To tame lake-fouling algal blooms, try an ecosystem approach

Every summer, surges of toxic green muck plague lakes worldwide, sickening hikers who fail to purify drinking water, closing favorite swimming holes, and killing fish. The most feared—and studied—cause of these freshwater “algal” blooms is a genus of cyanobacterium called Microcystis . Its explosive summer growth is thought to be spurred by rising levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients, perhaps from fertilizer run off or other pollution sources. But new research, driven by advances in DNA sequencing, suggests other types of microbes also play key roles in these massive overgrowths. According to one study, viruses killing off a main competitor of toxic Microcystis may help pave the way for blooms; another indicates nitrogen fixation by other bacteria may provide the needed boost. The results suggest that reducing nutrients may not be enough to stop these slimy explosions, some scientists say. That doesn’t mean curbing pollution is unimportant, they stress, but ecological factors must be considered. “Interspecies biological interactions help determine blooms,” says Kevin Johnson, a marine scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology who was not involved in the work. “The more details we understand of bloom creation, the better our knowledge of how they might be prevented or controlled.” With the warming climate and continuing inflows of pollution, harmful algal blooms are on the rise, becoming more frequen...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news