Roles of Nutrient Limitation on Western Lake Erie CyanoHAB Toxin Production
Malcolm A. Barnard,
Justin D. Chaffin,
Haley E. Plaas,
Gregory L. Boyer,
Bofan Wei,
Steven W. Wilhelm,
Karen L. Rossignol,
Jeremy S. Braddy,
George S. Bullerjahn,
Thomas B. Bridgeman,
Timothy W. Davis,
Jin Wei,
Minsheng Bu,
Hans W. Paerl
Affiliations
Malcolm A. Barnard
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
Justin D. Chaffin
Stone Laboratory and Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456, USA
Haley E. Plaas
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
Gregory L. Boyer
Department of Chemistry, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Campus, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Bofan Wei
Department of Chemistry, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Campus, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Steven W. Wilhelm
Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Karen L. Rossignol
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
Jeremy S. Braddy
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
George S. Bullerjahn
Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
Thomas B. Bridgeman
Lake Erie Center, University of Toledo, Oregon, OH 43616, USA
Timothy W. Davis
Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
Jin Wei
Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Minsheng Bu
Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Hans W. Paerl
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
Cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (CyanoHAB) proliferation is a global problem impacting ecosystem and human health. Western Lake Erie (WLE) typically endures two highly toxic CyanoHABs during summer: a Microcystis spp. bloom in Maumee Bay that extends throughout the western basin, and a Planktothrix spp. bloom in Sandusky Bay. Recently, the USA and Canada agreed to a 40% phosphorus (P) load reduction to lessen the severity of the WLE blooms. To investigate phosphorus and nitrogen (N) limitation of biomass and toxin production in WLE CyanoHABs, we conducted in situ nutrient addition and 40% dilution microcosm bioassays in June and August 2019. During the June Sandusky Bay bloom, biomass production as well as hepatotoxic microcystin and neurotoxic anatoxin production were N and P co-limited with microcystin production becoming nutrient deplete under 40% dilution. During August, the Maumee Bay bloom produced microcystin under nutrient repletion with slight induced P limitation under 40% dilution, and the Sandusky Bay bloom produced anatoxin under N limitation in both dilution treatments. The results demonstrate the importance of nutrient limitation effects on microcystin and anatoxin production. To properly combat cyanotoxin and cyanobacterial biomass production in WLE, both N and P reduction efforts should be implemented in its watershed.
