Stephanodiscus Hantzschii Research Articles

Relationship between phytoplankton distribution and salinity in the giant artificial brackish Lake Saemangeum

In 2021, an abundance of phytoplankton species was observed in Lake Saemangeum. We analyzed the relationship between phytoplankton abundance and salinity by comparing the distribution of salinity that changed because of freshwater inflow and drainage sluice gate operation. Thirteen field surveys were conducted: monthly basic surveys from January to November 2021 and additional surveys after rainfall in August and September at seven sites. During the survey period, 46–94 species were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between salinity and abundance of the dominant phytoplankton species. The result showed that Cyclotella atomus, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Phormidium tenue, and Chaetoceros spp. were correlated with salinity. Chaetoceros spp. was significantly positively correlated (p < 0.001), whereas all other species were negatively correlated. Moreover, the correlation coefficient between seven species and salinity was close to zero. Compared with the general correlation coefficient of salinity and abundance, the point-biserial correlation coefficient showed a higher overall absolute value. Four species (Skeletonema spp., Cyclotella atomus, Phormidium tenue, Chaetoceros spp.) exhibited p < 0.001. Particularly, the correlation coefficient of Cyclotella atomus changed significantly from -0.237 to -0.451, whereas that of Phormidium tenue changed from -0.207 to -0.431. The results imply that salinity can affect the distribution and survival of euryhaline species. Therefore, high salinity may inhibit some freshwater and euryhaline species in the lake. However, further research is required to validate our findings.

Longitudinal Variations in Physiochemical Conditions and Their Consequent Effect on Phytoplankton Functional Diversity Within a Subtropical System of Cascade Reservoirs

The social and environmental impacts of large dams are quantifiable and have been well documented, while small dams have often been presumed to be less environmentally damaging than large dams. The purpose of this study was to analyze longitudinal gradients in environmental, hydrodynamic variables and their impact on phytoplankton function, within a cascade of four reservoirs (XuanMiaoGuan, XMG; TianFuMiao, TFM; XiBeiKou, XBK; ShangJiaHe, SJH) and one reservoir bay (Huangbohe Bay, HBH), located from upstream to downstream in the Huangbo River, Hubei Province, China. Our results showed that water temperature, total nitrogen, and soluble silicate increased along the cascade reservoir system, while the concentration of dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus decreased. We identified 16 phytoplankton functional groups, and the predominant groups, including D (Synedra and Stephanodiscus hantzschii), E (Dinobryon divergens), Lo (Dinoflagellate: Peridinium bipes and Peridiniopsis), X2 (Chroomona), and Y (Cryptomonas), changed longitudinally from up to down in the cascade reservoirs. The number of dominant functional groups increased along the longitudinal gradient, indicating that the function of the phytoplankton community was more stable. Functional group D was the dominant phytoplankton functional group among the four reservoirs, and Lo group was dominant except SJH. The phytoplankton functional groups in the HBH have been completely changed due to the backwater jacking of the main stream of the Yangtze River. Euphotic depth, suspended solids, and nutrients were apparently the key factors driving variations in phytoplankton functional groups among the reservoirs. Notably, the patterns we observed were not all consistent with the cascading reservoir continuum concept (CRCC) that typically characterizes large rivers. Thus, our findings contribute to the further theoretical development of the CRCC, which may not apply widely to all cascade systems.

Taxonomic diversity and structure of the under-ice phytoplankton in Lower Ob (March-April 2021)

The subglacial phytoplankton of the Lower Ob was studied at three sites in the area of Salekhard in March -April 2021. 71 taxa of algae from Cyanobacteria, Chrysophyta, Bacillariophyta, Cryptophyta and Chlorophyta were identified with a predominance of diatoms (55 %), among which they were noted as true plankters (representatives of 5 genera), as well as those that live in benthos and fouling (15 genera). Aulacoseira granulata and Stephanodiscus hantzschii, as well as unknown small spherical and filamentous cyanobacteria, were found at every station and section. Among the surveyed sections, the maximum number of taxa was found at the section of the Malaya Ob (Azovy - 38), slightly less at the sections of the Bolshaya Ob (Kazym-Mys - 36 and Salemal -- 34). The number of algal divisions, on the contrary, was lower on Azovy than on Kazym-Mys and Salemal (four and five, respectively). An ecological and geographical analysis of the composition of winter phytoplankton showed that it was dominated by representatives of plankton in terms of habitat, cosmopolitans in terms of geographical confinement, indifferences in relation to the pH of the environment and alkaliphiles in relation to water salinity, as well as betamesosaprobionts in relation to the content of organic compounds.

Solids retention time dependent, tunable diatom hierarchical micro/nanostructures and their effect on nutrient removal

The hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) micro/nanostructures of diatoms make them a promising biomaterial for fabricating nanomaterials, producing bioactive pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, and removing micropollutants. For diatom production in a continuous flow system, little is known how bioreactor operating parameters, especially solids retention time (SRT), affect the 3D structures of diatoms. This study demonstrated that tunable diatom micro/nanostructures could be produced by varying the SRT of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). A diatom strain (Stephanodiscus hantzschii) was cultivated in two identical MBRs with a fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h and staged SRTs from 5, to 10, and to 20 d. As SRTs increased from 5 to 20 d, important characteristics of diatom micro/nanostructures showed linear decreases: the diameters of foramina on the areola layer decreased from 170 ± 10 to 130 ± 12 nm, the numbers of nanopores per cribrum layer decreased from 20 ± 3 to 12 ± 2, and the specific surface areas of the diatoms decreased from 36.01 ± 1.27 to 12.67 ± 2.45 m2·g−1. However, the average diatom heights increased from 2.9 ± 0.3 to 3.9 ± 0.4 µm, while diatom cell diameter (5 µm) and nanopore size (20 nm) remained unchanged. The silicon content of diatoms also linearly increased with SRT. The decrease in diatom porosity and increase in silicon content were probably due to the reduced diatom growth rates (likely resulting in less pores) at increasing SRTs, which also facilitated silica deposition as the overall diatom population stayed longer in the MBRs. As the SRTs increased from 5 to 10, and to 20 d, the nitrate (NO3−) removal efficiency decreased from 75% to 70%, and to 60%, respectively, whereas phosphorus (P) removal efficiency increased from 74% to 80%, and to 90%, respectively. The opposite trends in efficiencies were because NO3−-N was removed by cellular uptake and biomass waste whereas P was mainly removed through diatom-assisted chemical precipitation.

Effects of aquaculture on the shallow lake aquatic ecological environment of Lake Datong, China

BackgroundThe restoration of lake ecosystems requires a good knowledge of the lake’s history and the driving mechanism of environmental changes. In this study, we used Lake Datong, the largest inland lake in Hunan Province China, as an example to study the effects of aquaculture, based on historical data of aquatic creature, diatom inferred-total phosphorous (DI-TP) data, and an Ecopath model. Lake Datong has undergone several stages of aquaculture from 1980, with a rapid increase in fish production and fish feed supplementation at each stage. Its water quality has deteriorated since the introduction of aquaculture and the lake has become moderate eutrophic status.ResultsAccording to the DI-TP data, before 1930, Lake Datong was in a mesotrophic status (50–60 μg/L DI-TP). Between 1930 and 1980, the number of nutrient-tolerant species increased slightly, which indicates a nutrient increase in the lake (66–83 μg/L DI-TP). From the 1980s to 2010 and especially since 2000, eutrophication increased rapidly, with eutrophic species dominating the diatom assemblage, such as Stephanodiscus hantzschii, S. minutulus, and a sudden decrease in Aulacoseira granulata (< 10%). The annual average DI-TP concentration was 202 μg/L. After 2010, DI-TP decreased to 127–152 μg/L. In 2019, consumer biomass in Lake Datong was very low because the large-scale aquaculture was restricted by local government. The biomass of submerged macrophytes was relatively high, indicating that excessive primary producers had not been used by consumers and therefore, had not entered the food web. This led to a reduction in the energy transfer efficiency (TE) of the ecosystem.ConclusionsThe succession of the water ecosystem of Lake Datong is reappeared by DI-TP analysis and historical reference data. Lake Datong has experienced four stages of eutrophication succession following the introduction of aquaculture activities, with dramatic changes in the composition and biomass of its aquatic creatures. After comprehensive management in 2017, the consumer biomass of Lake Datong was at a relatively lower level, and the biomass of submerged macrophytes was higher, meaning a large quantity of primary producers had not been used by consumers, thus had not entered the food web, which consequently reduces the energy TE of the ecosystem. Future management needs to pay attention to making a suitable macrophyte harvest plan, stocking herbivorous and omnivorous fish, and establishing rational fishing, which can not only enhance the energy flows and nutrient cycling of the ecosystem, but also improve the food web structure. Our results provide important reference values and theoretical support for decision-makers and stakeholders in the subsequent management of similar shallow lake-water ecosystems.

Species diversity of phyto- and zooplankton in the water bodies of Kharanorskaya State District Power Plant, Transbaikalia (according to 2019 data)

We described the taxonomic structure of planktonic associations in the water bodies of Kharanor State District Power Plant (cooling pond, water supply, drainage, and water intake channels of Kharanor reservoir located in the arid zone of the south-eastern Transbaikalia in a highly continental climate). Hydrobiological researches were conducted in April, July, and October 2019. We identified 141 algal taxa ranked below the genus, representing the divisions of Cyanobacteria (15 taxa), Bacillariophyta (41), Chrysophyta (10), Cryptophyta (3), Dinophyta (4), Charophyta (8), Chlorophyta (56), and Euglenophyta (4), and 52 zooplankton taxa, including 28 species and subspecies of Rotifera, 15 species of Cladocera, and 9 species of Copepoda. In the cooling reservoir, the plankton community included 135 phytoplankton taxa and 38 zooplankton species; 58 algal taxa and 27 invertebrate species were sampled in the water supply channel, 50 taxa and 26 species were sampled in the drainage channel, and 94 taxa and 24 species were collected from water intake channel respectively. Six diatom species (Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Nitzschia sigmoidea, Fragilaria radians, Asterionella formosa, Ulnaria ulna) and four zooplankton species (rotifers Asplanchna priodonta and crustaceans Daphnia galeata, Bosmina longirostris, Thermocyclops crassus) occurred in all water bodies during the entire study period.

Phytoplankton succession in the anthropogenic and climate ecological transformation of freshwater ecosystems

The study is focused on the influence of mechanisms of anthropogenic activity and climate changes of different types and levels on the autotrophic link of freshwater ecosystems. The studies of the river, lake, water reservoir and quarry phytoplankton in the territory of the Ukrainian Polissia were carried out during 2005–2019 according to the standard methods. At the same time, we determined water hydrophysical and hydrochemical characteristics. Exactly 812 algal species represented by 877 infraspecific taxa were identified, including 75 new ones for the Ukrainian Polissia, with a significant share of thermophiles and halophiles. The dominance of Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, Euglenozoa and Cyanobacteria was observed in all types of water bodies. With the increase in the nutrient content in the composition of dominant complexes of river ecosystems, the role of centric diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana, C. stelligera, Stephanodiscus hantzschii increased. The vegetation intensity of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae increased in the water courses with partially regulated flow, while vegetation of Chrysococcus rufescens, Pseudokephyrion pillidium, Kephyrion ovum intensified in rivers with increased colour of water. Water reservoirs are dominated by representatives of Bacillariophyta, Cyanobacteria, Euglenozoa, Miozoa, mostly by Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Peridinium cinctum. The lowest number of dominant species was identified in the lakes, and belonged to the genera Trachelomonas, Peridinium, Chlamydomonas, Crucigeniella, Cyclotella, Aulacoseira. The dominant species in quarries were Cyclotella meneghiniana, Chlamydomonas monadina, Ch. globosa, Coelastrum microporum, Gomphosphaeria aponina, Trachelomonas volvocina and Microcystis aeruginosa. The obtained data can be used to predict scenarios of changes in the autotrophic link under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, to develop methods for monitoring and managing ecosystems at different levels of anthropogenic transformation necessary to ensure an appropriate level of their functions and ecological services.

ANALYSIS OF CORRELATION BETWEEN PHYTOPLANKTON AND OXYGEN REGIME IN RIVER MOUTH AREA

In the summer seasons of 2017–2020, Cyanophyta (July – August) and Bacillariophyta (June) prevailed in phytoplankton in the mouth of the Kazanka River (left-hand tributary to Kuibyshevskoe storage reservoir). Cyanobacteria were mostly represented by filamentous forms – Aphanizomenon flos-aquae Ralfs ex Bornet &amp; Flahault and Planktothrix agardhii (Gomont) Anagnostidis &amp; Komárek; diatoms were predominantly centric (Stephanodiscus hantzschii Grunow, Stephanodiscus sp., Cyclotella sp.). The dissolved oxygen content in the surface water layer did not fall below standard values for fishery waters (MPCf) and varied within 6.2–17.0 mgO2/l. Easily oxidizable organic matter expressed as BOD5 exceeded MPCf 1.4–3.7‑fold. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate and/or strong relationship between the taxonomic composition and abundance of the phytoplankton community on the one hand and oxygen regime parameters in the river’s surface water layer on the other. Water enrichment with oxygen is mainly associated with the development of green algae (Spearman’s coefficient at 0.69, p &lt; 0.05) and diatoms (0.56); organic matter formation in the water – with the development of cyanobacteria (0.69), dinophytes (0.69), and diatoms (0.74). Meteorological (air temperature, precipitation) and temporal (year, month of observations) factors influence the phytoplankton density index, dissolved oxygen content, COD and BOD5 in the mouth of the Kazanka River (according to the Kruskal-Wallis test, p &lt; 0.05).

18S rRNA Analysis Reveals High Diversity of Phytoplankton with Emphasis on a Naked Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sp. at the Han River (Korea)

Biomonitoring of phytoplankton communities in freshwater ecosystems is imperative for efficient water quality management. In the present study, we present the seasonal diversity of phytoplankton from the non-reservoir area of the Han River (Korea), assessed using the 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our results uncovered a considerably high eukaryotic diversity, which was predominantly represented by phytoplankton in all the seasons (38–63%). Of these, the diatoms, Cyclostephanos tholiformis, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, and Stephanodiscus sp., were frequently detected in spring and winter. Interestingly, for the first time in the Han River, we detected a large number of operational taxonomic unit (OTU) reads belonging to the naked dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sp., which dominated in autumn (15.8%) and was observed only in that season. Molecular cloning and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of Gymnodinium sp. in the samples collected in 2012 and 2019. Moreover, a comparison of the present data with our previous data from a reservoir area (Paldang Dam) revealed similar patterns of phytoplankton communities. This molecular approach revealed a prospective toxic species that was not detected through microscopy. Collectively, resolving phytoplankton communities at a level relevant for water quality management will provide a valuable reference for future studies on phytoplankton for environmental monitoring.

DNA metabarcoding reveals multiple co-occurring species in

Spring diatom blooms dominate the annual cycle of phytoplankton abundance in temperate freshwater systems. Many researchers have questioned whether severe blooms are attributable to a single species and warrant the identification of similar, concurrently occurring organisms. Here, we investigated spring diatom blooms in a temperate freshwater system (Yeongsan River, South Korea) that is thought to predominantly include the diatom Stephanodiscus hantzschii. Water samples were collected from four different sites during the blooms that occurred in March 2015. We analysed physicochemical and biological parameters and examined the species composition of the spring blooms using DNA metabarcoding via pyrosequencing. Our results revealed that several diatom species co-occurred during the blooms: Cyclotella sp. was the most frequently detected, followed by Cyclostephanos dubius and Discostella sp., whereas Stephanodiscus was only detected at two stations with low occurrence. These results suggest the coexistence of many diatoms during spring blooms in the Yeongsan River; however, Cyclotella sp. was responsible for the spring bloom attributed to S. hantzschii. DNA metabarcoding can be a useful tool for resolving species identities in spring diatom blooms in temperate freshwater systems. In addition, the co-occurrence of similar species should be considered when implementing efforts to monitor and control spring blooms.

Selective removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products from water by titanium incorporated hierarchical diatoms in the presence of natural organic matter

Natural organic matter (NOM), such as humic acids, fulvic acids, and tannic acids, is ubiquitous in water bodies and hinders the photodegradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). We prepared titanium incorporated hierarchical diatoms as a novel photocatalyst to selectively remove PPCPs (triclosan, bisphenol A or BPA, and N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide or DEET) in the presence of NOM (humic acid). Diatom (Stephanodiscus hantzschii) grown in a titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide solution integrated 7.2% ± 1.4% (mass fraction) of titanium in their cell wall and formed silica-titania frustules. The photodegradation of triclosan, BPA, and DEET by both silica-titania frustules and titania nanopowder (a control photocatalyst) follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Under ultraviolent light irradiation, the titanium-content-normalized pseudo-first-order removal rate constants of triclosan, BPA, and DEET by silica-titania frustules were 3, 4, and 4-times those by titania nanopowder, respectively, at a humic acid concentration of 10 mg•L−1. Incorporation of titanium did not alter the morphology and hierarchical nano/microstructures of the diatom. The silica-titania frustules were rich in nanopores with a diameter of 20 ± 4 nm (mean ± standard deviation), allowing PPCPs with a small molecular weight (typically < 600 g•mol−1) to pass through while efficiently rejecting NOM with high molecular weights. The silica-titania frustules with hierarchical nano/microstructures served as a prefiltration unit by selectively allowing PPCPs to pass through the nanopores and are therefore promising for photodegradation and environmental remediation applications.

Sedimentary Diatom Records Reveal the Succession of Ecosystem in Lake Xihu, Dali over the Past 50 Years

In recent decades, intense human activities have caused a decline in many lake ecosystems in Yunnan Province, rendering the transformation of the lake from a clear macrophyte-dominated state to a turbid phytoplankton-dominated state. Improved understanding of the ecological changes in lake ecosystem has significant implications for management. In this study, a small lake in Dali Prefecture of Yunnan Province, i.e., Lake Xihu, was selected. Combined with diatom records and physicochemical proxies from the lake sediments, this paper focuses on the long-term ecological changes in Lake Xihu, Dali since the mid-1960s. The results show that the Lake Xihu, Dali has undergone a significant shift in stable states over the past 50 years. Prior to 2000, the benthic-epiphytic species (i.e., Cocconeis placentula, Staurosira construens, Gomphonema angustum, and Achnanthidium minutissimum) dominated in diatom assemblages, indicating oligotrophic conditions; since 2000, benthic-epiphytic species (i.e., Encyonopsis microcephala and Navicula cryptocephala) and planktonic species (i.e., Cyclotella atomus, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, and Aulacoseira granulata) dominated successively, indicating mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions. Principal component analysis based on the diatom assemblages in temporal scale showed the response of diatoms succession to nutrients. Redundancy analysis also confirmed that nutrient enrichment was the main driving force for the succession of diatom assemblages in Lake Xihu, Dali. In the past 50 years, climate change and human activities (i.e., agricultural reclamation, fertilization, animal husbandry, and fishery) have enhanced the accumulation of nutrients in the lake. The continuous loading of nutrients promoted the propagation of planktonic algae, and also the productivity of the lake, rendering the transformation to a turbid phytoplankton-dominated state.

Drivers shaping episodic and gradual changes in phytoplankton community succession: Taxonomic versus functional groups

Describing temporal changes in phytoplankton communities is complicated owing to (i) multivariate environmental drivers, (ii) inter-specific relationships, and (iii) various species. With long-term research data from the lower Nakdong River from 1993 to 2016, we examined the temporal changes at two scales—episodic (from weekly to monthly) and long-term (yearly)—and screened the potential environmental drivers. Phytoplankton community component patterns were modeled with the drivers as covariates, using multivariate autoregressive state-space (MARSS) models, to assess their response to environmental drivers and biotic interactions. We assumed that compared to taxonomic classification, functional classification would obtain a better identification of community response to temporal variability. Over 24 years, the succession patterns of the dominant taxonomic and functional groups decreased in diversity, with the greatest decreases in biomass of Bacillariophyceae and group D (mainly the diatom Stephanodiscus hantzschii), and coincided with the introduction of group H1 (dinitrogen-fixing nostocaleans). The potential drivers for these changes were precipitation, water level, and total nitrogen (TN) for taxonomic groups and TN, total phosphorus, and euphotic zone depth for functional groups. The results of the MARSS model and temporal trends for each driver indicated that the increases in the water level and light availability were mostly related with the taxonomic and functional groups, respectively. The model for functional groups proposed a total of 24 significant inter-group relationships, where five relationships supported the succession patterns of dominant groups in the Nakdong River. Combined with the effects of increased light availability, a positive relationship between groups H1 and M (mainly Cyanobacteria and Microcystis aeruginosa) appears to induce cyanobacterial bloom development over a long period. These results can be fundamental information for river system management concerning the resulting cascading effects of changes in environmental drivers and inter-group relationships on the phytoplankton community composition.

Application of nuclear magnetic resonance for analyzing metabolic characteristics of winter diatom blooms

Abstract We compared two metabolome profiles of a small centric diatom species, Stephanodiscus hantzschii Grun., grown under conditions with enriched nutrients but different temperatures. This species proliferates in eutrophic rivers during winter. We investigated the population dynamics and internal metabolite changes of Stephanodiscus by performing a simple culture experiment at different temperatures (5 and 15°C). We applied the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique to fully grown cells to obtain the metabolite profiles of S. hantzschii. Growth rates were significantly different at different temperature conditions (0.99 ± 0.11 day−1 at 15°C and 0.21 ± 0.12 day−1 at 5°C, n = 10). Characterized metabolites included saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, AXP (including AMP, ADP and ATP), and UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose, all of which are important for energy metabolism. These metabolites were abundant within S. hantzschii cells grown at 15°C but were not prolific in those grown at 5°C. Furthermore, other 1H NMR spectrum uncovered very little amounts of metabolites. Based on these observations of cell growth rate, although required nutrients were supplied, colder temperatures suppressed population growth through the deactivation of various internal metabolisms. Thus, winter proliferation of this species is opportunistic, implying that survival success led to dominance in freshwater ecosystems with neither resource competition nor grazing pressure.

Effects of Weir Construction on Phytoplankton Assemblages and Water Quality in a Large River System.

Flow regulation is one of the most common anthropogenic factors affecting rivers worldwide. In Korea, 16 weirs were constructed along four major rivers from 2009 to 2012. This study aimed to elucidate initial changes in physical, chemical, and biological variables after the construction of consecutive weirs on the Nakdong River, a major large river system. Water quality variables and phytoplankton cell densities were investigated at eight representative sites and compared with the data recorded before the weir construction. There were spatial and temporal changes in the hydraulic retention time (HRT), total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll a concentrations among the eight weir sections. HRT increased after the weir construction, while TP and chlorophyll a tended to decrease from the middle to lower section of the Nakdong River. Furthermore, differences were observed in the phytoplankton community composition between 2006–2007 and 2013. There was a marginal decrease in the duration of centric diatom (Stephanodiscus hantzschii) blooms after weir construction. However, Microcystis aeruginosa proliferated more extensively during summer and autumn than it did before the weir construction. Our results suggest that changes in hydrological factors, in response to consecutive weir construction, may contribute to greater physical, chemical, and ecological variability.

Aulacoseira pseudomuzzanensis sp. nov. and other centric diatoms from post iron ore mining reservoirs in Poland

Post iron ore mining reservoirs in Łęczyca (Poland) can be considered extreme habitats because they are characterized by high pH, conductivity, and sulfate, sodium and potassium concentrations. We observed high abundances in these water bodies of several centric diatom species that are otherwise known from less extreme environments. These included Thalassiosira duostra, Cyclostephanos dubius, Stephanodiscus binatus, Stephanodiscus invisitatus, Stephanodiscus parvus, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Lindavia aff. balatonis, Discostella woltereckii, Discostella pseudostelligera, and Cyclotella meneghiniana, revealing the eurytopic nature of these species. Morphological differences between populations from extreme habitats and their counterparts from less extreme environments may indicate phenotypic responses of eurytopic taxa to the differing environmental regimes, or the presence of distinct, more stenotopic taxa. In both cases, this could be relevant for biomonitoring. For this reason, we carefully observed the morphological variability of our target taxa in the Łęczyca reservoir samples compared with literature accounts from less extreme habitats, and in some cases, with type material of the species concerned. Specimens similar to Aulacoseira muzzanensis α-chains were observed. Following comparison with the type material of Melosira muzzanensis Meister (≡A. muzzanensis), we concluded that the Łęczyca populations are sufficiently different to be recognized as a separate species, here described as Aulacoseira pseudomuzzanensis sp. nov. The importance of identifying centric diatoms to species level for water management surveys is emphasized, even for those taxa that are difficult to identify using only LM.

Modeling water temperature effect in diatom (Stephanodiscus hantzschii) prediction in eutrophic rivers using a 2D contaminant transport model

In many eutrophic rivers, the diatom dynamics mainly depends on change of water temperature rather than nutrient concentration because phosphorus and nitrogen loadings are usually sufficient to saturate the diatom growth. In this study, a two-dimensional contaminant transport model was developed in which diatom growth was predicted by incorporating the dynamics of water temperature, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and dissolved inorganic nitrogen as well as the hydrodynamics of river flow. In this study, in order to accurately model the effect of the water temperature on the diatom growth, a new form of the water temperature limitation function, f(T) was proposed, using the field data obtained from water quality monitoring stations at the Nakdong River, one of the eutrophic rivers in South Korea. Fitting the water quality data, the skewed Gaussian function was empirically derived for f(T) with parameter estimation to calculate the growth rate of the centric diatom, Stephanodiscus hantzschii (S. hantzschii) for which the optimal water temperature was found to be 8.7 °C from winter to spring seasons. The calibration of the two-dimensional contaminant transport model with the proposed f(T) showed that the Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of the simulation with the observed data at each monitoring station was 0.63 and 0.85. The validation of the calibrated model also showed that the simulation results were in good agreement with the observed data with NSE larger than 0.74. The results of the parametric sensitivity analysis revealed that the optimal water temperature, Topt most influenced the temporal variation in the diatom abundance. According to results of the scenario simulation using the calibrated and validated model, the thermal effluents introduced from the tributary as well as dispersion coefficients, DL and DT significantly affected the spatial distribution of the diatom concentration in the study site of the Nakdong River.

Improvement of cyanobacterial-killing biologically derived substances (BDSs) using an ecologically safe and cost-effective naphthoquinone derivative

In previous studies, naphthoquinone (NQ) compounds have been shown to be effective, selective, and ecologically safe algicides for controlling harmful algal blooming species (HABs) or winter bloom species, such as Stephanodiscus hantzschii. However, there are no reports on NQ-based algicides for use with cyanobacterial blooming species. In this study, we developed 31 NQ compounds to investigate algicides for mitigating cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, to better apply these compounds in the field, we reduced the number of production steps to develop a cost-effective algicide. In preliminary testing, we screened NQ compounds that showed the best algicidal activity on target cyanobacteria, including Aphanizomenon, Dolichospermum, Microcystis, Oscillatoria, and Nostoc species. The compound NQ 2-0 showed the highest algicidal activity (90%) at a low concentration (≥1μM) on target algae. These were very limiting algicidal effects of 1µM NQ 2-0 observed against non-target algae, such as diatoms (Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Synedra acus, and Aulacoseira granulata) or green algae (Cosmarium bioculatum and Scenedesmus quadricauda), and the effect did not exceed 15–25% (except against S. quadricauda). NQ 2-0 (1μM) showed no eco-toxicity, as represented by the survival rates of Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (100%), Daphnia magna (100%), and Danio rerio (100%). Additionally, a chronic eco-toxicity assessment showed no toxicity toward the survival, growth or reproduction of D. magna. Moreover, NQ 2-0 quickly dissipated from field water samples and had a half-life of approximately 3.2 days. These results suggest that NQ 2-0 could be a selective and ecologically safe algicide to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms.

Response of Microcystis and Stephanodiscus to Alternative Flow Regimes of the Regulated River Nakdong (South Korea) Quantified By Model Ensembles Based on the Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm (HEA)

AbstractThis study demonstrates the use of inferential models for scenario analyses by simulating direct and indirect effects of predictor variables on state variables through model ensembles. Two model ensembles have been designed to predict the response of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the diatom Stephanodiscus hantzschii to modified flow regimes of the River Nakdong (Korea) by a scenario analysis. Whilst flow‐independent predictor variables of growth of Microcystis and Stephanodiscus such as water temperature and pH remain unchanged during the scenario analysis, flow‐dependent predictor variables such as turbidity, electrical conductivity, phosphate, nitrate, silica and chlorophyll a are forecasted by inferential models. In the course of scenario analysis, flow‐independent and flow‐dependent predictor variables feed into the Microcystis and Stephanodiscus models to make sure that both direct and indirect effects of altered flow regimes are taken into account. The eight inferential models that were incorporated into the model ensembles have been developed by the hybrid evolutionary algorithm based on 19 years of time‐series monitored in the River Nakdong between 1993 and 2012. The models achieved good accuracy in terms of timing and magnitudes reflected by coefficients of determination r2 = 0.94 for Microcystis and r2 = 0.83 for Stephanodiscus. The scenario analysis revealed that extreme summer blooms of Microcystis as observed between 1994 and 1997, and winter blooms of Stephanodiscus as observed between 1994 and 1997 and in 2004 can be prevented in the River Nakdong by adaptive management of seasonal water release from adjacent dams. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Surface–sediment diatom assemblages of the urban ponds of St. Petersburg, Russia

The diatom assemblages of the surface sediments have been studied in 53 urban ponds and lakes of St. Petersburg for the first time. In total, 350 species and infraspecific taxa have been registered; the species of Achnanthidium, Cocconeis, Cyclostephanos, Cyclotella, Gomphonema, Lemnicola, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Stephanodiscus genera were the most common. The wide distribution of small centric planktonic taxa, Cyclostephanos dubius, C. invisitatus, Cyclotella pseudostelligera, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, and S. minutulus, is preconditioned by the depletion of dissolved silica, which is a result of the high phosphorus load. The high abundance of macrophytes in the shallowest sites favors the dominance of epiphytic Fragilaria, Staurosira, and Staurosirella taxa. Bottom-living diatoms in the shallow eutrophic and hypereutrophic urban ponds are light-limited; this is a result of either macrophytes or phytoplankton development. Alkaliphilous and alkalibiontic species prevail among the pH-indicative species, while eutraphentic and hypereutraphentic diatoms, as well as those thriving in a wide range of trophic conditions, dominate over other trophic groups. The β- and α-mesosaprobic species are the most common saprobity-indicative taxa.