Article
Environmental Sciences
Yue Han, Tarek N. Aziz, Dario Del Giudice, Nathan S. Hall, Daniel R. Obenour
Summary: Nutrient reductions are more critical than changes in mixing or background turbidity in controlling cyanobacteria in shallow eutrophic freshwater systems. Both models explain around 60% of the variability in chlorophyll-a, but the mechanistic model is more robust and provides a more comprehensive assessment of algal drivers.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Faizan Saleem, Jennifer L. Jiang, Rachelle Atrache, Athanasios Paschos, Thomas A. Edge, Herb E. Schellhorn
Summary: Cyanobacteria can form harmful algal blooms in eutrophic freshwater ecosystems, posing a threat to wildlife, public health, and recreational waters. Molecular methods are increasingly recommended for the detection and quantification of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins. However, each molecular detection method has its own advantages and limitations for monitoring algal blooms. Integration of modern technologies such as satellite imaging, biosensors, and machine learning/artificial intelligence can help overcome these limitations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaitlin L. Reinl, Ted D. Harris, Inge Elfferich, Ayooluwateso Coker, Qing Zhan, Lisette N. De Senerpont Domis, Ana M. Morales-Williams, Ruchi Bhattacharya, Hans-Peter Grossart, Rebecca L. North, Jon N. Sweetman
Summary: This review investigates the role of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus as critical macroelements in freshwater systems. It explores the various mechanisms through which phytoplankton can utilize the organic nutrient pool, highlighting the influence of naturally- and anthropogenically-derived organic nutrients on phytoplankton community structure. The review also discusses knowledge gaps in phytoplankton physiology and the potential challenges of nutrient management in an organically dynamic and anthropogenically modified world.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Saranya S. Anantapantula, Alan E. Wilson
Summary: Harmful algal blooms negatively affect various ecosystems and water resources, but there is limited awareness and ambiguity regarding effective treatments to control these blooms. This study synthesized data from 39 published and unpublished studies on the effectiveness of chemical, bacterial, physical, and plant-based treatments. The results showed that most treatments failed to significantly improve water quality, highlighting the need for further research on existing and alternative treatments.
Article
Ecology
Michelle Tseng, Carla M. Di Filippo, Madeline Fung, Jihyun O. Kim, Ian P. Forster, Yilin Zhou
Summary: Research shows that climate warming affects not only the quantity but also the quality of resources, particularly in aquatic communities, which can have significant impacts on productivity and trophic levels.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Riley P. Buley, Matthew F. Gladfelter, Edna G. Fernandez-Figueroa, Alan E. Wilson
Summary: This research found that commonly measured water quality parameters are correlated with Microcystin (MC) occurrence, which is helpful for monitoring purposes. However, correlational analyses alone are often ineffective, and considering the role of parameters in the ecology of cyanobacterial blooms and MC production is crucial.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kirti M. Nitnaware, Kiran B. Raskar, Gaurav Agarwal, Ricardo A. Chavez Montes, Ratan Chopra, Damar L. Lopez-Arredondo, Tukaram D. Nikam, Gunvant B. Patil
Summary: Cyanobacteria are being recognized as a potential source of novel bioactive compounds, but some species can produce toxins harmful to water quality and public health. By studying the occurrence and genomic resources of harmful cyanobacteria, control methods can be developed to manage their growth and prevent contamination of water bodies. This study introduces a novel strain of Pseudanabaena punensis isolated from freshwater pipelines, characterized through morphological, biochemical, and whole-genome sequence analysis. The genomic information provided sheds light on unique features of this isolate, revealing genetic plasticity and the potential for synthesizing bioactive compounds and resistance to various stress factors.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Riley P. Buley, Hannah E. Correia, Ash Abebe, Tahir B. Issa, Alan E. Wilson
Summary: This study utilized observational data from lakes and reservoirs around the world to identify the environmental variables most strongly associated with microcystin (MC) concentrations, revealing factors such as location, total nitrogen, turbidity, and pH as the most significant predictors, while total phosphorus was found not to be a strong predictor of MC.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lea M. Lovin, Sujin Kim, Raegyn B. Taylor, Kendall R. Scarlett, Laura M. Langan, C. Kevin Chambliss, Saurabh Chatterjee, J. Thad Scott, Bryan W. Brooks
Summary: The study found differential effects of (+/-) anatoxin-a on swimming behavior and gene transcription in two common aquatic organism models, with fathead minnows exhibiting more sensitivity to the neurotoxin at environmentally relevant concentrations compared to zebrafish. Further research is needed to understand interspecies differences, enantioselective toxicity, molecular initiation events, and individual and population risks associated with this emerging water quality threat.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christophe Six, Morgane Ratin, Dominique Marie, Erwan Corre
Summary: This study found that tropical Synechococcus and those adapted to subpolar habitats have evolved different growth strategies and photosynthetic characteristics in response to different temperature environments. In low-temperature conditions, Synechococcus adapts to growth by increasing photoprotection capacity, while in high-temperature conditions, it achieves rapid growth by strengthening the photosynthetic machinery.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Irena Telesh, Hendrik Schubert, Sergei Skarlato
Summary: This study analyzed the long-term dynamics of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) in the brackish southern Baltic Sea coastal waters and measured the ecological niches of the dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria for the first time. The results showed a significant positive correlation between salinity-niche width and frequency of cyanoHABs.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Blake A. Schaeffer, Natalie Reynolds, Hannah Ferriby, Wilson Salls, Deron Smith, John M. Johnston, Mark Myer
Summary: This study presents a forecasting approach using satellite data and a Bayesian model to predict the occurrence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. The model outperformed other machine learning and neural network models in terms of prediction accuracy. It provides valuable information for water managers and public health managers to manage and mitigate the risks associated with cyanobacterial blooms.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Weizhen Zhang, Jing Liu, Yunxing Xiao, Yumiao Zhang, Yangjinzhi Yu, Zheng Zheng, Yafeng Liu, Qi Li
Summary: Cyanobacteria blooms are a global problem in aquatic environments, affecting water quality, ecosystems, and human health.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Georgios Samiotis, Kostas Stamatakis, Elisavet Amanatidou
Summary: The present study focuses on the dimensioning of a cultivation photobioreactor for wastewater treatment and biomass-derived added value products. The results show that under limited lighting conditions, the photobioreactor can achieve a similar volume compared to an activated sludge reactor, regardless of the wastewater salinity.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenyu Wei, Yue Han, Yuntao Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the effects of climate change on harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal China. The researchers analyze HAB observed data since 1981 and identify the key environmental drivers of HABs, such as nutrients, sea surface temperature (SST), and precipitation. The results show that HABs have expanded their geographic range and increased their impacting period in China's near seas. Rising total nitrogen (TN) or SST is found to be the dominant factor driving the increase in HABs. The study highlights the importance of controlling watershed nutrient input to mitigate marine eutrophication.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Tan, Yan Liu, Michele A. Burford, Quanfa Zhang
Summary: Benthic diatoms are commonly used as sensitive indicators of river health in bioassessment programs, with various diatom-based indices developed to infer water quality conditions. This study examined the response of three diatom-based indices (EPI-D, IBD, WAT) to temporal changes in water quality and diatom community structure in a riverine network in China. The results indicated that EPI-D provided the most robust measure of natural seasonal changes in water quality, particularly in response to phosphorus and chloride levels. The study confirms the effectiveness of these three diatom indices for evaluating long-term water quality in large rivers.
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Michele A. Burford, Stephen J. Faggotter, Baden Gibbes, Amanda D. Neilen, Michael Bartkow
Summary: Nutrient inputs, especially phosphate and nitrate, are crucial in promoting the growth of G. semen blooms. The study highlights the importance of these nutrients in driving the proliferation of this nuisance species.
AQUATIC MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lesley A. Clementson, Anthony J. Richardson, Wayne A. Rochester, Kadija Oubelkheir, Bingqing Liu, Eurico J. D'Sa, Luiz Felipe Mendes Gusmao, Penelope Ajani, Thomas Schroeder, Phillip W. Ford, Michele A. Burford, Emily Saeck, Andrew D. L. Steven
Summary: Subtropical systems experience occasional severe floods that lead to significant changes in phytoplankton community structure. A study in an Australian subtropical bay found that a 1:100 year summer flood resulted in rapid shifts from micro-phytoplankton dominance to nano- and pico-plankton dominance. This shift was attributed to increased nutrient availability stimulating the growth of smaller phytoplankton species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah M. Franklin, Katrin Doederer, Peta A. Neale, Joshua B. Hayton, Paul Fisher, Paul Maxwell, Anthony R. Carroll, Michele A. Burford, Frederic D. L. Leusch
Summary: Restoring riparian zones with woody vegetation can help protect waterways from sediment and nutrient pollution, but leaf litter can lead to dissolved organic matter leaching into surface waters, generating disinfection by-products (DBPs) during water treatment. The study compared the DBPs formed from leachate of two native Australian riparian trees, finding that Eucalyptus tereticornis leachates produced more DBPs and induced greater toxicity in bioassays compared to Casuarina cunninghamiana and reservoir water. Different tree species have unique DBP profiles, with E. tereticornis posing a greater risk to drinking water quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Howley, J. Shellberg, J. Olley, A. Brooks, J. Spencer, M. Burford
Summary: The study found that in the Normanby Basin in northern Australia, suspended sediment concentrations and yields were highest in the upper catchment areas, while mid- and lower catchment rivers and floodplains were a sink for sediments and nutrients, trapping around 75% of suspended sediments during events.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Chuang Li, K. David Hambright, Hannah G. Bowen, Majoi A. Trammell, Hans-Peter Grossart, Michele A. Burford, David P. Hamilton, Helong Jiang, Delphine Latour, Elisabeth Meyer, Judit Padisak, Richard M. Zamor, Lee R. Krumholz
Summary: Global warming and eutrophication are leading to an increase in cyanobacterial blooms worldwide, with cyanobacterial biomass strongly linked to methane emissions from lakes. Methanogens, mainly Methanoregula and Methanosaeta, were detected in half of the lakes, while certain lakes contained more abundant methanotrophs, such as Methyloparacoccus, Crenothrix, and an uncultured Methylobacter species, which were closely associated with the presence of methanogens.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Vikki Lowe, Chris L. J. Frid, Michael Venarsky, Michele A. Burford
Summary: This study examines the impact of seasonally variable flow on intertidal macrobenthic abundance and species composition in a pristine wet-dry tropical estuary and nearshore environment. The findings highlight the importance of freshwater inputs in driving the abundance and dominance of macrobenthos, and emphasize the role of flow in shaping the biota of these extreme environments.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Benny Zuse Rousso, Edoardo Bertone, Rodney Stewart, Arthur Aguiar, Ann Chuang, David P. Hamilton, Michele A. Burford
Summary: The study showed that fluorescence measurements of mixed cyanobacteria populations can be accurately estimated, with a stronger correlation to biomass instead of cell count. Errors in fluorescence estimations were found to be larger for species with different morphologies, while converting fluorescence to biomass helped reduce species-specific bias. Best practices for fluorometer deployment and operation, along with data-driven models for in-situ calibration, are discussed as solutions to minimize taxa-specific bias in fluorescence estimates.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Michael P. Venarsky, Vikki Lowe, Chris L. J. Frid, Michele A. Burford
Summary: Flow is a fundamental driver of ecological processes in river networks and estuaries. In this study, the researchers explored how changes in river flow regime influenced the structure of benthic communities in three estuaries in northern Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria. They found that the number of consecutive days of zero river flow during the preceding dry season best explained inter- and intra-annual patterns in benthic community composition. The study also revealed that the regional taxa pool currently contains enough functional redundancy to maintain abundances and biomasses under various physicochemical conditions.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. A. Burford, H. Franklin, S. J. Faggotter, A. Chuang, J. B. Hayton, A. R. Carroll
Summary: The concentration of coloured terrestrial dissolved organic matter (tDOM) from vegetation is increasing in lakes, leading to brownification. The phytotoxic effects of tDOM on cyanobacterial blooms are not well understood. This study found that tDOM leachate from Eucalyptus leaves inhibited the photosynthesis and growth of cyanobacteria, even at lower densities, and the effect was more significant at higher tDOM input loads.
Article
Limnology
Michele A. Burford, Anusuya Willis, Man Xiao, Matthew J. Prentice, David P. Hamilton
Summary: Anthropogenic eutrophication is a well-established cause of cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater. Early studies focused on phosphorus (P) as the key limiting nutrient, but recent studies suggest that the importance of nitrogen (N) may have been overstated. Cyanobacteria can adapt to low and variable nutrient conditions through various strategies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jing Lu, Alexandra Garzon-Garcia, David P. Hamilton, Joanne Burton, Michele A. Burford
Summary: Targeting catchment nutrient critical source areas (CSAs) can help prioritize remediation sites for reducing nutrient runoff. The soil slurry approach can be used to identify potential CSAs within individual land use types, examine fire impacts, and identify the contribution of leaf litter to nutrient export. The slurry results were validated through comparisons with stream monitoring data and showed consistent differences in nutrient ratios and export contribution. The slurry method can account for impacts of vegetation and bushfires, providing valuable information for catchment restoration actions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Man Xiao, Michele A. Burford, Matthew J. Prentice, Elena F. Galvanese, Ann Chuang, David P. Hamilton
Summary: The inter-relationships between cellular phosphorus (P) storage, dissolved inorganic P (DIP) uptake affinity, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations were studied in two ubiquitous diazotrophic freshwater cyanobacteria, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Chrysosporum ovalisporum. The study showed that DIP uptake of individual strains followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, but differed with DIN and P availability, and between growth stages. Our results indicate that cyanobacterial species and strains differ in their strategies to P limiting conditions, and highlight the interplay between N and P.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ryan M. Burrows, Alexandra Garzon-Garcia, Joanne Burton, Stephen E. Lewis, Renee K. Gruber, Jon E. Brodie, Michele A. Burford
Summary: This study investigated the variability and potential drivers of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations in coastal waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, using 12 years of marine physiochemical and climate data. The results showed that DOC concentrations were affected by salinity, the Southern Oscillation Index, and wind speeds, while POC concentrations were influenced by water depth, suspended solids, and chlorophyll a concentrations. Latitude was an important factor in determining the organic carbon variations in the GBR coastal waters.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eva Plaganyi, Rob Kenyon, Laura Blamey, Julie Robins, Michele Burford, Richard Pillans, Trevor Hutton, Justin Hughes, Shaun Kim, Roy Aijun Deng, Toni Cannard, Annie Jarrett, Adrianne Laird, Emma Lawrence, Margaret Miller, Chris Moeseneder
Summary: Global demands for freshwater are increasing, leading to substantial downstream impacts on fisheries and ecosystems due to water resource development. This study evaluated the trade-offs between different dam and water extraction options and the functioning of downstream ecosystems. The findings showed that the impacts of water resource development varied depending on species, scenarios, and cross-catchment synergies. The study highlighted the need to consider marine ecosystems and fisheries in the sustainable management of remaining free-flowing rivers globally.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
