41 results for tag: cyanobacteria stories
Increased frequency and severity of cyanobacterial blooms suggests that toxins are a threat that must be taken seriously. However, not all cyanobacteria are toxic – so how can we know which blooms pose a health risk? We developed both now- casting and forecasting approaches based on a nine-year data set of microcystin concentrations collected biweekly from Buffalo Pound during summer months
While many cyanobacteria species can produce microcystins, these toxins are often associated with Microcystis, a genus that thrives in warm, nutrient rich waters. Although Microcystis is normally associated with freshwater ... it has been shown to survive in even higher salinities and can sustain growth for short periods in pure seawater.
Although there are over 100 known variants of microcystins, there remains a great deal of variation in the way microcystins are analyzed, quantified, and reported in the literature and by monitoring agencies. An important shortcoming ... is the reliable reporting of different microcystin variants, as well as the use of comparable laboratory techniques.
The question for many scientists studying the fate of this “new” reactive nitrogen in aquatic systems is: Since decades of phosphorus-focused management has not prevented them from occurring, what is promoting non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, causing them to form blooms and produce toxins? A growing body of evidence shows that the amount and form of nitrogen available to primary producers plays an important role in answering this question.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
NALMS publishes position papers on topics it determines to be of great importance to the lake management community. This position paper focuses on toxin-producing cyanobacteria, a growing issue for lake managers and public health officials throughout the world.
Get up to speed on cyanobacteria (a.k.a. blue-green algae) including a general overview, information on conditions which lead to blooms, details regarding cyanobacterial toxins, and a rundown of the main toxin-producing groups of cyanobacteria.
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network is a collaborative “citizen science” program. It allows volunteers across the country to work with NOAA scientists in the study and identification of potentially harmful phytoplankton. A smart phone application, Phyto, helps volunteers learn to identify phytoplankton and as a reference guide to use when analyzing a sample.
The CyAN app uses satellite-derived information from the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA and the USGS to help make initial water quality assessments and quickly alert managers to potential problems and emerging threats. With the CyAN mobile app, water quality managers will have a user- friendly application that will reduce the complexities associated with harnessing satellite data to make fast, efficient initial assessments.
Much is being done on the technical side to reduce nutrient pollution, yet there is recognition that the general public may not fully understand the basic association between nutrient pollution and algal blooms, nor how nutrient pollution can impact their communities and livelihoods.
The US Environmental Protection Agency and partner organizations are filling data gaps related to human health risks of cyanotoxins in drinking water. The publication of health advisories will fill some of these gaps while the acquisition of occurrence data, would provide information that will be key to determining how to address cyanotoxin risk.
