Toxic Algae Blooms May Create Their Own Favorable Conditions

When it comes to algae blooms, these organisms may have a bit of an advantage. Scientists have found that toxic cyanobacterial blooms have the ability to create their own favorable conditions over time, which amplify the effects of pollutants.

These blooms can be spurred by the introduction of fertilizers in the water. Sometimes known as pond scum or blue-green algae, these blooms can set up a positive feedback loop that makes conditions even more favorable to them. This, in turn, can threaten water resources and public health.

"We usually think of cyanobacteria as responders to human manipulations of watersheds that increase nutrient loading, but our findings show they can also be drivers of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in lakes," said Kathryn Cottingham, one of the new study's lead authors, in a news release. "This is important because cyanobacteria are on the increase in response to global change-both warming temperatures and land use-and may be driving nutrient cycling in more lakes in the future, especially the clear-water, low-nutrient lakes that are so important for drinking water, fisheries and recreation."

So how can these blooms influence nutrient cycling? Essentially, the cyanobacteria tap into pools of nitrogen and phosphorus not usually accessible by phytoplankton in sediments and bottom waters. Then, the nutrients are released to the water column via leakage or decomposing organisms. This, in turn, increases nutrient availability for other phytoplankton and microbes.

The findings reveal a bit more about how fertilizers and blooms can drastically impact water sources. These are important to take into account in particular areas that are used for recreation and other uses.

The findings are published in the journal Ecosphere.

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