CYANOBACTERIAL SURPRISES: EXPLORING UNEXPECTED BLOOMS AND UNRAVELING THEIR CAUSES

The current paradigm for drivers of cyanobacterial blooms is that high nutrients and high temperatures cause blooms. However, there is growing evidence that blooms are occurring under a wide range of environmental conditions, even in cold and low nutrient systems. In this talk, I will offer explanations for why we observe blooms under conditions that do not align with the current paradigm, including biological adaptions and abiotic conditions that support these unexpected blooms. The objective of this talk is not to suggest that high nutrient and temperature conditions do not drive blooms, but to encourage consideration of mechanisms that can support blooms outside of these often-observed conditions so that we may improve our collective understanding of bloom ecology and equip resource managers with knowledge and tools mitigate blooms in unexpected places and protect public health.

Tutorial/Invited: Invited

Primary Presenter: Kaitlin Reinl, University of Wisconsin - Madison (kreinl@wisc.edu)

Authors:

Kaitlin Reinl, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve  (kreinl@wisc.edu)