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Monitoring the Phytoplankton Community Response to Recent Geoengineering Initiatives at Grand Lake St. Marys

Zhu, Zhi
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1343415539

Abstract Details

2012, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences.
Grand Lake St. Marys (GLSM) is a shallow hyper-eutrophic lake located in west-central Ohio which has experienced recurrent annual noxious and toxic cyanobacterial blooms. As part of a series of geoengineering initiatives employed in 2010-11 aimed at combating the deterioration of lake, aluminum sulfate (alum) was applied, initially as pilot trials in fall 2010 and spring 2011 followed by a large, multi-hectare application in summer 2011. Following each alum treatment, water was sampled to assess the response of phytoplankton abundance and community composition to the alum treatment. In each trial, concomitant with application of alum, dissolved phosphorus levels declined, at least temporarily. The phytoplankton community composition, however, did not change. The cyanobacterium Planktothrix spp. was dominant in GLSM through each alum treatment. The lake water was N-limited in the summer, whereas Planktothrix spp. is capable of diazotrophic growth, along with the high P level and the long residence time of the water body, it account for the dominance of Planktothrix spp.. Parallel to the alum trials, we assessed the efficacy of Si amendment to GLSM as a means of reducing cyanobacterial dominance. Microcosm Si amendment trials were conducted from April through August. In no trial did addition of Si alone lead to increased chl a phytoplankton biomass compared to controls. Rather, only when Si was added together with N and P did chl a biomass increase compared to controls. Based on all the results, it appears that a combination of alum treatment combined with artificial mixing is recommended to control cyanobacterial blooms.
Michael McKay, Dr. (Advisor)
George S. Bullerjahn, Dr. (Committee Member)
Rex L. Lowe, Dr. (Committee Member)
74 p.
Aquatic Sciences; Ecology
Phytoplankton Community; Alum treatment; Grand Lake St. Marys; Algal bloom; Geoengineering

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Zhu, Z. (2012). Monitoring the Phytoplankton Community Response to Recent Geoengineering Initiatives at Grand Lake St. Marys [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1343415539

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Zhu, Zhi. Monitoring the Phytoplankton Community Response to Recent Geoengineering Initiatives at Grand Lake St. Marys. 2012. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1343415539.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Zhu, Zhi. "Monitoring the Phytoplankton Community Response to Recent Geoengineering Initiatives at Grand Lake St. Marys." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1343415539

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1343415539
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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.