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Wheeler C, Pearman JK, Howarth JD, Vandergoes MJ, Holt K, Trewick SA, Li X, Thompson L, Thomson-Laing G, Picard M, Moy C, Mckay NP, Moody A, Shepherd C, van den Bos V, Steiner K, Wood SA. A paleoecological investigation of recent cyanobacterial blooms and their drivers in two contrasting lakes. HARMFUL ALGAE 2024; 131:102563. [PMID: 38212085 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms are one of the most significant threats to global water security and freshwater biodiversity. Interactions among multiple stressors, including habitat degradation, species invasions, increased nutrient runoff, and climate change, are key drivers. However, assessing the role of anthropogenic activity on the onset of cyanobacterial blooms and exploring response variation amongst lakes of varying size and depth is usually limited by lack of historical records. In the present study we applied molecular, paleolimnological (trace metal, Itrax-µ-XRF and hyperspectral scanning, chronology), paleobotanical (pollen) and historical data to reconstruct cyanobacterial abundance and community composition and anthropogenic impacts in two dune lakes over a period of up to 1200 years. Metabarcoding and droplet digital PCR results showed very low levels of picocyanobacteria present in the lakes prior to about CE 1854 (1839-1870 CE) in the smaller shallow Lake Alice and CE 1970 (1963-1875 CE) in the larger deeper Lake Wiritoa. Hereafter bloom-forming cyanobacteria were detected and increased notably in abundance post CE 1984 (1982-1985 CE) in Lake Alice and CE 1997 (1990-2007 CE) in Lake Wiritoa. Currently, the magnitude of blooms is more pronounced in Lake Wiritoa, potentially attributable to hypoxia-induced release of phosphorus from sediment, introducing an additional source of nutrients. Generalized linear modelling was used to investigate the contribution of nutrients (proxy = bacterial functions), temperature, redox conditions (Mn:Fe), and erosion (Ti:Inc) in driving the abundance of cyanobacteria (ddPCR). In Lake Alice nutrients and erosion had a statistically significant effect, while in Lake Wiritoa nutrients and redox conditions were significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Wheeler
- Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - John K Pearman
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2 Aotearoa, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | - Jamie D Howarth
- School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600 Aotearoa, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | | | - Katherine Holt
- Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Steven A Trewick
- Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Xun Li
- School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600 Aotearoa, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Lucy Thompson
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2 Aotearoa, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | | | - Mailys Picard
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2 Aotearoa, Nelson 7042, New Zealand; Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå Universitet, Linnaeus väg 4-6, Umeå 907 36, Sweden
| | - Chris Moy
- Department of Geology, University of Otago, 360 Leith Street Aotearoa, North Dunedin, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Nicholas P Mckay
- School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaf, AZ, United States
| | - Adelaine Moody
- School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600 Aotearoa, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Claire Shepherd
- GNS Science, 1 Fairway Drive Aotearoa, Avalon, Lower Hutt 5011, New Zealand
| | | | - Konstanze Steiner
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2 Aotearoa, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | - Susanna A Wood
- Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4410, Aotearoa, New Zealand.
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Puddick J, Naeher S, Pearman JK, Page CD, Romanazzi D, Schallenberg LA, Howarth JD, Vandergoes MJ, Wood SA. Characterizing carotenoids in cyanobacterial cultures - Opportunities and implications for paleolimnological studies. HARMFUL ALGAE 2023; 127:102481. [PMID: 37544666 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms are increasing in frequency and intensity globally, impacting lake ecosystem health and posing a risk to human and animal health due to the toxins they can produce. Cyanobacterial pigments preserved in lake sediments provide a useful means of understanding the changes that have led to cyanobacterial blooms in lakes. However, there is some uncertainty as to whether specific carotenoids are unique to certain genera or types of cyanobacteria. To fill this knowledge gap, we analyzed pigments in 34 cyanobacteria cultures and applied the findings to sediments from three New Zealand lakes. The cyanobacterial carotenoids canthaxanthin, echinenone and zeaxanthin were detected in all cultures, whereas myxoxanthophyll was only detected in ten cultures (Microcoleus, Planktothrix and the picocyanobacteria cultures; Synechococcaceae). The sum of the individual carotenoid concentrations provided the strongest relationship with cyanobacterial biomass (R2 = 0.58) and could be used in paleolimnology studies to evaluate general cyanobacterial abundance. Ratios of canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin and myxoxanthophyll relative to echinenone indicated that carotenoid ratios could be used to differentiate picocyanobacteria and bloom-forming cyanobacteria, to some degree. High zeaxanthin/echinenone ratios were measured in picocyanobacteria and low zeaxanthin/echinenone ratios were measured in bloom-forming cyanobacteria. The zeaxanthin/echinenone ratio was applied to sediment core samples where the cyanobacterial community was also evaluated by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, with the zeaxanthin/echinenone ratios showing similar patterns to those observed in the cultures. The preliminary assessment described here suggests that zeaxanthin/echinenone ratios could provide a valuable paleoecological proxy for evaluating historical shifts in cyanobacterial communities and warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Puddick
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street-East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand.
| | | | - John K Pearman
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street-East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Carrie D Page
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street-East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Donato Romanazzi
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street-East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | | | - Jamie D Howarth
- Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | | | - Susanna A Wood
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street-East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
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Gregersen R, Howarth JD, Atalah J, Pearman JK, Waters S, Li X, Vandergoes MJ, Wood SA. Paleo-diatom records reveal ecological change not detected using traditional measures of lake eutrophication. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 867:161414. [PMID: 36621498 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Lakes provide crucial ecosystem services and harbour unique and rich biodiversity, yet despite decades of research and management focus, cultural eutrophication remains a predominant threat to their health. Our ability to manage lake eutrophication is restricted by the lack of long-term monitoring records. To circumvent this, we developed a bio-indicator approach for inferring trophic level from lake diatom communities and applied this to sediment cores from two lakes experiencing eutrophication stress. Diatom indicators strongly predicted observed trophic levels, and when applied to sediment cores, diatom predicted trophic level reconstructions were consistent with monitoring data and land-use histories. However, there were significant recent shifts in diatom communities not captured by the diatom-based index or monitoring data, suggesting that conventional trophic level indices obscure important ecological change. New approaches, such as the one in this study, are critical to detect early changes in water quality and prevent the decline of lake ecosystems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Gregersen
- Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.
| | - Jamie D Howarth
- Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Javier Atalah
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | - John K Pearman
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | - Sean Waters
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
| | - Xun Li
- GNS Science, PO Box 30-368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | | | - Susanna A Wood
- Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
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