Benthic Cyanobacteria Research Articles

A microbial role in the construction of Mono Lake carbonate chimneys?

Lacustrine carbonate chimneys are striking, metre-scale constructions. If these were bioinfluenced constructions, they could be priority targets in the search for early and extraterrestrial microbial life. However, there are questions over whether such chimneys are built on a geobiological framework or are solely abiotic geomorphological features produced by mixing of lake and spring waters. Here, we use correlative microscopy to show that microbes were living around Pleistocene Mono Lake carbonate chimneys during their growth. A plausible interpretation, in line with some recent works by others on other lacustrine carbonates, is that benthic cyanobacteria and their associated extracellular organic material (EOM) formed tubular biofilms around rising sublacustrine spring vent waters, binding calcium ions and trapping and binding detrital silicate sediment. Decay of these biofilms would locally have increased calcium and carbonate ion activity, inducing calcite precipitation on and around the biofilms. Early manganese carbonate mineralisation was directly associated with cell walls, potentially related to microbial activity though the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated. Much of the calcite crystal growth was likely abiotic, and no strong evidence for either authigenic silicate growth or a clay mineral precursor framework was observed. Nevertheless, it seems likely that the biofilms provided initial sites for calcite nucleation and encouraged the primary organised crystal growth. We suggest that the nano-, micro- and macroscale fabrics of these Pleistocene Mono Lake chimneys were affected by the presence of centimetre-thick tubular and vertically stacked calcifying microbial mats. Such carbonate chimneys represent a promising macroscale target in the exploration for ancient or extraterrestrial life.

Gomphosphenia biwaensis, a new diatom from Lake Biwa, Japan: description and morphometric comparison with similar species using an arc-constitutive model

A new diatom species Gomphosphenia biwaensis Ohtsuka & D.Nakai was described from the south basin of Lake Biwa in Central Japan. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fine structure of this species is typical of the genus Gomphosphenia, although the striae are composed of a few areolae unlike Gomphosphenia lingulatiformis, the type species of the genus. Based on light micrographs of more than 100 specimens, the radii of the head pole, foot pole, and each valve side of these specimens were measured within a range that can be approximated by an arc, as well as the valve length, width, and stria density. The morphometric data were log-transformed and orthogonalized using principal component analysis based on the correlation coefficient, and the first principal component was eliminated to remove the effect of size differences. The second and subsequent principal components approximately followed a multivariate normal distribution. Morphometric data of the specimens from the other samples from Lake Biwa and its satellite lakes mostly fell into the 99% confident ellipsoidal cylinder, whereas those of the other Gomphosphenia species, whose striae are composed of multiple areolae, were all excluded from it. We therefore concluded that G. biwaensis is a new species of Gomphosphenia. It was an abundant epiphyte on Lyngbya wollei, a benthic filamentous cyanobacterium, which flourishes in Lake Biwa's south basin. However, L. wollei seems to not be the original host because it is probably an exotic species to Lake Biwa that has rapidly increased since 2012, while G. biwaensis was also present in samples collected there in 2000.

Construction of concentration prediction model of 2-MIB caused by benthic cyanobacteria utilizing automatic measuring device

Construction of concentration prediction model of 2-MIB caused by benthic cyanobacteria utilizing automatic measuring device

Geosmin production and polyphasic characterization of Oscillatoria limosa Agardh ex Gomont isolated from the open canal of a large drinking water system in Tianjin City, China

Taste and odor (T & O) episodes always cause strong effects on drinking water supply system. Luanhe River diversion into Tianjin City in China is an important drinking water resource. Massive growth of a benthic filamentous cyanobacterium with geosmin production in the open canal caused a strong earthy odor episode in Tianjin. On the basis of the morphological and molecular identification of this cyanobacterium as Oscillatoria limosa Agardh ex Gomont, the genetic basis for geosmin biosynthesis and factors influencing growth and geosmin production of O. limosa CHAB 7000 were studied in this work. A 2268-bp open reading frame, encoding 755 amino acids, was amplified and characterized as the geosmin synthase gene (geo), followed by a cyclic nucleotide-binding protein gene (cnb). Phylogenetic analysis implied that the evolution of the geosmin genes in O. limosa CHAB 7000 might involve a horizontal gene transfer event. Examination on the growth and geosmin production of O. limosa CHAB 7000 at different light intensities showed that the maximum geosmin production was observed at 10μmol photons m−2s−1, while the optimum growth was at 60μmol photons m−2s−1. Under three temperature conditions (15°C, 25°C, and 35°C), the maximum growth and geosmin production were observed at 25°C. Most amounts of geosmin were retained in cells during the growth phase, but high temperature and low light intensity increased the release of geosmin into the medium, implying that O. limosa CHAB 7000 had a high potential harm for the release of geosmin from its cells at these adverse conditions.

Microcystins in Cyanobacterial Biofilms from the Littoral Zone of Lake Baikal

Some species of cyanobacteria synthesize toxins whose concentration during water bloom can reach values dangerous for human and animal health. Planktonic cyanobacteria are the most common and well-studied microcystins producers, hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides, whereas microcystin-producing benthic cyanobacteria are less known. In recent years, the mass development of benthic cyanobacteria forming extensive fouling on different substrates has been detected in the littoral zone of Lake Baikal. We found microcystins produced by benthic cyanobacteria in the biofouling on different natural and artificial substrates, including diseased and dead endemic sponges Lubomirskia baicalensis and Baikalospongia spp. collected from the littoral area of Lake Baikal. Microscopic analysis of the biofouling revealed prevalence of representatives of Nostocales and Oscillatoriales with predominance of Tolypothrix distorta that is likely the main microcystin producer in Lake Baikal. According to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microcystin concentrations in biofouling were 29.8–3050 μg/kg dry weight. We identified eight microcystin variants using MALDI-TOF/TOF; [Dha7]MC-YR was detected in most samples. The presence of microcystins in biofilms formed on the surface of the artificial substrate by Phormidium autumnale was also recorded. The data obtained demonstrated the necessity to monitor potentially toxic species and concentrations of cyanotoxins in plankton and benthos in the littoral zone of Lake Baikal, especially in the regions with intense tourist and recreational activities.

Benthic cyanobacteria: A source of cylindrospermopsin and microcystin in Australian drinking water reservoirs

Cyanobacteria represent a health hazard worldwide due to their production of a range of highly potent toxins in diverse aquatic environments. While planktonic species have been the subject of many investigations in terms of risk assessment, little is known about benthic forms and their impact on water quality or human and animal health. This study aimed to purify isolates from environmental benthic biofilms sampled from three different drinking water reservoirs and to assess their toxin production by using the following methods: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Microscopic observation of the isolates allowed the identification of various filamentous cyanobacterial genera: Anabaena (benthic form), Calothrix and Nostoc from the Nostocales and Geitlerinema, Leptolyngbya, Limnothrix, Lyngbya, Oxynema, Phormidium and Pseudanabaena representing non-heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria. The Phormidium ambiguum strain AWQC-PHO021 was found to produce 739 ng/mg of dry weight (d/w) of cylindrospermopsin and 107 ng/mg (d/w) of deoxy-cylindrospermopsin. The Nostoc linckia strain AWQC-NOS001 produced 400 ng/mg (d/w) of a microcystin analogue. This is the first report of hepatotoxin production by benthic cyanobacteria in temperate Australian drinking water reservoirs. These findings indicate that water quality monitoring programs need to consider benthic cyanobacteria as a potential source of toxins.

Rise and fall of toxic benthic freshwater cyanobacteria (Anabaena spp.) in the Eel river: Buoyancy and dispersal

Benthic cyanobacteria in rivers produce cyanotoxins and affect aquatic food webs, but knowledge of their ecology lags behind planktonic cyanobacteria. The buoyancy of benthic Anabaena spp. mats was studied to understand implications for Anabaena dispersal in the Eel River, California. Field experiments were used to investigate the effects of oxygen bubble production and dissolution on the buoyancy of Anabaena dominated benthic mats in response to light exposure. Samples of Anabaena dominated mats were harvested from the South Fork Eel River and placed in settling columns to measure floating and sinking velocities, or deployed into in situ ambient and low light treatments to measure the effect of light on flotation. Floating and sinking occurred within minutes and were driven by oxygen bubbles produced during photosynthesis, rather than intracellular changes in carbohydrates or gas vesicles. Light experiment results showed that in a natural ambient light regime, mats remained floating for at least 4days, while in low light mats begin to sink in <24h. Floating Anabaena samples were collected from five sites in the watershed and found to contain the cyanotoxins anatoxin-a and microcystin, with higher concentrations of anatoxin-a (median 560, max 30,693ng/gDW) than microcystin (median 30, max 37ng/gDW). The ability of Anabaena mats to maintain their buoyancy will markedly increase their downstream dispersal distances. Increased buoyancy also allows toxin-containing mats to collect along shorelines, increasing threats to human and animal public health.

Effect of river flow, temperature, and water chemistry on proliferations of the benthic anatoxin-producing cyanobacterium Phormidium

AbstractProliferations of the benthic anatoxin-producing cyanobacterium Phormidium are increasing in prevalence in cobble-bed rivers worldwide. This proliferation is of particular concern when rivers are used as sources of drinking water or for recreation. Little is known about the physicochemical variables promoting proliferations, and our existing knowledge is based on data from only a few rivers. We assessed Phormidium cover, physicochemical variables, and anatoxin concentrations at 10 sites in 7 New Zealand rivers every week for 2 y. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) identified dissolved inorganic N (DIN) over the accrual period 15°C, and conductivity as having positive and statistically significant effects on % Phormidium cover. Flow intensity, expressed relative to the long-term median, had a positive effect up to 0.4× the median flow and a negative effect when >0.5× the median flow. Quantile regression models showed ma...

Evaluation of Photocurrent Generation from Different Photosynthetic Organisms

AbstractBiological photovoltaics (BPVs) are emerging as a potential sustainable energy‐generating technology to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Although a great variety of photosynthetic biomaterials were studied in BPVs, cyanobacteria are considered as superior candidates because of their simpler physiology. To facilitate extracellular electron transfer (EET) from cyanobacteria to electrodes is the greatest challenge to improving the performance of BPVs. However, a systematic study comparing the photo‐excited EET from such organisms is not yet reported. Here we report on a comparison of photocurrent density generated by benthic cyanobacteria, that is, two species of Leptolyngbya sp. (CAWBG62 and CAWBG100), one species from the order Chroococcales (CAWBG64), and a eukaryotic algae, Paulschulzia pseudovolvox (UKE). This algae and CAWBG100 were sourced from New Zealand, CAWBG62 and CAWBG64 were from Antarctica. We demonstrate EET mediated by three different electron transfer (ET) mediating systems on graphite electrodes. These are as follows: (I) [Os(2,2’‐(bipyridine)2(polyvinyl‐imidazole)10Cl]+/2+ (1:9) [Os‐(bpy)PVI] (II) p‐benzoquinone (PBQ) (III) [Os‐(bpy)PVI] together with PBQ. The maximum photocurrent density of 47.2 μA cm−2 was obtained from CAWBG64 mediated by (III) [Os‐(bpy)PVI] together with PBQ.

Iningainema pulvinus gen nov., sp nov. (Cyanobacteria, Scytonemataceae) a new nodularin producer from Edgbaston Reserve, north-eastern Australia

A new nodularin producing benthic cyanobacterium Iningainema pulvinus gen nov., sp nov. was isolated from a freshwater ambient spring wetland in tropical, north-eastern Australia and characterised using combined morphological and phylogenetic attributes. It formed conspicuous irregularly spherical to discoid, blue-green to olive-green cyanobacterial colonies across the substratum of shallow pools. Morphologically Iningainema is most similar to Scytonematopsis Kiseleva and Scytonema Agardh ex Bornet & Flahault. All three genera have isopolar filaments enveloped by a firm, often layered and coloured sheath; false branching is typically geminate, less commonly singly. Phylogenetic analyses using partial 16S rRNA sequences of three clones of Iningainema pulvinus strain ES0614 showed that it formed a well-supported monophyletic clade. All three clones were 99.7–99.9% similar, however they shared less than 93.9% nucleotide similarity with other cyanobacterial sequences including putatively related taxa within the Scytonemataceae. Amplification of a fragment of the ndaF gene involved in nodularin biosynthesis from Iningainema pulvinus confirmed that it has this genetic determinant. Consistent with these results, analysis of two extracts from strain ES0614 by HPLC–MS/MS confirmed the presence of nodularin at concentrations of 796 and 1096μgg−1 dry weight. This is the third genus of cyanobacteria shown to produce the cyanotoxin nodularin and the first report of nodularin synthesis from the cyanobacterial family Scytonemataceae. These new findings may have implications for the aquatic biota at Edgbaston Reserve, a spring complex which has been identified as a priority conservation area in the central Australian arid and semiarid zones, based on patterns of endemicity.

Elevated Temperature and Allelopathy Impact Coral Recruitment.

As climate change continues to alter seawater temperature and chemistry on a global scale, coral reefs show multiple signs of degradation. One natural process that could facilitate the recovery of reef ecosystems is coral recruitment, which can be influenced by the benthic organisms in a local habitat. We experimentally tested both a global stressor (increased seawater temperature) and a local stressor (exposure to microcolin A, a natural product from a common marine benthic cyanobacterium) to determine how these stressors impacted coral larval sublethal stress, survival and settlement. Larvae of Porites astreoides had the same survival and settlement as the controls after exposure to increased temperature alone, but elevated temperature did cause oxidative stress. When exposed to natural concentrations of microcolin A, larval survival and settlement were significantly reduced. When larvae were exposed to these two stressors sequentially there was no interactive effect; but when exposed to both stressors simultaneously, there was a synergistic reduction in larval survival and an increase in oxidative stress more than in either stressor treatment alone. Increased seawater temperatures made larvae more susceptible to a concurrent local stressor disrupting a key process of coral reef recovery and resilience. These results highlight the importance of understanding how interactive stressors of varying spatial scales can impact coral demographics.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Benthic Cyanobacteria, Oscillatoriales USR 001 and Nostoc sp. MBR 210, Isolated from Tropical Freshwater Lakes.

Genomes of two filamentous benthic cyanobacteria were obtained from cocultures obtained from two freshwater lakes. The cultures were obtained by first growing cyanobacterial trichome on solid medium, followed by subculturing in freshwater media. Subsequent shotgun sequencing, de novo assembly, and genomic binning yielded almost complete genomes of Oscillatoriales USR 001 and Nostoc sp. MBR 210.

Presence of the Cyanotoxin Microcystin in Arctic Lakes of Southwestern Greenland.

Cyanobacteria and their toxins have received significant attention in eutrophic temperate and tropical systems where conspicuous blooms of certain planktonic taxa release toxins into fresh water, threatening its potability and safe use for recreation. Although toxigenic cyanobacteria are not confined to high nutrient environments, bloom-forming species, or planktonic taxa, these other situations are studied les often studied. For example, toxin production in picoplankton and benthic cyanobacteria—the predominant photoautotrophs found in polar lakes—is poorly understood. We quantified the occurrence of microcystin (MC, a hepatotoxic cyanotoxin) across 18 Arctic lakes in southwestern Greenland. All of the focal lakes contained detectable levels of MC, with concentrations ranging from 5 ng·L−1 to >400 ng·L−1 during summer, 2013–2015. These concentrations are orders of magnitude lower than many eutrophic systems, yet the median lake MC concentration in Greenland (57 ng·L−1) was still 6.5 times higher than the median summer MC toxicity observed across 50 New Hampshire lakes between 1998 and 2008 (8.7 ng·L−1). The presence of cyanotoxins in these Greenlandic lakes demonstrates that high latitude lakes can support toxigenic cyanobacteria, and suggests that we may be underestimating the potential for these systems to develop high levels of cyanotoxins in the future.

Benthic microalgae serve as the major food resource for porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes spp.) in oyster reefs: Digestive track content and pigment evidence

Suspension-feeding porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes spp.) are often the most abundant decapod crustaceans in oyster reef habitat. Analysis of water column and subtidal algal biomass from three Texas estuaries suggests that planktonic food resources are insufficient for porcelain crab growth. Pigment composition of porcelain crab muscle and digestive track contents included the diatom pigment fucoxanthin and cyanobacterial pigment canthaxanthin with digestive track samples containing attached (adnate) benthic diatoms as well as benthic cyanobacteria not found in the water column. Feeding appendages on porcelain crabs include numerous cirri with serrated edges as well as fewer more brush-like longer units. Benthic food resources are in sufficient supply to support porcelain crab biomass.

Growth, physiochemical and antioxidant responses of overwintering benthic cyanobacteria to hydrogen peroxide

The recruitment of overwintering benthic cyanobacteria from the sediment surface is important for the development of cyanobacterial blooms during warm spring seasons. Thus, controlling the growth of cyanobacteria at the benthic stage to inhibit their recruitment is vital to control or delay the formation of summer blooms. In this study, overwintering benthic cyanobacteria were exposed to ascending hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations (0, 1, 5, and 20 mg/L) in a simulated overwintering environment. Photosynthetic pigments, physiochemical features, and antioxidant responses were evaluated to determine the inhibitory effects of H2O2 on the growth of benthic cyanobacteria and to identify the potential mechanisms thereof. These H2O2-treated cyanobacteria were then collected through filtration and transferred to an optimum environment to evaluate their recovery capacity. The results showed that chlorophyll a and phycocyanin contents, photosynthetic yield, and esterase activity decreased significantly in H2O2 treated groups compared to the control. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in benthic cyanobacteria were inhibited after 72 h exposure to H2O2, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were stimulated at the same time. These results indicate that H2O2 can inhibit the growth of benthic cyanobacteria, and H2O2-induced oxidative damage might be one of the mechanisms involved. The recovery experiment showed that the impairment of benthic cyanobacteria was temporary at a low dose of 1 mg/L H2O2, but permanent damage was induced when H2O2 concentrations were increased to 5 and 20 mg/L. Overall, our results highlight that H2O2 is a potential cyanobacteria inhibitor and can be used to decreasing the biomass of overwintering cyanobacteria, and could further control the intensity of cyanobacteria during the growth seasons.

Spatial and temporal variations of a saxitoxin analogue (LWTX-1) in Lyngbya wollei (Cyanobacteria) mats in the St. Lawrence River (Québec, Canada)

The concentration of the saxitoxin analogue LWTX-1 was quantified in samples of the benthic filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei (Farlow ex Gomont) Speziale and Dyck collected in two fluvial lakes of the St. Lawrence River (Canada) over the 2006–2013 period. The study was aimed at documenting the spatial (between fluvial lakes, between sites within each lake) and temporal (inter-annual, monthly) variations of toxin concentration in relation with hydrological (water level), physical (water temperature, conductivity, transparency), chemical (nutrients in overlying water) and biological (L. wollei biomass and mat condition) characteristics. Toxin concentration was hypothesized to vary seasonally with biomass accumulation and environmental conditions. Toxin concentrations measured in Lake Saint-Louis (51±40μg LWTX-1g−1 DM, N=29 days in 2007, 2009–2011) were double those in Lake Saint-Pierre (25±31μg LWTX-1g−1 DM, N=26 days in 2006–2008, 2012–2013); however, August 2007 measurements taken from both lakes did not differ significantly. Ten of the twelve highest values (>100μg LWTX-1g−1 DM) were obtained from Lake Saint-Louis, between April and October in 2007, 2010 or 2011. Under ice samples showed intermediate concentrations of LWTX-1 (42±9μg LWTX-1g−1 DM, N=2). Concentrations of LWTX-1 were positively correlated with Secchi depth (r=0.59, p<0.001), L. wollei biomass (Spearman r=0.31, p<0.01) and %N in filaments (r=0.48, p<0.001), suggesting toxin production was linked to mat growth and metabolism rather than water quality. Although LWTX-1 has been reported to have a low toxicity, monitoring of L. wollei abundance is required to assess the environmental and human health risks posed by this taxon in the St. Lawrence - Great Lakes system.

Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake rates of different species from a coral reef community after a nutrient pulse

Terrestrial runoff after heavy rainfall can increase nutrient concentrations in waters overlying coral reefs that otherwise experience low nutrient levels. Field measurements during a runoff event showed a sharp increase in nitrate (75-fold), phosphate (31-fold) and ammonium concentrations (3-fold) in waters overlying a fringing reef at the island of Curaçao (Southern Caribbean). To understand how benthic reef organisms make use of such nutrient pulses, we determined ammonium, nitrate and phosphate uptake rates for one abundant coral species, turf algae, six macroalgal and two benthic cyanobacterial species in a series of laboratory experiments. Nutrient uptake rates differed among benthic functional groups. The filamentous macroalga Cladophora spp., turf algae and the benthic cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula had the highest uptake rates per unit biomass, whereas the coral Madracis mirabilis had the lowest. Combining nutrient uptake rates with the standing biomass of each functional group on the reef, we estimated that the ammonium and phosphate delivered during runoff events is mostly taken up by turf algae and the two macroalgae Lobophora variegata and Dictyota pulchella. Our results support the often proposed, but rarely tested, assumption that turf algae and opportunistic macroalgae primarily benefit from episodic inputs of nutrients to coral reefs.

팔당호 퇴적층 남조류의 군집과 남조류 성장잠재성 분석

We analyzed cyanobacterial community including akinete, resting cell, and benthic cyanobacteria in sediment of Bukhan, Namhan-River, Paldang-Lake, and Kyeongan-Stream and compared the physicochemical factors for water and pore water. We also performed cyanobacteria growth potential test through incubating sediment. As a result of physicochemical analysis, the concentrations of nutrients were similar for each depth of Bukhan-River. For Namhan-River and Lake Paldang sites, the concentrations of TP and DTN in bottom and deep water had higher levels. DTN in water body composed of NO3-N(73%) while DTN in pore water composed of NH3-N(77.8%). Benthic cyanobacteria in the sediment such as Oscillatoria tenuis, O. limosa, Phormidium tenue, Pseudanabaena limnetica, and Lyngbya sp. were dominant (between 0.0∼243.3×10³ cells/g, w/w). Cell densities of cyanobacteria in sediment depth of 0∼2 cm in most sites were higher compared to those in other depths. The cell density of cyanobacteria in sediment correlated with pH, conductivity, BOD5, TP, DTP, and chl. a. Increased phytoplankton and organic matters were found to be able to inhibit the growth of benthic cyanobacteria. Results of cyanobacteria growth potential test after incubating sediment revealed that harmful cyanobacteria (Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Microcystis, and Oscillatoria) appeared at 7 days post culturing. Base on these results, the methods used in this study are considered to be able to determine the appearance of harmful cyanobacteria.

A method for growing a monospecific epilithic cyanobacterial biofilm for use in marine ecological experiments

On most intertidal rocky shores, marine filamentous cyanobacteria Oscillatoriales are important components of natural biofilms. Some studies have already suggested the nutritional importance of benthic cyanobacteria for intertidal grazers; however, due to the complex nature and technical difficulties of observing and manipulating biofilm in situ, questions related to the relationship between what is available and what is actually consumed and assimilated by intertidal grazers remain unanswered. An alternative approach could be to use an isolated benthic cyanobacterial strain and grow it on surfaces resembling natural rocky shores under controlled laboratory conditions. Researchers can then test hypotheses about feeding behaviours and nutritional implications of grazers feeding on a monospecific biofilm. In this study a procedure to grow a blue-green cyanobacterial biofilm on experimental sandstone units (ESUs) was developed. Evidence of this growth is demonstrated using two established techniques in the analysis of chlorophyll a (Chl a) as a proxy for biomass. Destructive (spectrophotometric) and non-invasive (spectrometric) methods were used to measure the photosynthetic pigment in the benthic filamentous blue-green cyanobacterium Geitlerinema sp. strain CS-897 in a 26-day experiment. Amounts of Chl a were assessed every two days and a continuous and significant growth was observed through time (values ranging from 0.20μgcm−2 on day 0 to a maximum of 1.10μgcm−2 on day 20). A strong linear relationship (R2=0.87) was found between the spectrophotometric measurements of Chl a and the index NIR/red (R750/R672) obtained from reflectance spectrometry, providing for the first time evidence for the attachment and growth of a monospecific cyanobacterial biofilm on sterilised ESUs under controlled laboratory conditions. The linear regression equation obtained from this relationship can then be used to assess non-destructively the amount of food provided and consumed by key intertidal grazers in future manipulative feeding experiments. These results provide a platform for further studies focusing on the nutritional ecology and feeding behaviour of intertidal grazers. The development of experimental monospecific and/or mixed benthic biofilms on rocky substrata opens up new possibilities for experiments to improve understanding of key ecological processes such as competition, foraging behaviour and the effects that different benthic grazers have on the biofilm.

Does submerged aquatic vegetation shape zooplankton community structure and functional diversity? A test with a shallow fluvial lake system

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) plays important roles in shallow lakes. In addition to its refuge effect for zooplankton, one key role of SAV is to provide diverse ecological niches to these organisms. The reduction of habitat complexity due to loss of SAV might thus have huge effects on zooplankton communities. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between SAV abundance and composition and zooplankton functional diversity and community structure. We used as model system the littoral zone of Lake St. Pierre (Quebec, Canada), a shallow fluvial lake experiencing dramatic changes in SAV cover. Our sampling protocol allowed us to analyse the relationship between SAV and zooplankton along a gradient of SAV abundance. We showed that SAV abundance explained 41% of the variation in the zooplankton community structure and 25% of the variation in zooplankton functional diversity. Our results also indicated that the presence of the benthic cyanobacterium Gloeotrichia sp. in SAV beds had a structuring effect within the dominant family of Chydoridae, being negatively correlated to the abundance of relatively large-bodied species. Our findings suggest that loss in SAV biomass and complexity can affect both community structure and functional diversity of zooplankton in shallow fluvial lakes.