Abstract
The long-term record of cyanobacteria abundance in Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel, demonstrates changes in cyanobacteria abundance and composition in the last five decades. New invasive species of the order Nostocales (Aphanizomenon ovalisporum and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii) became part of the annual phytoplankton assemblage during summer-autumn. Concomitantly, bloom events of Microcystis sp. (Chroococcales) during winter-spring intensified. These changes in cyanobacteria pattern may be partly attributed to the management policy in Lake Kinneret’s vicinity and watershed aimed to reduce effluent discharge to the lake and partly to climate changes in the region; i.e., increased water column temperature, less wind and reduced precipitation. The gradual decrease in the concentration of total and dissolved phosphorus and total and dissolved nitrogen and an increase in alkalinity, pH and salinity, combined with the physiological features of cyanobacteria, probably contributed to the success of cyanobacteria. The data presented here indicate that the trend of the continuous decline of nutrients may not be sufficient to reduce and to control the abundance and proliferation of toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria.
Highlights
Cyanobacteria are found in a diverse range of habitats, from oceans to freshwater, from bare rock to soil, from hot springs and hydrothermal vents to the arctic and to areas under ice
We describe a case study that demonstrates the dynamics of the cyanobacteria population in the warm monomictic Lake Kinneret, Israel, known as the Sea of Galilee, over half a century
The physiological responses of various bloom-forming species isolated from Lake Kinneret (A. ovalisporum and C. raciborskii of the order Nostocales; Microcystis sp. of the order Chroococcales) were studied to elucidate eco-physiological conditions that supported the appearance, proliferation and establishment of cyanobacteria in the lake
Summary
Cyanobacteria are found in a diverse range of habitats, from oceans to freshwater, from bare rock to soil, from hot springs and hydrothermal vents to the arctic and to areas under ice. Blooming events of cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales (mainly the genera Aphanizomenon and Cylindrospermopsis) have intensified over the last decade in many freshwater lakes and reservoirs worldwide [5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Their appearance and blooms may point to global climate change [12]. The physiological responses of various bloom-forming species isolated from Lake Kinneret The physiological responses of various bloom-forming species isolated from Lake Kinneret (A. ovalisporum and C. raciborskii of the order Nostocales; Microcystis sp. of the order Chroococcales) were studied to elucidate eco-physiological conditions that supported the appearance, proliferation and establishment of cyanobacteria in the lake
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