Spatial distribution of resting stages (akinetes) of the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae in sediments and its influence on pelagic populations

Abstract

Recruitment of pelagic populations of cyanobacteria from littoral bottom sediments is assumed to be one of the key factors for the development of harmful blooms. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain more information on the possible factors influencing the spatial distribution of the resting stages in littoral bottom sediments. To test the hypothesis that akinete abundances in littoral bottom sediments are associated with silt and the presence of higher water plants, we sampled spatial and vertical distribution and seasonal dynamics of akinetes of cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae in a small Siberian reservoir. We found that akinetes accumulate in silt at stations located in macrophyte beds. Two experiments were carried out to test if there is relationship between size of inoculum and size of the pelagic population of A. flos-aquae. The proportion of A. flos-aquae in total phytoplankton biomass depended on the initial abundance of akinetes in bottom sediments. The model based on laboratory experiments gave good qualitative description of the field data. These findings can be useful to predict the location of the main akinete accumulation zones in a water body and plan the removal of sediment to prevent the cyanobacterial blooms.