Freshwater Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes

Human activities and climate change are affecting freshwater lakes. Eutrophication and warming often lead to algal growth and changes in the lake phytoplankton and microbial community composition. One such change is the occurrence of Cyanobacterial blooms. Some species of cyanobacteria can produce harmful toxins (hence the term harmful algal blooms (HABs)) that affect both the water quality, as well as the resident pelagic and benthic communities.

 

Long-term data is needed to elucidate patterns of occurrence and intensity of algal blooms and to develop a mechanistic understanding of the microbial community changes leading to the blooms. Lake sedimentary DNA can be helpful in revealing historical trends of microbial community development.

 

We study algal bloom formation dynamics in Grand Lake, a large (18,800 ha) freshwater lake in northeastern Oklahoma. To this end, we are using current and historic sediment cores for the extraction of sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA). We are undertaking an extensive microbial community characterization analysis using multiple-omics approaches, and coupling this information with historic meteorological and limnological records to understand the how, when, and why of algal bloom formation. We hope to integrate these diverse data streams using artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to develop a predictive framework for algal bloom formation.