The relationships of meteorological factors and nutrient levels with phytoplankton biomass in a shallow eutrophic lake dominated by cyanobacteria, Lake Dianchi from 1991 to 2013

Exudates of Microcystis aeruginosa on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in gills of Sinocyclocheilus grahami

Early cyanobacterial blooms studies observed that exposure to blue-green algae led to fish gills impairment. The objective of this work was to evaluate the toxic mechanisms of exudates of Microcystis aeruginosa (MaE) on fish gills. In this study, the toxic mechanism of MaE (2×106 cells/mL) and one of its main components phytosphingosine (PHS) with two concentrations 2.9 ng/mL and 145 ng/mL were conducted by integrating histopathology, biochemical biomarkers, and transcriptomics techniques in Sinocyclocheilus grahami (S. grahami) for 96 h exposure. Damaged gill tissue with epithelial hyperplasia and hypertrophy, remarkable Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) enzyme activity, disrupted the redox homeostats including lipid peroxidation and inflammatory responses were observed in the fish of MaE exposure group. Compare to MaE exposure, two concentrations of PHS exposure appeared to be a trend of lower degree of tissue damage, NKA activity and oxidative stress, but induced obviously lipid metabolism disorder with higher triglycerides, total cholesterol and total bile acid, which might be responsible for inflammation responses in fish gill. By transcriptome analysis, MaE exposure were primarily enriched in pathways related to gill function and immune response. PHS exposure, with higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), were enriched in Toll-like receptor (TLR), Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) pathways. We concluded that MaE and PHS were induced the inflammatory responses, with oxidative stress-induced inflammation for MaE exposure but lipid metabolism disorder-induced inflammation for PHS exposure. The present study provided two toxin-induced gill inflammation response pathways under cyanobacterial blooms, which could be a scientific basis for the ecological and health risk assessment in the aquatic environment.

Dependence of evolution of Cyanobacteria superiority on temperature and nutrient use efficiency in a meso-eutrophic plateau lake

Algal blooms in lakes have been a challenging environmental issue globally under the dual influence of human activity and climate change. Considerable progress has been made in the study of phytoplankton dynamics in lakes; The long-term in situ evolution of dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria in meso-eutrophic plateau lakes, however, lacks systematic research. Here, the monthly parameters from 12 sampling sites during the period of 1997-2022 were utilized to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving the superiority of bloom-forming cyanobacteria in Erhai, a representative meso-eutrophic plateau lake. The findings indicate that global warming will intensify the risk of cynaobacteria blooms, prolong Microcystis blooms in autumn to winter or even into the following year, and increase the superiority of filamentous Planktothrix and Cylindrospermum in summer and autumn. High RUETN (1.52 Biomass/TN, 0.95-3.04 times higher than other species) under N limitation (TN < 0.5 mg/L, TN/TP < 22.6) in the meso-eutrophic Lake Erhai facilitates the superiority of Dolichospermum. High RUETP (43.8 Biomass/TP, 2.1-10.2 times higher than others) in TP of 0.03-0.05 mg/L promotes the superiority of Planktothrix and Cylindrospermum. We provided a novel insight into the formation of Planktothrix and Cylindrospermum superiority in meso-eutrophic plateau lake with low TP (0.005-0.07 mg/L), which is mainly influenced by warming, high RUETP and their vertical migration characteristics. Therefore, we posit that although the obvious improvement of lake water quality is not directly proportional to the control efficacy of cyanobacterial blooms, the evolutionary shift in cyanobacteria population structure from Microcystis, which thrives under high nitrogen and phosphorus conditions, to filamentous cyanobacteria adapted to low nitrogen and phosphorus levels may serve as a significant indicator of water quality amelioration. Therefore, we suggest that the risk of filamentous cyanobacteria blooms in the meso-eutrophic plateau lake should be given attention, particularly in light of improving water quality and global warming, to ensure drinking water safety.

Temporal characteristics and trends of nitrogen loadings in lake Taihu, China and its influencing mechanism at multiple timescales

Climate warming impact on excessive nitrogen (N) load in sediment favours cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic waters. The nitrate (NO3--N) and ammonium (NH4+-N) are two forms of N loads that contribute to algae blooms. However, little attention is paid to the impact of environmental factors on N loads variations at different time scales. This paper used a well-calibrated and validated EFDC model to investigate the temporal patterns and trends of ammonium and nitrate from June 2016 to June 2017. This paper presented the relationship and effects between these variations and environmental factors using data from satellite and reanalysis-based observations obtained for six meteorological parameters. The relationship and effects between these variations and environmental factors were also examined at different timescales (i.e., daily, monthly and seasonal scales). Model calibration results indicated that measured values reasonably matched simulated values. The validation results revealed that relative error (RE) values were within an acceptable range. The REs of ammonium at East Taihu (S12) and Xu Lake (S23) sampling sites were 55.83% and 57.61%, while that of nitrate was 24.37% (S12) and 41.08%, respectively. The daily analysis of NH4+-N and NO3--N variations was 7.318 ± 3.876 (g/m2/day) and 0.0275 ± 0.222 (g/m2/day), respectively. The monthly analysis showed NH4+-N and NO3-N range from 2.04 to 12.04 (g/m2/day) and 0.0008 to 0.064 (g/m2/day), respectively. The magnitude NH4+-N and NO3--N varied and showed distinct inter-monthly variations. , The relationship between sediment fluxes and meteorological parameters showed the magnitude of correlation coefficient (r) and strength of correlation varied significantly. At daily scales, the relationship of NH4+-N and NO3--N had a significant positive correlation with all meteorological parameters. At monthly, the correlation coefficient (r) of NH4+-N and NO3-N were heterogenous. At daily and monthly scales, air temperature and wind speed are the main drivers affecting sediment N loads' dynamics; however, the influence of relative humidity, precipitation, and evaporation on N loads are smaller. The study demonstrates the contribution of meteorological conditions to the magnitude and timing of N loadings variability in water bodies. The findings provide more insight into lake ecosystem protection and environmental remediation.

Abnormal neurobehavior in fish early life stages after exposure to cyanobacterial exudates

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) pose a risk to exposed aquatic and terrestrial species. Numerous studies have addressed effects of single toxins while much less attention has been devoted to mixtures of cHAB metabolites that are continually released by living cyanobacteria. Neuro-impairment associated with cHABs has been reported in fish, though the mechanism remains unclear. Here we exposed embryos of Sinocyclocheilus grahami, an endangered fish, to Microcystis aeruginosa exudates (MaE) to evaluate neurotoxicity and the toxicity mechanism(s). We found that MaE affected embryonic development by increasing malformation and mortality rates and decreasing the fertilization rate. MaE also inhibited fish neurobehavior including touch response, social frequency, swimming distance, and aggravated light-stimulation response. Neurobehavior suppression resulted from a decrease in excitatory neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine, even though receptors increased. MaE also affected gene and protein expression of neurotransmitters, synthetic and/or degrading enzymes, and receptors. Our findings shed light on specific mechanisms by which MaE induces neurotoxicity in early life stages in fish and contributes to improvement of the conservation strategy for this species.

Water depth and land-use intensity indirectly determine phytoplankton functional diversity and further regulate resource use efficiency at a multi-lake scale

Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships under multiple pressures have recently been the subject of broad studies. For the key primary producer in aquatic ecosystems, phytoplankton, several studies have focused on trait-based functional diversity (FD) and the related functioning (e.g., resource use efficiency, RUE), and their linkages. However, investigations of the effects of environmental factors at different levels (e.g., land use, lake morphometry, climate and nutrients) on FD and RUE are sparse. We developed a data-driven-model framework to simultaneously elucidate the effects of multiple drivers on FD (functional diversity based on dendrograms, FDc and functional richness, FRic) and RUE (of nitrogen and phosphorus) of phytoplankton based on data from 68 Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau lakes, Southwest China. We found that the concentration of total phosphorus, which is mainly affected by land-use intensity and influenced by water depth, was the primary (positive) driver of changes in both FDc and FRic, while RUE was mainly explained by phytoplankton FD (i.e., FRic). These results indicate that water depth and land-use intensity influence indirectly phytoplankton FD and further regulate RUE. Moreover, nonlinear correlations of RUE with FRic were found, which may be caused by interspecific competition and niche differentiation of the phytoplankton community related to nutrient levels. Our finding may help managers to set trade-off targets between FD and RUE in lake ecosystems except for extremely polluted ones, in which the thresholds derived from the Bayesian network, of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and land-use intensity were approximately 0.04 mg/L, 0.50 mg/L and 244 (unitless), respectively. The probability of meeting the RUE objectives was lower in shallow lakes than in deep lakes, but for FRic the opposite was observed.

Comparison of spatiotemporal carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus burial in two plateau lacustrine sediments: implication for N and P control

The long-term accumulation, burial and release of nutrients, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in lacustrine sediments are responsible for the global lake eutrophication. Interpretation of the spatiotemporal sedimentary record of nutrients (C, N, and P) in contrasting trophic level of lakes is helpful for understanding the evolutionary process of water eutrophication. Based on the radiochronology of ²¹⁰Pb_ex and ¹³⁷Cs, a comparative study of spatial and temporal concentrations, burial of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), the sources of organic matter were conducted using sediment cores from two plateau lakes Dianchi (DC) and Fuxian (FX) of SW China. Results showed that concentrations and burial of C, N, and P in sediments of DC, a shallow hypertrophic lake with the maximum depth of 5.8 m, were both higher than those in FX, an oligotrophic deep lake with the maximum depth of 155.0 m. For both lakes the molar ratio of TOC/TN increased in the sediments moving from north to south. The values of TOC/TN molar ratios increased over time in DC and were higher than in FX. The extremely high values of TOC/TN appeared in the central and southern parts of FX, indicating the impacts of accumulation effect and sediment focusing in the deeper region and indirect supplement from the Lake Xingyun (XY), an adjoining lake connected with FX via the Gehe River. Time-integrated sources identification in DC indicated the contribution of allochthonous sources was dominant over the past few decades, which contributed to the increased trophic level of the lake. The comparison of relationships of carbon accumulation rates (CAR), nitrogen accumulation rates (NAR), and phosphorous accumulation rates (PAR), the ratios of N/P and the utilizations of N and P fertilizer between DC and FX implied that both of N and P inputs should be limited for reducing the trophic level, but N control was predominant in comparison with P for both lakes. The results indicated that caution is required in plateau lakes to limit transition from oligotrophic to eutrophic in these lakes.

Environmental controls of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in Chinese inland waters

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs) are expanding world-wide, adversely affecting aquatic food production, recreational and tourism activities and safe drinking water supplies. China's inland waters have been increasingly threatened by CyanoHABs during the past several decades. The environmental factors controlling CyanoHABs are highly variable in space and time in China due to significant variations in climate, geography, geological and geochemical conditions among its many regions. Here, we synthesize diverse examples among Chinese water bodies regarding interactive effects of anthropogenic, climatic and geographic drivers influencing CyanoHAB potentials and dynamics in lakes and reservoirs; in order to provide a perspective and integrative approach to mitigating CyanoHABs. In China's many shallow water bodies, water quality is highly susceptible to human activity and to changing climatic and hydrological conditions, when compared to deeper lakes. Rapid increases in population, economic activity, and wastewater have accelerated CyanoHABs in China since 1980s, especially in the heavily urbanized, agricultural and industrial regions in the middle and lower Yangtze River basins. Climatic changes have provided an additional catalyst for expansion of CyanoHABs. In particular, rising spring temperatures have accelerated the onset and proliferation of Microcystis spp, blooms in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River basin. Large hydroelectric and water supply projects, like the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), have altered hydrological regimes, and have led to an increase of CyanoHABs in reservoirs and tributaries due to increases in water residence times. Manipulating water level fluctuations in the TGR may prove useful for controlling CyanoHAB in its tributary bays. Overall,CyanoHAB mitigation strategies will have to incorporate both N and P input reductions in these shallow systems. Furthermore, nutrient reduction strategies must consider climate change-induced increases in extreme weather events, including more intense rainfall and protracted heat waves and droughts, which can extend the magnitudes and duration of CyanoHABs. Ensuring the maintenance of natural hydrologic connectivity between lakes and rivers is of utmost importance in mitigating CyanoHABs throughout China.

Reducing arsenic toxicity using the interfacial oxygen nanobubble technology for sediment remediation

The arsenic (As)-bearing eutrophic waters may suffer from the dual conditions of harmful algal blooms and release of As, driven by algal-induced hypoxia/anoxia. Here, we investigate the use of interfacial oxygen (O₂) nanobubble technology to combat the hypoxia and control As exposure in simulated mesocosm experiments. It was observed that remediation of algal-induced hypoxia at the sediment-water interfaces (SWI) by application of O₂ nanobubbles reduced the level of dissolved As from 23.2 μg L^-1 to <10 μg L^-1 and stimulated the conversion of As(III) to the less toxic As(V) (65-75%) and methylated As (10-15%) species. More than half of the oxidation and all the methylation of As(III) resulted from the manipulation by O₂ nanobubbles of microbes responsible for As(III) oxidation and methylation. Hydroxyl radicals were generated during the oxidation of reductive substances at the SWI in darkness, and should be dominant contributors to As(III) abiotic oxidation. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopic analysis demonstrated that surface sediments changed from being sources to acting as sinks of As, due to the formation of Fe-(hydr)oxide. Overall, this study suggests that interfacial O₂ nanobubble technology could be a potential method for remediation of sediment As pollution through the manipulation of O₂-related microbial and geochemical reactions.

Bioavailable Nutrients (N and P) and Precipitation Patterns Drive Cyanobacterial Blooms in Missisquoi Bay, Lake Champlain

Anthropogenic activities release large amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrients into the environment. Sources of nutrients include surface and sub-surface runoffs from agricultural practices with the application of chemical fertilizers and manure as well as combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Nutrient runoffs contribute to the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems and enhance the growth of cyanobacteria. Precipitation is an important driving force behind the runoff of nutrients from agricultural fields into surrounding water bodies. To understand the dynamics between nutrient input, precipitation and cyanobacterial growth in Missisquoi Bay, Lake Champlain (Quebec), one location in Pike River (a major tributary into the bay) and four locations in Missisquoi Bay were monitored from April to November in 2017 and 2018. Biweekly water samples were analyzed using chemical methods and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. High concentrations of N and P were typically measured in April and May. Three major spikes in nutrient concentrations were observed in early and mid-summer as well as early fall, all of which were associated with intense cumulative precipitation events of 40 to 100 mm within 7 days prior to sampling. Despite the high concentrations of nutrients in the spring and early summer, the cyanobacterial blooms appeared in mid to late summer as the water temperature increased. Dolichospermum sp. was the major bloom-forming cyanobacterium during both summers. A second intense bloom event of Microcystis was also observed in the fall (October and November) for both years. Variation in the cyanobacteria population was strongly associated with inorganic and readily available fractions of N and P such as nitrites and nitrates (NOx), ammonia (NH₃) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP). During blooms, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total particulate phosphorus (TPP) fractions had a substantial influence on total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, respectively. The abundance of bacteria involved in the metabolism of nitrogen compared to that of phosphorus revealed the importance of nitrogen on overall microbial dynamics as well as CB formation in the bay. Our findings emphasize the combined influence of precipitation events, temperature and several bioavailable fractions of nitrogen and phosphorus on cyanobacterial bloom episodes.

Meteorological drivers and ENSO influence on phytoplankton biomass dynamics in a shallow subtropical lake

Meteorological features influence the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems and consequently their biotas. This study aimed to identify the meteorological drivers of phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a), sampled seasonally over a period of 12 years (2001-2013) in Lake Mangueira, a large shallow subtropical lake in southern Brazil. The lake is 90 km long and 3-10 km wide with a mean depth of 3 m and is oligo-mesotrophic and highly affected by wind action. In general, non-parametric multiplicative regression analysis identified wind direction, radiation, and the Oceanic Niño Index as the main drivers of variation in chlorophyll a. Notably, ENSO periods caused changes in physical, chemical, and meteorological parameters, including conductivity, total suspended solids, total and dissolved nitrogen, alkalinity, soluble reactive silica, wind speed, and precipitation. Phytoplankton biomass showed significant differences between ENSO periods and the periods without events, occurring in the highest values during La Niña years. This study showed that meteorological variables can significantly influence productivity patterns, indicating the importance of including them in limnological studies.

Remote sensing estimation of water clarity for various lakes in China

Water clarity (expressed as Secchi disk depth (SDD)) reflects light transmission capacity of a water body and influences growth of aquatic plants, aquatic organisms, and primary productivity. Here, we calibrated and validated a general model based on Landsat series data for deriving SDD of various inland waters across China. The quality of remotely sensed reflectance products from different Landsat series images was assessed using in situ reflectance measurements. The results indicated that the products in the visible bands are the most robust and stable to estimate SDD for inland waters. Subsequently, a simple power function model based on red band was built using 887 pairs of in situ SDD measurements and concurrent Landsat images. The model was validated with an independent dataset of 246 SDD measurements, and the results showed that the mean relative error and normalized root mean square error were 34.2% and 55.4%, respectively. Finally, the model was applied to Landsat images acquired between 2016 and 2018 to investigate the SDD spatial distribution of all lakes with water area ≥ 10 km² (total 641 lakes) in China. The estimation results demonstrated that the Eastern Plain Lake Zone and Northeast Plain Lake zone have relatively low SDD, with multiyear average SDD of 0.56±0.17 m and 0.47±0.29 m, respectively. The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Lake Zone and Tibetan Plateau Lake Zone have relatively high SDD, with multiyear average SDD of 1.48 ± 0.86 m and 1.30 ± 0.83 m, respectively. The results indicated that the proposed model exhibits strong ability to accurately construct SDD coverage for various lakes.

Effects of basin nutrient discharge variations coupled with climate change on water quality in Lake Erhai, China

In Lake Erhai, water quality was affected by the basin nutrient discharge and climate change. To analyze the relationships between the water quality (total nitrogen [TN], total phosphorus [TP], chemical oxygen demand [CODmn], ammonia [NH₄], and trophic level index [TLI]) and basin nutrient discharge (TNd, TPd, and CODd) combined with climate changes (air temperature [AT], precipitation [pre], wind speed [wind], and sunshine hours [SHs]), the generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to explore the nonlinear relationships with their interactions using data sets ranging from 1999 to 2012. Our findings revealed that the water quality in Lake Erhai deteriorated in the early twentieth century, and the basin discharge and AT appeared significant (p < 0.05) rising trends in a long time, while the precipitation decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the study period. Single-factor GAM results indicated that the basin nutrient discharge was the main explanatory factor for the variations of TN and TP in lake, while precipitation was the main driver for CODmn and NH₄. Besides, the water quality displayed nonlinear responses to the basin discharge, but all of the water quality variables went up as the emission levels increased in the lower range. The results showed that the water quality deteriorated in the lower rainfall, and TN rose as the AT increases, while TP was elevated accompanied by the ascending SHs there. The GAM interaction results suggested that the increase of AT and TPd had a promoting effect on TP in Lake Erhai. Stricter nutrient management measures should be implemented when the impacts of climate change are taken into account.

The direct and indirect effects of land use and water quality on phytoplankton communities in an agriculture-dominated basin

Understanding the factors that control biodiversity in rivers is challenging due to the variety of potential sources, linkages, and processes. This research assesses the effects of land use on phytoplankton communities across water quality gradients. By employing abiotic and biotic datasets of 149 catchments in Lake Chaohu basin, China, and a structural equation model (SEM), the direct and indirect effects of land use and water quality on phytoplankton dynamic were analyzed. Both land use and water quality had statistically significant direct effects on phytoplankton community attribute and diversity, although these effects differed among these indices. For instance, farmland was found to positively affect the abundance and diversity indices, while total nitrogen (TN) had significant positive effects on species richness and abundance. Importantly, the average indirect effects strengthened the effects of land use (e.g., built-up land and woodland) up to 82.4% mainly through nutrients, while the average indirect effects weakened the effects of land use (e.g., farmland) by as much as 49.9% mainly due to nutrients, thus indicating the prevailing role of the effects of land use on phytoplankton based on nutrient concentrations. The results suggest that nutrients can regulate the effect of land use on phytoplankton community attribute and diversity indices. This study highlights the advantages of using an SEM because the potential linkages for phytoplankton diversities are more likely to be identified with this method than with a classical linear regression model. Therefore, SEM has wide application prospects in the field of the conservation of biodiversity in freshwater rivers.

Phytoplankton distribution characteristics and its relationship with bacterioplankton in Dianchi Lake

Phytoplankton and bacterioplankton perform important ecological functions in lake ecosystem. In this paper, the abundance and composition of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton at 13 sites of Dianchi lake during the wet and dry seasons were monitored, and the relationship between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in this plateau lake was studied. Phytoplankton community structure analysis was carried out by ocular method, and bacterioplankton was investigated by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing. The relationship between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton was observed using redundancy analysis. The results showed that 87 species of phytoplankton belonging to 5 phyla and 29 genera were identified in Dianchi lake. Phytoplankton diversity and richness were higher in the wet season than those in the dry season. In the wet season, Cyanophyta was the dominant phylum whose density was 2.01 × 10⁸ cells/L, accounting for more than 90% of the total algae, then followed by Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chrysophyta, and Cryptophyta. The spatial distribution of phytoplankton in the wet season and dry seasons showed significant differences. In the dry season, the north-central part of Dianchi lake was dominated by Limnothrix redekei and Microcystis minutissima of Cyanophyta, while Pseudanabaena moniliformis and Coelosphaerium nagelianum of Cyanophyta mainly was dominated in the south of Dianchi lake. In the wet season, Microcystis minutissima of Cyanophyta was the dominant species all the area, while Limnothrix redekei of Cyanophyta was second dominant. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla among bacterioplankton. The community structure of bacterioplankton was influenced by Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta. Cyanophyta had a major influence on Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter of Proteobacteria, and Flavobacterium of Bacteroidetes. Bacillariophyta showed a strong correlation with Gemmobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Aeromonas of Proteobacteria. Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta produced the most significant impact on predicted functional genes of bacterioplankton, and the predicted functional genes of the samples were different in different seasons. Cell densities of Cyanophyta were positively related to metabolism-predicted functional genes of bacterioplankton. Bacillariophyta and Cryptophyta had an impact on most of the cellular processes and signaling predicted functional genes. Bacterioplankton-predicted functional gene information storage and processing were significantly affected by cell densities of Chlorophyta. Therefore, the analysis of the phytoplankton community and the bacterioplankton-predicted functional gene in Dianchi lake exerts a great significance in revealing the ecosystem function of plateau lakes and harmful algal bloom control.

Risks for cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms due to land management and climate interactions

The frequency and severity of cyanobacteria harmful blooms (CyanoHABs) have been increasing with frequent eutrophication and shifting climate paradigms. CyanoHABs produce a spectrum of toxins and can trigger neurological disorder, organ failure, and even death. To promote proactive CyanoHAB management, geospatial risk modeling can act as a predictive mechanism to supplement current mitigation efforts. In this study, iterative AIC analysis was performed on 17 watershed-level biophysical parameters to identify the strongest predictors based on Sentinel-2-derived cyanobacteria cell densities (CCD) for 771 waterbodies in Georgia Piedmont. This study used a streamlined watershed delineation technique, a 1-meter LULC classification with ~88% accuracy, and a technique to predict CyanoHAB risk in small-to-medium sized waterbodies. Landscape characteristics were computed utilizing the Google Earth Engine platform that enabled large spatio-temporal scope and variable inclusion. Watershed maximum winter temperature, percent agriculture, percent forest, percent impervious, and waterbody area were the strongest predictors of CCD with a 0.33 R-squared. Warmer winter temperatures allow cyanobacteria to be photosynthetically active year-round, and trigger CyanoHABs when warmer temperatures and nutrients are introduced in early spring, typically referred to as Spring Bloom in southeast U.S. The risk models revealed an unexpected significant linear relationship between percent forest and CCD. It is due to the fact that land reclamation via reforestation in the piedmont have left legacy sediment and nutrients which are mobilized as surface runoff to the watershed after rain events. A Jenks Natural Break scheme assigned waterbodies to CyanoHAB risk groups, and of the 771 waterbodies, 24.38% were low, 37.35% and 38.26% were medium and high risk respectively. This research supplements existing cyanobacteria risk modeling methods by introducing a novel, scalable, and reproducible method to determine yearly regional risk. Future studies should include factors such as demographic, socioeconomic, labor, and site-specific environmental conditions to create more holistic CyanoHAB risk outputs.

MODIS-Satellite-Based Analysis of Long-Term Temporal-Spatial Dynamics and Drivers of Algal Blooms in a Plateau Lake Dianchi, China

Algal blooms in eutrophic lakes have been a global issue to environmental ecology. Although great progress on prevention and control of algae have been made in many lakes, systematic research on long-term temporal-spatial dynamics and drivers of algal blooms in a plateau Lake Dianchi is so far insufficient. Therefore, the algae pixel-growing algorithm (APA) was used to accurately identify algal bloom areas at the sub-pixel level on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from 2000 to 2018. The results showed that algal blooms were observed all year round, with a reduced frequency in winter–spring and an increased frequency in summer–autumn, which lasted a long time for about 310–350 days. The outbreak areas were concentrated in 20–80 km2 and the top three largest areas were observed in 2002, 2008, and 2017, reaching 168.80 km2, 126.51 km2, and 156.34 km2, respectively. After deriving the temporal-spatial distribution of algal blooms, principal component analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied to explore the effects of meteorological, water quality and human activities. Of the variables analyzed, mean temperature (Tmean) and wind speed (WS) were the main drivers of daily algal bloom areas and spatial distribution. The precipitation (P), pH, and water temperature (WT) had a strong positive correlation, while WS and sunshine hours (SH) had a negative correlation with monthly maximum algal bloom areas and frequency. Total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved oxygen (DO) were the main influencing factors of annual frequency, initiation, and duration of algal blooms. Also, the discharge of wastewater and the southwest and southeast monsoons may contribute to the distribution of algal blooms mainly in the north of the lake. However, different regions of the lake show substantial variations, so further zoning and quantitative joint studies of influencing factors are required to more accurately understand the true mechanisms of algae in Lake Dianchi.

Phosphorus mitigation remains critical in water protection: A review and meta-analysis from one of China's most eutrophicated lakes

The processes of urbanization and industrialization within geological phosphorus-rich mountains (GPMn) have resulted in water degradation within southwest China. Lake Dianchi, one of the most eutrophicated lakes in China, has epitomized this issue. Clear understandings of phosphorus (P) mitigation efforts, the evolution of P budgets, and possible risks in the Dianchi system will benefit future eutrophication control, providing valuable lessons for other plateau freshwater lakes. In this study, we applied systematic review methodology to investigate the above questions, and then compared the results with other lakes worldwide. Generally, meta-analytical approaches have indicated P levels remain a key factor in causing algal blooms. Post-2015, the P budget of the Dianchi system, especially in Caohai section, was modified. However, it's still experiencing high pressures from P enrichment (Caohai: 0.4 mg·l^-1; Waihai: 0.2 mg·l^-1). The flux of P in Dianchi remains high, both through the external P load (556 ton·a^-1), and an internal cycle (304 ton·a^-1 associated with the absorption, deposition and removal of algae biomass; and 380 ton·a^-1 associated with sediment exchange). Meanwhile, significant P retention has been observed in the lake, in particular within the Waihai section (211 ton·a^-1). Currently, water diversion (from external watersheds), sewage diversion, and sediment-dredging projects have benefited Dianchi. However, continuous urbanization and GPMn ecological degradation could introduce hundreds of tons of additional P, leading to subsequent algal blooms. Furthermore, beyond Lake Dianchi, other lakes and reservoirs in southwest China are facing similar issues regarding P mitigation, especially in GPMn regions, though corresponding knowledge is still limited. Therefore, effective and flexible sub-regional protection strategies and research related to external and internal P mitigations have become key requirements for Lake Dianchi management. Meanwhile, ecologically sensitive approaches to GPMn regions, as well as city development within basin and market driven treatments, should be incorporated into regional water source protection for southwest China.

Meteorological factors and water quality changes of Plateau Lake Dianchi in China (1990-2015) and their joint influences on cyanobacterial blooms

Cyanobacterial blooms (CBs) in eutrophic lakes can cause various harmful issues to both humans and animals, disturb drinking water supply, and devastate lake ecosystems. Although great progresses have been made in many lakes from China and abroad on CBs prevention, mitigation and control, systematic research on the influencing factors of CBs in hypereutrophic plateau Lake Dianchi over a long time span is so far unavailable. This study comprehensively generalized both meteorological and water quality changes in Lake Dianchi during 1990-2015 on both yearly and monthly basis, separated Caohai from Waihai of Lake Dianchi regarding water quality variations, and investigated the individual and joint influencing meteorological and water quality factors on CBs using Spearman correlation, principal component analysis, and multivariate linear stepwise regression. Four specific lake regions, i.e. Caohai, northern Waihai, central Waihai, and southern Waihai, were respectively analyzed due to significant water quality heterogeneity. Results indicated that mild temperatures, low wind velocities, and hypereutrophic water conditions all favor CBs in Lake Dianchi, and the significant temperature rising trend may exacerbate severer CBs in the future. Despite configuration differences, the first principal components on CBs in the four sub-regions of Lake Dianchi were all consisted of meteorological factors, while water quality parameters especially total phosphorus concentrations contributed to the second principal component. Quantification of joint meteorological and water quality influencing factors on CBs needs further improvement, and largely relies on the accuracy of future weather forecasts, in order to set the goal of water quality improvement in each specific lake region for effective CBs management.

Long-term observation of cyanobacteria blooms using multi-source satellite images: a case study on a cloudy and rainy lake

High-frequency and reliable data on cyanobacteria blooming over a long time period is crucial to identify the outbreak mechanism of blooms and to forecast future trends. However, in cloudy and rainy areas, it is difficult to retrieve useful satellite images, especially in the rainy season. To address this problem, we used data from the HJ-1/CCD (Chinese environment and disaster monitoring and forecasting satellite/charge coupled device), GF-1/WFV (Chinese high-resolution satellite/wide field of view), and Landsat-8/OLI (Operational Land Imager) satellites to generate a time series of the bloom area from 2009 to 2016 in Dianchi Lake, China. We then correlated the responses of bloom dynamics to meteorological factors. Several findings can be drawn: (1) a higher bloom frequency and a larger bloom area occurred in 2011, 2013, and 2016, compared to the other years; (2) the frequency of blooms peaked in April, August, and November each year and expanded from north to south starting in July; (3) air temperature in spring and sunshine hours in summer greatly correlated to the yearly bloom area; (4) wind speed and sunshine hours strongly affected the short-term expansion of blooms and thereafter influenced the monthly bloom scale; and (5) rainfall had a strong short-term influence on the occurrence of blooms. Cyanobacteria blooms often occurred when wind speeds were less than 2.35 ± 0.78 m/s in the dry season and 2.01 ± 0.75 m/s in the rainy season, when there were 48 to 72 h of sunshine in the dry season and 35 to 57 h of sunshine in the rainy season, and when there was more than 10 mm of daily precipitation.

Impact of eutrophication on arsenic cycling in freshwaters

Many arsenic-bearing freshwaters are facing with eutrophication and consequent algae-induced anoxia/hypoxia events. However, arsenic cycling in eutrophic waters and its impact on public health are poorly understood. Laboratory simulation experiments are performed in this study to investigate the effect of algal blooms on the cycling of arsenic in a sediment-water-air system. We found that the anoxia induced by the degradation of algal biomass promoted an acute arsenic (mostly As(III)) release within two days from sediment to both the water and atmosphere, and the release effluxes were proportional to the algae dosage. The reduction and methylation of arsenic were enhanced at the sediment-water interface, owing to the significant increase in arsenate reductase genes (arrA and arsC), and arsenite methyltransferase genes (arsM) caused by increased anoxia. The analysis of synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that the concomitantly released natural organic matter (NOM) and sulfur (S) at the sediment-water interface reduced the As(III) release to a certain extent in the later reducing period of incubation, by forming As₂S₃ (43-51%) and As(III)-Fe-NOM (28-35%). Our results highlight the needs for the in-situ assessment of volatile arsenic in eutrophic freshwaters with its risk to human and animal health.

Seasonal and spatial distributions of euphotic zone and long-term variations in water transparency in a clear oligotrophic Lake Fuxian, China

To assess the seasonal and spatial variations and long-term trends in water optical properties in Lake Fuxian, investigations based on field work in four seasons and a long-term analysis of data from 1980 to 2014 were conducted. The results show that there was no significant variation in the euphotic depth (Z_eu) across the four seasons, and no significant correlations between Z_eu and potential influencing factors in seasons other than summer, suggesting that the water itself may be a major factor regulating the Z_eu in general. Nevertheless, significant differences in Z_eu between the north region (NR) and the south region (SR) were observed in all seasonal tests except spring. This finding relates to a higher abundance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the NR due to runoff, especially in the rainy seasons (summer and autumn). CDOM and its terrigenous component had an important impact on Z_eu in summer, with the highest precipitation, and impacts from suspended solids and non-algal particles were also found in the NR in summer. The Secchi disk depth in the lake decreased clearly over the years, with significantly negative correlations with the increasing permanganate index and air temperature, implying that organic contaminants (CDOM and/or phytoplankton) are important regulators of water transparency. We estimate that the combined effects of climate warming and changes in land use and land cover are also indirect regulating factors. These findings should be considered in the protection of Lake Fuxian, owing to the importance of light penetration in aquatic ecosystems.

Succession of phytoplankton functional groups and their driving factors in a subtropical plateau lake

The present study was carried out in a mesotrophic subtropical plateau lake, Erhai, located in southwest of China. The succession of phytoplankton functional groups and the environmental variables in the lake were investigated from January 2013 to December 2015. The lake had strong radiation levels and a low-temperature amplitude because of its high elevation and strongly mixed water. It was highly affected by the subtropical monsoon precipitation, and its pollution sources were from diffuse pollution caused by rainfall runoff. Altogether 112 genera, 16 functional groups and 4 predominant functional groups, L_M (Microcystis), P (Melosira, Fragilaria, Closterium), T (Mougeotia), T (Psephonema aenigmaticum) and Y (Cryptomonas), were identified, and the predominant functional groups demonstrated strong seasonal variations. Group T (Mougeotia) dominated from the winter to early spring, with strong lake water mixing. Group P replaced group T (Mougeotia) as the dominate group of the phytoplankton community in the spring (March to May), with clear water and increased temperature. With the arrival of the monsoon rainy season in the summer, large amounts of external pollutants were brought into the lake via rainfall runoff, allowing group L_M (Microcystis) to become dominant. Meanwhile, the intensive nutrient inputs after the rainstorm in the summer, combined with high temperatures and decreased radiation, led to the sustained growth of group L_M in the autumn and even ultimately triggered Microcystis blooming. Group T (P. aenigmaticum) was a particular phytoplankton genus predominant in the autumn, which displayed a seasonal variation similar to that of group L_M. This study underscores the usefulness of phytoplankton functional groups in studying phytoplankton succession in subtropical plateau lakes impacted by diffuse pollution, in which the succession of phytoplankton functional groups can be significantly affected by rainfall runoff, which altered variables such as nutrients, high temperatures and radiation.

Toxicity-associated changes in the invasive cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in response to nitrogen fluctuations

The cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii is of particular concern due to its ability to fix nitrogen (N), sporadic bloom, potential toxicity and apparent invasiveness. However, the toxicity associated behavior and response of toxic C. raciborskii under N fluctuations in water have been poorly investigated. The present study initiated based on the field survey in which Cylindrospermopsis species was found to have a high fitness under nitrate concentrations fluctuating from 0.02 mg L^-1 to 2.90 mg L^-1 in Chinese freshwater lakes. Examination on the role of short-term N fluctuations was conducted in two C. raciborskii strains which were exposed to a range of N concentrations supplied in two patterns, namely one-time pattern and ten-time pattern in which the equal amount of N was divided into ten-time accretions. The results showed the growth of both strains were not vulnerable to the transient nutrient fluctuations. The toxic strain showed considerable toxicological flexibility with the highest yield of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) obtained in the absence of N and the lowest in full medium. Generally, larger amounts of total CYN were observed at lower N levels, indicating that N deficiency promoted the intracellular accumulation and simultaneously restrained the extracellular release of CYN. Furthermore, CYN production was significantly different in two N supply patterns. The maximum quotas of intracellular and extracellular CYN in one-time pattern were respectively 2.79-3.53 and 3.94-7.20 times higher compared to the ten-time pattern. To our knowledge, our results are the first evidence of toxicity variations of C. raciborskii to the impermanent N fluctuations, shedding new light on its toxicological plasticity.

Combining hydrogen peroxide addition with sunlight regulation to control algal blooms

The concentration, light conditions during treatment, and the number of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) additions as well as the H₂O₂ treatment combined with subsequent shading to control algal blooms were studied in the field (Lake Dianchi, China). The cyanobacterial stress and injury due to H₂O₂ were dose dependent, and the control effectiveness and degradation of H₂O₂ were better and faster under full light than under shading. However, H₂O₂ was only able to control a bloom for a short time, so it may have promoted the recovery of algae and allowed the biomass to rebound due to the growth of eukaryotic algae. A second addition of H₂O₂ at the same dose had no obvious effect on algal control in the short term, suggesting that a higher concentration or a delayed addition should be considered, but these alternative strategies are not recommended so that the integrity of the aquatic ecosystem is maintained and algal growth is not promoted. Moreover, shading (85%) after H₂O₂ addition significantly reduced the algal biomass during the enclosure test, no restoration was observed for nearly a month, and the proportion of eukaryotic algae declined. It can be inferred that algal blooms can be controlled by applying a high degree of shading after treatment with H₂O₂.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of chlorophyll-a in a large reservoir as derived from Landsat 8 OLI data: understanding its driving and restrictive factors

Chlorophyll-a (Chla) is an important indicator of water quality and eutrophication status. Monitoring Chla concentration (C _Chla ) and understanding the interactions between C _Chla and related environmental factors (hydrological and meteorological conditions, nutrients enrichment, etc.) are necessary for assessing and managing water quality and eutrophication. An acceptable Landsat 8 OLI-based empirical algorithm for C _Chla has been developed and validated, with a mean absolute percentage error of 14.05% and a root mean square error of 1.10 μg L^-1. A time series of remotely estimated C _Chla was developed from 2013 to 2015 and examined the relationship of C _Chla to inflow rate, rainfall, temperature, and sunshine duration. Spatially, C _Chla values in the riverine zone were higher than in the transition and lacustrine zones. Temporally, mean C _Chla value were ranked as spring > summer > autumn > winter. A significant positive correlation [Pearson correlation coefficient (r) = 0.88, p < 0.001] was observed between the inflow rate and mean C _Chla in the northwest segment of the Xin'anjiang Reservoir. However, no significant relation was observed between mean C _Chla and meteorological conditions. Mean (± standard deviation) value for the ratio of total nitrogen concentration to total phosphorus concentration in our in situ dataset is 75.75 ± 55.72. This result supports that phosphorus is the restrictive factor to algal growth in Xin'anjiang Reservoir. In addition, the response of nutrients to Chla has spatial variabilities. Current results show the potential of Landsat 8 OLI data for estimating Chla in slight turbid reservoir and indicate that external pollution loading is an important driving force for the Chla spatiotemporal variability.

Variations of Growth and Toxin Yield in Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii under Different Phosphorus Concentrations

The bloom-forming cyanobacteria, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, is a producer of the cytotoxic cylindrospermopsin (CYN). In this study, the growth, toxin yield, and expression of CYN biosynthesis genes of C. raciborskii were examined under varying phosphorus (P) concentrations. The results show the cell number at 0.00 and 0.01 mg·L⁻¹ P was significantly lower than that at higher P concentrations (≥0.5 mg·L⁻¹). The chlorophyll a content, filament length, heterocyst, and akinete numbers at P ≤ 0.05 mg·L⁻¹ were also significantly reduced. The intracellular and extracellular CYN concentrations and the extracellular proportions increased during the culture period, and larger values were observed at higher P concentrations. Total CYN content reached 45.34–63.83 fg·cell⁻¹ and extracellular CYN proportion reached 11.49%–20.44% at the stationary growth phase. A significantly positive correlation was observed between CYN production and cell growth rate. Three cyr genes were expressed constantly even at P-deficient conditions. The transcription of cyr genes at P-replete conditions or after P supplementation increased from 1.18-fold to 8.33-fold. In conclusion, C. raciborskii may rapidly reorganize metabolic processes as an adaptive response to environmental P fluctuations. CYN production and cyr gene expression were constitutive metabolic processes in toxic C. raciborskii.