Mattatall Lake

Small, primitive organisms in lake Michigan, called Phytoplankton are like any creature, in that they respond to and reflect their environment. The quantity of these photosynthetic cells is largely affected by availability of nutrients. Especially when nearshore, where there is better access to sunlight. Phytoplankton play an important role in freshwater environments and are often measured, and managed to keep the proper balance. Understanding the many factors involved in algae growth is necessary for this. From my research I’ve hypothesized that algal biomass reacts positively to nutrient enrichment, with a stronger response when near-shore, compared to the same experiment taking place off-shore in locations with a water column reaching deeper than 20m.

Water column phosphorus concentrations have also been shown to increase under anoxic conditions (Webb, K.L. and D'Elia, C.F. 1980). This is because some of the iron oxyhydroxides that

Algae blooms have been an issue in the Chesapeake Bay, especially in the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Algae is a natural and critical part of the ecosystem, however in large doses it is harmful to the plants and organisms within the ecosystem. Algae blooms can block out sunlight and kill other plants in the water. Algae depends on various factors such as water, nutrients and carbon dioxide to grow. Eutrophication of the Inner Harbor has lead to algae blooms that have caused large fish kills in the past. When there is an over abundance of certain chemical nutrients eutrophication can occur. Runoff from land and farms is the main cause of excess nutrients into the water. The most common nutrients that are related to algae outbreaks are nitrate nitrogen and phosphate. In addition, a lack of dissolved oxygen can also be an indicator for the process of eutrophication and risk of an algae outbreak. A particular type of algae commonly found in Maryland is known as Prorocentrum minimum. Prorocentrum tends to cause “mahogany tides” causing water to be brown and have an odor. There has been a campaign launched by the Healthy Harbor

The Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Enrichment on Water Samples from Encanto Lake and the Rio Salado River.

How does the LSC potentially influence the phosphorus cycle of Cayuga Lake? Include in your explanation relevant details of the LSC system and the ecological properties of Cayuga Lake.: Based on some assumptions, the LSC contributes 2.4% of all of the phosphorous that is in the southern lake basin. The monthly max LSC contribution to phosphorous loading is around 6.4% during August. There is no measurable oxygen depletion in the lake and there is no measurable increases in algal growth. Consequently, implementation of LSC will not cause or contribute to growth of these nuisance organisms.

Even though, fertilizers are needed to supply essential nutrients to the growth of plants; an excess of them is one of the major issues contributing to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Fertilizers are mainly composed of two elements: nitrogen and phosphorus.(4) Throughout the years, millions of pounds of this nutrients are applied all around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; everything not absorbed by the soil or taken up by plants eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay through storm-water runoff. This nutrients end up creating algae blooms in the water, which reduce the amount of sunlight available to underwater grasses; not allowing plants to photosynthesize and produce the food they need to survive. Algae then decomposes creating dead zones killing fish and other species since oxygen is needed for any organism to live. (5)

Many studies around the world show the detrimental affects of harmful algal blooms, or HAB for short, and directly link the runoff of nutrients into the water as the key contributor to its frequency. An example of a study done in estuaries around New York showed that an increase in macro green algae, which is also found in Biscayne Bay, increases the growth of several other forms of harmful algae (Tang, 2011). In a more recent study conducted in 2013, Biscayne Bay was shown to have an increase in green macro algal blooms that are also linked to nutrient runoff in the bay and smother the sea grass habitats (Vides et al, 2013). Biscayne Bay is said to hold nutrient-rich sediment (Carnehan et al., 2009).

When there are excessive loads of Nitrogen and Phosphorous in the water, Alage can “bloom” to harmful levels, changing water color, and eventually stripping dissolved oxygen from the water when they die, fall to the bottom, and decay. This dissolved oxygen is critical to the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s critters and

Kennedy Lake is a 4.0 ha lake with an average depth of 2.4 meters and a maximum depth of 3.7 m located in south west Tucson. The lake is dyed green to protect from algal blooms, has minimal trees surrounding it, and a decent amount of submersed and emergent vegetation. Sunfish were stocked at the end of March and catfish were stocked the morning of sampling date (April 6, 2016). We detected rainbow trout, redear sunfish, bluegill, threadfin shad, and largemouth bass. Apparently there may also be grass carp (white amur) present to help regulate aquatic plants. Fishing pressure on sampling night seemed to be intense, with lots of people fishing. People were a mix of young and old with some families present as well.

The Science and Data pages of the Love Our Living Lakes website provides scientific facts to what is happening within the Lakes and how the foodchain between birds, fish, sediment, seagrass, saltmarshes and wrack operate within the

One nutrient I found to be in extremely high quantity was the nitrate level in cherry creek. The reason for this could be because of influence of people who are using it to fertilize their lawn. It is likely the tippacanoe had lower levels because it was further away from human activity. Overall the Dissolved oxygen levels were lower than the upper level of the lake, however showed less differences throughout due to the depth of the water. This is probably a result of turbidity of a stream causing more oxygen to be caught in the

We found that the limiting nutrient in Loughberry Lake is phosphorous. The most natural way that phosphorous enters aquatic systems, is through the cycling and erosion of phosphorous rich rocks and sediments. The phosphorous cycle takes a long time to complete, but through human processes such as mining and runoff, phosphorous is able to enter our water sources much more quickly. There is also a small amount of deposition that may occur from the atmosphere to the water. The most common human source of phosphorous is urban and agricultural runoff. (Mahaney, Wendy. September 22…) In Saratoga Springs there is a concentration of residential and urban infrastructure, which is a source of runoff into Loughberry Lake and other surrounding waters. Fertilizers and manure also contain high amounts of phosphorous, and tend to be the key culprits in phosphorous runoff (Mahaney, Wendy. September 22…).

Last summer in Toledo, toxic algae blooms contaminated the drinking water supply of 400,000 people (Toledo water crisis, par. 1). Algae, like all organisms, normally grow in balance with their ecosystems, limited by the amount of nutrients in the water. But sometimes, algae can reproduce very rapidly, which causes damage. Harmful algal blooms have been increasing in the United States to the point where they occur along most of the coastlines and are common in many places: Specifically, Lake Erie. Lake Erie has been affected by the blooms since the 1960’s and is still being affected. The impacts of these blooms are dangerous in many ways: humans’ health is placed at risk, ecosystems are altered, and marine mammals can either be injured or

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant life, but when in excess, it can enhance eutrophication of rivers and lakes (Hem, 1985; Muelle and Helsel, 1996). Phosphorus exists in two main forms in water: soluble and particulate. Total phosphorus includes the soluble and particulate forms. Phosphorus can enter a water body through various means including from point sources such as a waste-water discharge and non-point sources such as agricultural runoff or erosion. Phosphorus has the ability to attach to soil particles (Phillips et al. 2012). Thus, when the soil ends up in a water body as sediment it contains additional phosphorus, which ultimately settles. The sediment now has the potential of acting as a ‘sink’ for phosphorus, and holds it until it is disrupted by certain activities.