth is fresh 2/3 is locked in glaciers and polar ice caps.

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Understanding and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in Freshwaters

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  1. Understanding and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in Freshwaters Elena Litchman Michigan State University and Kellogg Biological Station

  2. Fresh Water is a Limited Resource Only 2.5% of water on Earth is fresh 2/3 is locked in glaciers and polar ice caps http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/water_litho.pdf http://www.unep.org/themes/Freshwater/Related_Links/index.asp

  3. Fresh Water is a Limited Resource USA Today, October 19, 2007 Not only water quantity, but water quality! Water quality problem: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

  4. Talk Outline General Information on HABs The role of global change in HAB proliferation Current research on global change and HABs in my lab

  5. HAB Phytoplankton Cyanobacteria(freshwater and marine) Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) http://www.keweenawalgae.mtu.edu/ALGAL_IMAGES/cyanobacteria/ http://www.ab.lst.se/ Atmospheric nitrogen fixation http://www.botan.su.se/Fysiologi/CYANO/SUB-2.HTM

  6. Cyanobacteria in Temperate Lakes Main Players Anabaena Aphanizomenon Planktothrix Microcystis

  7. Cyanobacterial Toxins Microcystins - produced by Microcystis, Planktothrix (Oscillatoria), Anabaena LR YR Hepatotoxins Neurotoxins Differ in toxicity Babica et al. J. Phycol. 2006 sigmaaldrich.com

  8. Global Change and HABs

  9. Global Change Effects on Cyanobacteria • Increased air and water temperature • Directly stimulates growth • Longer ice-free period • Stimulates growth • Increased stratification (stability of the water column) • Increases competitive advantage (buoyancy) • Decreased mixing • Increases competitive advantage (buoyancy) • Increased nutrient limitation • May increase competitive advantage (N-fixers) • Increased oxygen depletion (at the bottom)

  10. Interaction of Multiple Global Change Stressors Invasive Species HAB-forming cyanobacteria Zebra mussels Increased Nutrient Inputs Increased Pesticide Inputs

  11. Cyanobacteria in Temperate Lakes Invasive Newcomer • Cylindrospermopsis • raciborskii • Invasive • Fixes N • Produces toxins • Forms deep chlorophyll maxima cylindrospermopsin

  12. Global Change and HABs Frequency and severity of HABs will likely increase in the future!

  13. Current Work on HABsin my Lab

  14. Lab members participating in HAB research Mary Anne Evans Kohei Yoshiyama Jarad Mellard Ally Morgan Pam Woodruff Kelly Amrhein Paula Tezanos

  15. Current HAB Work in my Lab • Field sampling of diverse lakes in MI • Lab experiments (physiology, competitive interactions) • Modeling interactions between HAB species and the rest of the plankton

  16. Field Sampling • Monitor and sample diverse lakes in West Michigan • Characterize physical structure of the water column (temperature, light, turbulence) • Measure chemical parameters (nutrients) • Determine phytoplankton community structure (HAB species) • Measure toxins (microcystin)

  17. Field Sampling and Monitoring Sites Current sampling Proposed sampling

  18. Detailed Physical Structureof Diverse Lakes • SCAMP (Self-Contained Autonomous Microprofiler) • #46 • Moored thermistor chains • Temperature • Light • Chl fluorescence • Turbulence • Stratification/mixing

  19. Seasonal Chl Distribution

  20. Depth and Seasonal Variation in TurbulenceGull Lake. MI Lowest turbulence Highest Microcystis abundance

  21. Monitoring Cyanobacteria Physical processes Presence of Invasive Species Abundance Toxin concentration Evans et al. in prep.

  22. Lake Monitoring Networks • GLEON (Global Lake Ecological • Observatory Network) • WATERS Network ( Water and Environmental Research System) • CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science) Parameters to measure: Physical, chemical and biological

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