Understanding and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in

Freshwaters

Elena LitchmanMichigan 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

http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/water_litho.pdfhttp://www.unep.org/themes/Freshwater/Related_Links/index.asp

Fresh Water is a Limited ResourceUSA Today, October 19, 2007

Not only water quantity, but water quality!

Water quality problem: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Talk Outline

•General Information on HABs

•The role of global change in HAB proliferation

•Current research on global change and HABs in my lab

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

Cyanobacteria in Temperate Lakes Main Players

Anabaena

Aphanizomenon

Microcystis

Planktothrix

Cyanobacterial Toxins

Microcystins - produced by Microcystis, Planktothrix (Oscillatoria), Anabaena

Babica et al. J. Phycol. 2006sigmaaldrich.com

•Hepatotoxins

•Neurotoxins

Differ in toxicity

LR YR

Global Change and HABs

Global Change Effects on Cyanobacteria

•Increased air and water temperature Directly stimulates growth

•Longer ice-free periodStimulates growth

•Increased stratification (stability of the water column)Increases competitive advantage (buoyancy)

•Decreased mixingIncreases competitive advantage (buoyancy)

•Increased nutrient limitationMay increase competitive advantage (N-fixers)

•Increased oxygen depletion (at the bottom)

Interaction of Multiple Global Change Stressors

•Invasive Species

HAB-forming cyanobacteria

Zebra mussels

•Increased Nutrient Inputs

•Increased Pesticide Inputs

Cyanobacteria in Temperate Lakes Invasive Newcomer

Cylindrospermopsisraciborskii

•Invasive•Fixes N•Produces toxins•Forms deep chlorophyll maxima

cylindrospermopsin

Global Change and HABs

Frequency and severity of HABs will likely increase in the future!

Current Work on HABsin my Lab

Lab members participating in HAB research

Mary Anne EvansKohei YoshiyamaJarad MellardAlly MorganPam WoodruffKelly AmrheinPaula Tezanos

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

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)

Field Sampling and Monitoring Sites

Current sampling

Proposed sampling

Detailed Physical Structureof Diverse Lakes

•SCAMP (Self-Contained Autonomous Microprofiler)#46•Moored thermistor chains

•Temperature•Light•Chl fluorescence•Turbulence•Stratification/mixing

Seasonal Chl Distribution

Depth and Seasonal Variation in Turbulence

Gull Lake. MI051015202510-810-610-410-2100102

a) June 28, 2006

Depth (m)

Kz (cm2 s-1)

ML depthMedian Kz = 3.5 cm2 s-1KPAR=0.24 m-1

051015202510-810-610-410-2100102

b) August 10, 2006

Kz (cm2 s-1)

ML depth

Median Kz = 0.13 cm2 s-1KPAR=0.36 m-1

051015202510-210-1100101102103104

c) November 1, 2006

Kz (cm2 s-1)

Median Kz = 161 cm2 s-1KPAR=0.25 m-1

Lowest turbulenceHighest Microcystis abundance

Monitoring Cyanobacteria •Abundance•Toxin concentration

survey lakes, MI

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

1.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

TP (ug/L)

microcystin conc. (ug/L)

no ZMZM

Presence of Invasive Species Gull Lake, MI

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

29-Jun-07 19-Jul-07 8-Aug-07 28-Aug-07 17-Sep-07 7-Oct-07 27-Oct-07

date

microcystin conc. (ug/L)

Physical processes

Evans et al. in prep.

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