be Done about Golden Brown Algae in Torch Lake Patrick Kociolek - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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be Done about Golden Brown Algae in Torch Lake Patrick Kociolek - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jun 11, 2023 120 likes •719 views

The Who, Why, and What can be Done about Golden Brown Algae in Torch Lake Patrick Kociolek (University of Colorado & UMBS), Rex Lowe (University of Wisconsin & UMBS), and Jan Stevenson (Michigan State University) Algae Mostly

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The Who, Why, and What can be Done about Golden Brown Algae in Torch Lake

Patrick Kociolek (University of Colorado & UMBS), Rex Lowe (University of Wisconsin & UMBS), and Jan Stevenson (Michigan State University)

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Algae

  • Mostly Aquatic
  • Photosynthetic; many different groups represented by many different

colors (red, green, blue-green, yellow-green golden brown, etc)

  • But not so “advanced” morphologically as terrestrial plants
  • But some groups have, based on the fossil record, been around for
  • ver 1 billion years, and they are extremely advanced in terms of

their physiology.

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Algae

  • Planktonic, floating or drifting near the surface of the water
  • Benthic, attached to the sides of lakes or on the bottom
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Algae in Lakes

  • Three groups, not very closely related to one another, can be

dominant in lakes. They can all be either benthic or planktonic

  • Blue Green Algae
  • Green Algae
  • Diatoms
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Blue-Green Algae

“Annie” (Anabaena)

“Fanny”

(Aphanizomenon) “Mike” (Microcystis)

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SLIDE 8

Microcystis bloom on Lake Erie

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THESE ARE NOT GOLDEN BROWN ALGAE

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Green Algae in Lakes: Mostly Benthic

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THESE ARE NOT GOLDEN BROWN ALGAE

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Algae in Torch Lake

Diatoms. Many diatoms are planktonic, but Torch Lake has benthic diatoms! THESE ARE GOLDEN BROWN ALGAE!

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Benthic Bloom

Shallow area w/ minimal or no bloom

Deep area, no visible bloom

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Benthic Diatoms On rocks and consolidating the sediments !!!!!!

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Diatoms

  • Important Ecologically:
  • Base of the food chain in most

aquatic ecosystems-preferred food source for most primary consumers

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Diatoms

  • Unicells (but can form colonies by a variety of mechanisms)
  • Chlorophylls a, c
  • Accessory pigments: Xanthophylls, Carotenoids
  • Storage compound: Lipid (oil)
  • Cell wall: silica dioxide
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  • Put together like a Petri dish or Pill

box.

  • Two overlapping valves, the large

called the epivalve, the smaller called the hypovalve. Between the valves are called girdle bands.

  • Two views: Valve View, Girdle View

Diatoms (“break into two”)

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Orientation of the Frustule

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Diatoms of Torch Lake

  • Based on ca. 12 collections made last summer, we analyzed the

species composition of the diatoms present.

  • Not an exercise to document all of the species present, but to get a

sense of the community. This effort was shared with MSU to support their analyses of diatom communities.

  • Over 180 species present. That is quite a large number (given no

seasonality sampling, few number of samples, from few depths, from few substrate types).

  • About 10% of these are new to science.
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Causes, Consequences and Correctives.

  • Dr. Rex L. Lowe

University of Michigan Biological Station

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Benthic Bloom

Shallow area w/ minimal or no bloom

Deep area, no visible bloom

Torch Lake

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Diatom- dominated Periphyton

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Why is this happening? Why now?

  • An increase in some algal resource that was previously limiting?

Leaky septic systems? Benthification from zebra mussels?? Terrestrial runoff from fertilization? Lake warming = longer ice-free time & more mixing?

Light? Nutrients?

C HOPKNS CaFe Mg Si

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Periphyton nutrient bioassay

3 treatments:

  • 0.5 M Sodium Nitrate

(N+)

  • 0.5 Sodium Phosphate

(P+)

  • 0.5 M Sodium Nitrate

& 0.5 M Sodium Phosphate (N+P)

  • Control (no nutrients)

3 replicates per site

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Periphyton nutrient analysis

  • Two sites
  • Petty
  • YMCA
  • 3 week incubation

period

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AND THEN

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Chlorophyll a Analysis

  • 10

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 N+ P+ N+P Control ug/cm^2 Treatments Petty Site YMCA B B B A

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GBA Research

  • 1. Taxonomy of Diatoms

in Torch Lake

  • 2. Nutrient Limitation

Experiment

  • 3. Survey of Algae and

Water Chemistry

  • Jan Stevenson - MSU
  • Sherry Martin - MSU
  • Liu Bo – MSU
  • Shenpan Lin - MSU
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SLIDE 42
  • Zebra Mussels & Relatives
  • Changing Light Conditions
  • Runoff from Big Storms
  • Disease Killed Grazers Allowing Algae to Grow
  • Non-native Invasive Algal Species
  • “Algae in the News and on Your Mind”
  • Climate Change & A Warmer Lake
  • Groundwater Contamination - Progressive

KEY QUESTION: WHAT HAS CHANGED TO CAUSE GBA?

Alternative Hypotheses for Golden Brown Algal “Blooms”

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SLIDE 43
  • Zebra Mussels & Relatives
  • Changing Light Conditions
  • Runoff from Big Storms
  • Disease Killed Grazers Allowing Algae to Grow
  • Non-native Invasive Algal Species
  • “Algae in the News and on Your Mind”
  • Climate Change & A Warmer Lake
  • Groundwater Contamination

KEY QUESTION: WHAT HAS CHANGED TO CAUSE GBA?

Alternative Hypotheses for Golden Brown Algal “Blooms”

? ? ? ? ? ?

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Satellite Assessment of Water Temperature

Water surface temperature, Landsat 8, Band 11 on same day Red-Green-Blue Image

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Surface Water Temperature Unchanged

Temperature (Degrees Kelvin (Celsius+273.15)

Year

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Does Groundwater Contamination Cause GBA?

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Groundwater Contamination and Paths to GBA?

N & P

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Survey of Water Chemistry and GBA in Areas with Low and High Home Density

Measurements

  • Surface Water Nutrients
  • Groundwater Nutrients
  • Benthic algal abundance
  • Benthic algal species

composition Locations

  • Low Home Density Location
  • Camp Hayo-Went-Ha
  • High Home Density Location
  • Location 1
  • Location 2
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Evidence for Groundwater Contamination in Piezometer Samples

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nutrient Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Piezometer

Insert Picture of Groundwater Sampling?

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Expected Results in Areas with High and Low Home Density

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nutrient Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • Lake Sediments

Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nutrient Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • Low Home Density

High Home Density GBA

Piezometer Piezometer

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We Found No Difference in Phosphorus at Our Locations

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Phosphorus Concentration (µg/L, ---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • Camp Hayo-Went-Ha

Two High Density Locations GBA

Piezometer

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Phosphorus Concentration (µg/L, ---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Piezometer

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We Found No Difference in Phosphorus at Our Locations

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Phosphorus Concentration (µg/L, ---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • Camp Hayo-Went-Ha

Two High Density Locations GBA

Piezometer

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Phosphorus Concentration (µg/L, ---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Piezometer

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Evidence for Groundwater Stimulating GBA:

Phosphorus concentrations are so low that adding nutrients will greatly stimulate algal growth. Slight increases in P should have big effects.

All Locations

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Phosphorus Concentration (µg/L, ---------------)

40 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Severe Growth Limitation Moderate Growth Limitation

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We Found No Difference in Nitrogen at Our Locations, And N was Higher in the Water Column than Groundwater

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nitrogen Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • Camp Hayo-Went-Ha

Two High Density Locations GBA

Piezometer

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nitrogen Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Piezometer

Severe Growth Limitation Moderate Growth Limitation Severe Growth Limitation Moderate Growth Limitation

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SLIDE 55

Evidence for Groundwater Stimulating GBA:

changes in diatom species composition are related to algal abundance in sand

USEPA National Lakes Assessment

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Evidence for Groundwater Contamination in Cold Groundwater Co-located with GBA

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (in) Water Temperature

Cold Warm 6

  • 10
  • Recording thermister

Insert Picture of Banding Pattern

Recording thermister

Sampled by: Becky Norris and Fred Sittel

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GBA Co-located with higher Groundwater influence

  • Lake and subsurface

temps increase in late spring.

  • Subsurface slightly

colder than Lake Floor temps indicating Groundwater influence.

  • Subsurface with GBA

slightly colder than Subsurface minus GBA.

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What Can We Do About It? Depends on Causes.

  • Groundwater Contamination ?
  • Supported by multiple lines of evidence
  • Progressive & Early Warning of Worse Problems
  • Climate Change & Warmer Lake
  • Zebra Mussels & Relatives
  • Changing Light Conditions
  • Runoff from Big Storms
  • Disease Killed Grazers Allowing Algae to Grow
  • Non-native Invasive Algal Species
  • “Algae in the News and on Your Mind”

? ? ? ? ? ? X

Sources More likely septic and lawn fertilizers than agriculture, but more information is needed. Precautions & Solutions Maintain & improve septic systems Reduce lawn fertilization

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To Gather More Data and Increase Certainty: 2016 Study

  • Repeat of the nutrient limitation

experiment

  • Continue survey of water

chemistry and GBA

  • More thorough groundwater

assessment

  • Seasonal monitoring of three

locations studied intensively last year

  • Additional locations in Torch Lake,

Clam Lake, and Lake Bellaire

  • Temperature surveys to detect

groundwater inputs

Lake Sediments Lake Water

Depth (ft) Nutrient Concentration (---------------)

Low High 6

  • 10
  • GBA

Drinking water wells Piezometer Pipette