http://www.pondtrademag.com/tradenews/tn-2023/

Breakthrough Nanotechnology to Greatly Reduce Pond Maintenance

Release Date: November 25th, 2014

It is not every day we come across a product that will save you so much time in your pond cleaning routine. Using the power of Diatoms a natural bio filter, Nualgi Ponds stimulates the growth of these microorganisms that give off O2 and consume C02 for healthier and happier fish.

For the past year, Nualgi has been naturally reducing algae in ponds and aquariums across the world with positive reports stating, “I haven’t experienced such a rapid change in all my years…that very dark green thick water in my 3000 gallon holding pond cleared by 60% in less than 14 hours”

Nualgi Ponds Naturally Improves the Aquatic Food Chain
It creates a natural micro food chain that is beneficial to both koi Fish and aquatic plants and even contributes to reducing detritus levels in the pond. Some users experience overnight effects while others wait about 5 weeks depending on the light that the pond receives. After you begin dosing Nualgi the savings will begin to amount as a direct result of not having to buy all the different chemicals. Nualgi’s formula is certified non-toxic by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research and has successfully been used in large lakes and rivers in India for over ten years. However, adoption in the United States has been limited to private buyers of their Nualgi Aquarium & Nualgi Ponds products due to regulatory approval procedures.

Fight to Eliminate Global Water Pollution
Taking the first major step towards getting the United States to approve Nualgi’s use in fighting the water pollution in our lakes, rivers, bays, and oceans, Nualgi has secured facilities and a team of research scientists from Mississippi State University to perform a yearlong study. This double-blind study will be led by the aquaculture and fisheries staff at MSU to review Nualgi’s safety and effectiveness at reducing water pollution and improving water conditions in a commercial aquaculture setting. Independent aquaculture consultant and leader of the research study, Tom Frese, founder of AquaSol, Inc., is encouraged by the possibilities of large-scale application of this type of nanotechnology. "Water quality management in aquaculture is critical to environmental sustainability as well as commercial success. Nualgi is a promising and rather unique product that has the potential to be an important tool in every farm manager’s toolbox. We look forward to leading the independent study of Nualgi's products in aquaculture."

Help Fund Vital Research for Aquaculture
To help fund the Mississippi State University research study and allow Nualgi to begin treating harmful algae blooms in public waterways, they launched a Kickstarter campaign that will run for two weeks, from Nov. 24th - Dec, 8th 2014. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness as well as generate $100,000 to fund the double-blind research study at MSU. The possibilities are endless for this technology with long term goals including waste water treatment, food processors, aquaculture, foliar fertilizers and beyond. For the pond maintenance professional this product is revolutionary for fish health/vibrancy, plant growth, algae removal, and overall water quality management. Include this new technology to take advantage of the benefits immediately in your ponds for less maintenance, healthier fish, and severely less algae buildup!

Nualgi America, Inc. is the licensed distributor of Nualgi™ products in North America and the maker of Nualgi AquariumTM & Nualgi PondsTM. Support Nualgi and their mission to improve the world’s waterways at the source by donating to their Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/11Lt5ES

For more information contact:
Andrew Rowland
619/630-0614
press@nualgiponds.com

A crash course in septic systems and how they’re damaging the environment

http://alldownstream.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/a-crash-course-in-septic-systems-and-how-they%E2%80%99re-damaging-the-environment/#comment-83

A crash course in septic systems and how they’re damaging the environment

Conclusions

Even if you have a septic system in your backyard, your waste ends up in the same place as everybody else’s.  The key difference is that waste flowing to a wastewater treatment plant is more likely to be treated using biological nutrient removal (BNR) technology that dramatically reduces the amount of nitrogen before discharging into a receiving waterbody (source).  Your local wastewater treatment plant is also more likely to be routinely inspected and maintained than your neighbor’s septic system because there are laws that require it.

As for Governor O’Malley’s proposed ban on septic systems in new large housing developments, he’s facing some stern opposition from rural counties and building associations.  Prospectors who have been holding on to agricultural land in the hope of one day selling it to a developer for big bucks are waking up to find their ship may have already sailed.  New residential developments in the middle of nowhere aren’t possible without septic systems.  New growth may actually be focused in existing service districts, otherwise known as Maryland’s Smart Growth areas.  I thought it was funny today when a woman on WYPR (local NPR affiliate) referred to Smart Growth as something the state tried 15 years ago.  Actually, we’ve been trying it every year since; it’s just experienced very marginal success.  A septic system ban would be a huge step in the right direction.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/04/05/Russia-seeks-Baltic-pollution-partnerships/UPI-56841365134700/

Energy Resources

Russia seeks Baltic pollution partnerships

Russia's push to create public-private partnerships as a way to help clean up the polluted Baltic Sea is the focus of an environmental summit this week in St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, April 5 (UPI) -- Russia's push to create public-private partnerships as a way to help clean up the polluted Baltic Sea is the focus of an environmental summit in St. Petersburg.

The meeting, to be attended by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and premiers from 10 other Baltic and northern European nations, is being called in part to strengthen international cooperation on tackling the chronic environmental woes of the Baltic, which is plagued by nitrates and phosphates from waste run-off.

The nutrients, contained in fertilizers and sewage, enter the sea from large "spot" sources such as wastewater treatment facilities and also from diffuse sources, such as scattered farm fields.

Environmentalists say the pollution is causing the "eutrophication" of the Baltic Sea, though which algae blooms deplete oxygen from the water, triggering fish die-offs and creating a 25,000-square-mile-wide "dead zone" the size of Latvia.

A 2007 action plan developed by the Helsinki Commission of nine Baltic Sea nations has achieved a 40 percent reduction in direct nitrogen and phosphorus discharges as well as a 40 percent decrease in airborne nitrogen emissions.

Some 200 Baltic Sea anti-pollution commitments have been at previous summits, including 11 by sovereign states.

But to achieve its stated objective of eliminating the Baltic's algae blooms, direct phosphorous and nitrogen inputs must be cut by a further 42 percent.

Nitrate-reduction targets adopted under the Helsinki Commission agreement cover the Baltic proper, the Gulf of Finland and Bornholm Basin. Targets have been set for oxygen "debt," which is a measure of a lack of oxygen caused by eutrophication. The ultimate aim is to reach a level of oxygen debt that was prevalent in the 1950s to 1970s.

Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, has indicated it will use the prime ministerial conference to promote its top priority of establishing international public-private partnerships to tackle environmental challenges.

A release from the Russian delegation, headed by Igor Vdovin, board chairman of the National Agency for Direct Investment, said they will be focused on building such partnerships for environmental projects in two pilot regions -- Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast.

The Russians said they will be also be seeking to create a "common space" for public-private partnerships in the Baltic Sea region as well as a regional investment fund among the 11 Baltic Sea states attending the event as well as the European Commission.

Finland, which launched the environmental summit process in 2010 and takes over the Council of the Baltic Sea States presidency this year, says it's aiming to speed up the implementation of the Helsinki Commission's clean-up action plan.

Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and Minister of the Environment Ville Niinisto were both set to travel to St. Petersburg, the government said Tuesday.

Katainen in November called for closer links between the Baltic Sea countries to combat maritime pollution at an address in Jyvaskyla, the Finnish daily Keskisuomalainen reported.

"The question is to save the Baltic Sea," he said, calling it the biggest challenge facing the surrounding nations. "For it to achieve good ecological status will require closer cooperation and, above all, the cutting down of (nutrient) load factors."

Niinisto, meanwhile will also be present at the Russian-hosted public private partnership forum, the governing National Coalition Party reported in its Verkkouutiset.fi online magazine.

All choked up

All choked up

11 January 2013

This has led to algae becoming the dominant group of aquatic plants almost everywhere in the UK, and especially in static water like reservoirs, gravel pits, lakes and ponds. They might be easy enough to remove from a garden pond, but to UK water companies they represent a major and increasing cost.

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/features/story.aspx?id=1309&cookieConsent=A

There is no discussion of various types of algae and no mention of Diatom Algae.

Global change and the future of harmful algal blooms in the ocean

http://www.int-res.com/articles/theme/m470p207.pdf


MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
Mar Ecol Prog Ser


Vol. 470: 207–233, 2012
doi: 10.3354/meps10047
Published December 6, 2012



Global change and the future of harmful algal blooms in the ocean


Fei Xue Fu*, Avery O. Tatters, David A. Hutchins

*The University of Southern California, Department of Biological Sciences, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA

ABSTRACT: The frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and phytoplankton
community shifts toward toxic species have increased worldwide. Although most research has
focused on eutrophication as the cause of this trend, many other global- and regional-scale
anthropogenic influences may also play a role. Ocean acidification (high pCO2/low pH), greenhouse
warming, shifts in nutrient availability, ratios, and speciation, changing exposure to solar
irradiance, and altered salinity all have the potential to profoundly affect the growth and toxicity
of these phytoplankton. Except for ocean acidification, the effects of these individual factors on
harmful algae have been studied extensively. In this review, we summarize our understanding of
the influence of each of these single factors on the physiological properties of important marine
HAB groups. We then examine the much more limited literature on how rising CO2 together with
these other concurrent environmental changes may affect these organisms, including what is possibly
the most critical property of many species: toxin production. New work with several diatom
and dinoflagellate species suggests that ocean acidification combined with nutrient limitation or
temperature changes may dramatically increase the toxicity of some harmful groups. This observation
underscores the need for more in-depth consideration of poorly understood interactions
between multiple global change variables on HAB physiology and ecology. A key limitation of
global change experiments is that they typically span only a few algal generations, making it
difficult to predict whether they reflect likely future decadal- or century-scale trends. We conclude
by calling for thoughtfully designed experiments and observations that include adequate
consideration of complex multivariate interactive effects on the long-term responses of HABs to a
rapidly changing future marine environment.

KEY WORDS: Climate change · CO2 · Ocean acidification · Temperature · Stratification · Nutrient
limitation · HAB · Algal toxins · Phycotoxins

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2012/11/climate_change_and_global_warm.html

Climate change and global warming may be affecting N.J. public water sources

 By Renée Kiriluk-Hill/Hunterdon Democrat 
on November 16, 2012 at 1:46 PM, updated November 16, 2012 at 1:48 PM

The Lambertville-New Hope Bridge Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger

LAMBERTVILLE — Climate change and global warming may be affecting our public water supply.
United Water New Jersey, which serves about 812,000 customers in the northern half of the state, detected a "large" algae bloom in a West Amwell Township reservoir for the first time and now plans to step up monitoring.
The West Amwell reservoir feeds the Lambertville public water system. Algae blooms are common in shallow reservoirs, said company spokesman Steve Goudsmith, but this was the first time a large bloom appeared in this body of water, which is in a wooded area.
In an email yesterday, Nov. 15, company director of water quality and compliance Keith Cartnick wrote that "in light of changing weather patterns and global warming considerations, we have begun discussions" with a local hydrology firm "to develop an improved reservoir monitoring plan for Lambertville, and PAC (powdered activated charcoal) treatment options are also being investigated."
Cartnick wrote that the charcoal treatment "could address both T&O (taste and odor) and potential algae toxins, should the need arise."
It is already used "successfully" at United Water's Haworth and Matchaponix facilities to control taste and odor, according to Cartnick.
Some residents have been complaining about the smell and taste for the past couple of months. One said that she has been told that the problem was caused by a potentially dangerous algae.
State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Haina said today that a review of the tests conducted by United Water confirmed an issue with taste and odor, but said it is "not a health concern."
Mayor David DelVecchio has passed the testing results on to two other experts in the field to confirm the findings, City Clerk Cindy Ege said today. "He wants to cover every base."
The residents are "international in their expertise in water quality" and are reading the reports at no charge to the city, said the mayor.
Goudsmith said that natural seasonal "turnover" of cold and warm water at the reservoir may have also contributed to the taste and odor issue. He said the turnover happens when surface water cools and sinks to the bottom, pushing what is now warmer water at the bottom to the surface. But there was "certainly an algae bloom," he said.
Going forward, United Water "wants to be pro-active" and will increase "monitoring for the algae and early stage treatment in the reservoir."
He said that water quality tests show that the public's water "continues to meet, or surpasses" regulations.
Lambertville resident Kara Hughes said that she started complaining about a musty odor and taste in the city's public water weeks ago, and in an email from United Water it appeared that several complaints daily started in mid-October.
Hughes has lived in the city for 14 years and now has two young children. She said the strength of the odor fluctuated, but was frequently offensive enough that she washed her children's clothes elsewhere and started relying on bottled water.
"It's not sulfur. It's like a really strong, musty basement," she said. "Our laundry and hair was reeking of swamp!"
Last week she noticed improvement, saying it had "a bouquet of chlorine on top of it."

Hughes worried today about the safety of her family's drinking water over time.
United Water Lambertville serves nearly 4,000 people in the city and portions of West Amwell.

Nutrient and phytoplankton in German Bight

Long-term changes of the annual cycles of meteorological, hydrographic, nutrient and phytoplankton time series at Helgoland and at LV ELBE 1 in the German Bight
Radach, Gu¨Nther; Berg, Joachim; Hagmeier, Erik

Abstract

Long-term series of meteorological standard observations at LV ELBE 1, together with those of temperature, salinity, plant nutrients and phytoplankton biomass at Helgoland Reede in the German Bight, are investigated with respect to the changes of the annual cycles during the 23 years from 1962 to 1984. Most meteorological and oceanographic parameters exhibit unchanged annual cycles within natural variability, except for the air and sea surface temperatures which show an overall increase of about 1°C per 23 years. Conspicuous changes in the annual cycles are observed for the nutrients phosphate, nitrate, nitrite (all strongly increasing) and silicate (decreasing). Phytoplankton biomass increased as a result of the extreme increase of flagellates, although diatoms decreased slightly. This and the shifting and shortening of the nutrient depletion phases are indicative of a strong change in the ecosystem. The changes seem mainly to be because of anthropogenic eutrophication, over-riding possible influences of large-scale climatic changes.

The Global Biogeochemical Silicon Cycle

The Global Biogeochemical Silicon Cycle
Eric Struyf & Adriaan Smis & Stefan Van Damme &
Patrick Meire & Daniel J. Conley

http://www.springerlink.com/content/f40058279411v057/fulltext.pdf

Consequently, transport of continental DSi to the oceans is an important component
in oceanic primary production, a large part of which consists of diatoms [11]. Forty percent of all oceanic C sequestration (∼1.5–2.8 Gton C yr−1) can be attributed to the growth and sedimentation of diatoms [12, 13]. Although primary production through different groups of marine phytoplankton also results in a net CO2 flux towards the sea bottom (the “biological carbon pump”) [14], a crucial difference exists between diatoms and coccolithophores, an important subgroup of non-siliceous phytoplankton. Coccolithophores are characterized by calcite shells (=coccoliths); CO2 is produced
when calcium reacts with hydrogen carbonate during calcite formation (the “carbonate counter pump”) [15].

Therefore, an increased dominance of coccolithophores decreases the net sequestration of CO2 and consequently the flux of CO2 from the atmosphere towards the ocean floor
[11]. The biological carbon pump in the ocean is often referred to as the “biological Si pump” [7]. Changes in Si inputs to marine ecosystems, especially in the coastal ocean, can significantly influence the species composition of oceanic primary producers, especially the balance of production between diatoms and non-siliceous
phytoplankton [16]. It has been hypothesized that a higher contribution of diatoms to total oceanic phytoplankton biomass occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (79%
vs. 54% today) as the result of increased eolian inputs of Si [11]. This demonstrates that a link exists between Si transport from terrestrial to oceanic systems, atmospheric CO2 concentrations and variations in global climate.

2.2 Silicon and Eutrophication of Coastal and Lake

Ecosystems Silicon plays an important role in the current eutrophication problems of numerous lacustrine, estuarine and coastal ecosystems [17, 18]. In most major rivers worldwide, concentrations of N and P have at least doubled as the result of anthropogenic inputs [19]. Whereas total algal growth is primarily regulated by the availability of N and P, the relative availability of Si and the availability of Si
relative to N and P, e.g. the Si:N and Si:P ratios, can influence the composition of the phytoplankton community [18]. The lack of Si can change aquatic ecosystems from
those dominated by diatoms to non-diatom based aquatic ecosystems usually dominated by flagellates [20]. Based on an evaluation of long-term algal blooms and nutrient
conditions in different regions, it can be concluded that decreased Si:N and Si:P ratios can give rise to Si limitation of diatoms and the reduction of diatoms in the phytoplankton community. In addition, subsequent non-diatom blooms can contain harmful algal species such as Phaeocystis sp., Gonyaulax sp., Chrysochromulina sp. [21].

Diatoms are the primary energetic source for estuarine and coastal food chains [22]. Transfer of energy to higher trophic levels is enhanced by diatoms through their higher nutritional value [23] and the limited amount of trophic steps between diatoms and higher trophic levels [24]. Nondiatom species are known to be less available to higher trophic levels [21, 25] and some non-diatom based food webs are economically undesirable [20]. Therefore, the proportion of diatoms in the phytoplankton community is of primary importance for many fisheries globally [20].

Furthermore, DSi limitation of diatoms and resultant blooms dominated by non-diatom species can result in anoxic conditions, increased water turbidity and excessive
production of toxic components [26].

Increases in diatom biomass as a result of higher N and P inputs results in increased diatom sinking rates and increased diatom burial in bottom sediments [27]. Consequently, in anthropogenically eutrophied systems that have experienced increases in N and P loading from human activities with sufficiently long hydrodynamic residence times, the aquatic DSi stock decreases and eutrophication problems are worsened [18]. A similar effect has been described for dams, e.g. the artificial lake effect [28]. Dams increase the residence time of water in river ecosystems, which stimulates phytoplankton productivity [29]. This results in the increased trapping of biogenic Si in lake sediments, and decreased transport of DSi downstream. This effect has been described for major dams worldwide, and is an important component of changed N:P:Si ratio’s in coastal ecosystems.

Modification of the biogeochemical cycle of silica with eutrophication

Modification of the biogeochemical cycle of silica with eutrophication
Daniel J. Conley, Claire L. schelske, Eugene F. stoermer
Vol. 101: 179-192, 1993 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/101/m101p179.pdf

ABSTRACT- Nutrient enrichment and consequent alteration of nutrient biogeochernical cycles is a serious problem in both freshwater and marine systems. The response of aquatic systems to additions of N and P is generally to increase algal biomass. The partitioning of these nutrients into different functional groups of autotrophic organisms is dependent upon both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

A common response to nutrient loading in northern temperate aquatic ecosystems is an increase in diatom biomass. Because nutrient enrichment generally leads to increases in water column concentrations of total N and total P (and not Si) such nutrient loading can lead to transient nutrient limitation of diatom biomass due to lack of dissolved silicate (DSi). Increased production of diatom biomass can lead to an increased accumulation of biogenic silica in sediments, ultimately resulting in a decline in the water column reservoir of DSi. Such biogeochemical changes in the silica cycle induced by eutrophication were first reported for the North American Laurentian Great Lakes. However, these changes are not a regional problem confined to the Great Lakes, but occur in many freshwater and marine systems throughout the world. Here we summarize the effects of anthropogenic modification of silica biogeochemical cycles for the North American Laurentian Great Lakes, describe some of the biogeochemical changes occurring in other systems, and discuss some of the ecological implications of a reduction in water column DSi concentrations, including changes in species composition, as DSi concentrations become limiting to diatom growth and biomass, changes in food web dynamics, and altered nutnent-recycling processes.

...
Pg 11
"Man cannot alter the inputs of DSi to aquatic ecosystems to any significant extent; they are essentially uncontrollable and result from weathering reactions in the watershed."

This is no longer true.
NUALGI is a cost effective means to provide Silica to diatoms.

The possible importance of silicon in marine eutrophication

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/3/m003p083.pdf

Officer, C B., Ryther, J H (1980).
The possible importance of silicon in marine eutrophication.
Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser 3: 83-91
Earth Sciences Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA

ABSTRACT: Diatom phytoplankton populations are the usual food for zooplankton and filter feeding fishes and contribute in a direct way to the large fishable populations in coastal zones. Flagellates, on the other hand, are frequently poor foods for most grazers and can lead to undesirable eutrophication effects. Arguments are presented that silicon is often the controlling nutrient in altering a diatom to a flagellate community. The alteration is governed by the relative magnitudes of the natural fluxes of the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon to the receiving water body and the recycled fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus from zooplankton grazing and phytoplankton respiration and decomposition. Examples of such alterations are presented for oceanic, estuarine and inland water bodies.

THESIS

We can delineate several phytoplankton-based ecosystems in the coastal zone which may be altered by human introduction of nutrients and other biostimulatory chemicals into the ocean. Two such systems are of particular importance. One is the ecosystem dominated by diatoms which are the usual food for filter feeding fishes and zooplankton and contribute in a direct way to the large fishable populations in coastal zones. Diatoms grow very rapidly, have short lifetimes, are grazed heavily, and are rarely a nuisance. The other is the nondiatom ecosystem usually dominated by flagellates, including dinoflagellates, chrysophytes, chlorophytes and coccolithophoridae, though it also may contain large proportions of nonmotile green and bluegreen algae, particularly in brackish and estuarine environments. For convenience, the latter will be referred to here as the 'flagellate' ecosystem.

Flagellates persist for longer periods of time, many are known to be poor foods for most grazers, and the motile species are able to concentrate to undesirable concentrations due to their ability to swim and respond to light. Certain dinoflagellate epidemics, for example, are serious pollution events that must be understood to be predicted and controlled.

To our knowledge all excessive marine phytoplankton growths which have led to undesirable eutrophication effects have been related to flagellate blooms. These eutrophication effects can take several forms. One, the excessive growth, which is not grazed, can lead to oxygen deficiencies when the organic particulate matter sinks and subsequently consumes oxygen by respiration and decay. Such anoxic conditions can lead directly to fish and shellfish kills. Two, the toxic dinoflagellates, including some red tides, can adversely effect the marine ecosystem and can poison man through the consumption of shellfish which have filtered out the toxic components. Three, the flagellate blooms can reach proportions which discolor the water and make it unsightly and malodorous, reducing its esthetic and recreational value.


Diatoms require the major nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon for their photosynthesis; diatoms use silicon in approximately a one-to-one atomic ratio with nitrogen (Redfield et al., 1963). The flagellates associated with coastal eutrophication effects need only nitrogen and phosphorus, together with the trace elements and micronutrients that all autotrophs require.

Pg 5

H. Peterson (personal communication) states that San Francisco Bay does not at present have excessive or undesirable phytoplankton concentrations or conditions that might lead to the development of predominantly nuisance species or to serious dissolved oxygen deficiencies except locally, as in tributary streams along the margins. He cautions, however, that a significant reduction in the amount of available silicate that would accompany large scale diversions of freshwater inflow could alter this situation.

Pg 6

We suggest that the silicon in the bloom area was removed during the spring diatom bloom and that the recycled nitrogen and phosphorus provided the nutrient pool for the summer algal bloom.

CONCLUSIONS

Arguments have been presented as to the importance of the nutrient silicon in altering a generally desirable, diatom phytoplankton population to a frequently undesirable, flagellate phytoplankton population and consequent eutrophication effects. If these arguments are accepted, several possible conclusions follow. We mention three. One, rather than considering treatment procedures which remove the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a sewage discharge into a eutrophied region, one might consider the addition, if feasible, of silica in quantity at the discharge site to alter the receiving waters to a diatom population and a consequent fertile and productive region. Two, regions with substantial natural silica inputs can toler ate larger sewage inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus before undesirable eutrophication effects occur. Three, as in Lake Michigan silica measurements are a critical key to the determination of the onset of undesirable eutrophication effects.

EUTROPHICATION

EUTROPHICATION

DID YOU KNOW...? FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT EUTROPHICATION (Source: UNESCO)

- Eutrophication is a slow ageing process during which a lake or estuary evolves into a bog or marsh and eventually disappears. During eutrophication, the lake becomes so rich in nutritive compounds (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) that algae and other microscopic plant life become superabundant, thereby choking the lake and causing it to eventually dry up.

- Eutrophication is accelerated by discharges of nutrients in the form of sewage, detergents and fertilizers into the ecosystem.
Eutrophication can be a natural process in lakes, as they age through geological time. Estuaries also tend to be naturally eutrophic because land-derived nutrients are concentrated where run-off enters the marine environment in a confined channel and mixing of relatively high nutrient freshwater with low nutrient marine water occurs.

- Lakes and reservoirs can be broadly classified as ultra-oligotrophic, oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic or hypereutrophic depending on the concentration of nutrients in the body of water and/or based on ecological manifestations of the nutrient loading. In general terms, oligotrophic lakes are characterized by low nutrient inputs and primary productivity, high transparency and a diverse biota. In contrast, eutrophic waters have high nutrient inputs and primary productivity, low transparency, and a high biomass of fewer species with a greater proportion of cyanobacteria than in oligotrophic waters.

- Eutrophication can also cause Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), which can harm fish and shellfish, as well as the people who consume them. Some algae can cause negative effects when they appear in dense blooms, while others have potent neurotoxins and need not be present in large numbers.

- In the 90s, the regions of Asia and the Pacific had more lakes and reservoirs with eutrophication problems (54%) than Europe (53%), Africa (28%), North America (48%) and South America (41%).
Because of eutrophication, Lake Victoria in Africa has become turbid to the point that brightly coloured fish species cannot see each other clearly enough and they have begun to interbreed.

- In China, Lake Dianchi near Kunming and Lake Taihu near Wuxi both suffer from extreme eutrophication. In these lakes vast areas are covered by dense algal blooms and fish-breeding has been almost totally abandoned because there is no oxygen for them to breath, especially in autumn. Almost all native water plants and many fish species have been killed. Snails die from lack of oxygen in the bottom water and in addition the poor water quality makes it very difficult to supply water for domestic use that meets legal standards.

http://www.lakewinnipeg.org/web/content.shtml?pfl=public/vanilla.param&page=000177&op9.rf1=000181
-------------------------------------------------------------
Removing nutrients in the form of fish biomass is perhaps the best solution to eutrophication.

The Diatom Story - Video

A 20 minute video about Diatoms and Nualgi is available on youtube in two parts.

The links are -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8M6eV9-7OA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp7KV310slI

The effect of global warming on eutrophication in lakes

http://www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachPressRelease.aspx?cid=8819&codi=59041&lr=1

The effect of global warming on eutrophication in lakes
Source: European Commission, Environment DG
Jul. 24, 2009

Shallow lakes are an important type of ecosystem that may be vulnerable to current warming trends. A recent study examines just how vulnerable they are. It indicates that climate change combined with nutrient pollution could exacerbate eutrophication and suggests nitrogen levels should be monitored.

The researchers used 48 tanks in north-western England which simulated shallow lake communities. They studied the effects of warming by 4°C (which is the high emission scenario for the temperature increase during a hundred years period) and the effects of two levels of nutrient loading relevant to current degrees of eutrophication.

Levels of nutrients, oxygen and pH, as well as phytoplankton, fish and plants, were also studied. During the experiment the highest temperatures at noon reached 21°C in unheated shallow lakes and 25°C in heated lakes. They did not drop below about 3°C in either.

The study demonstrated that warming increased the concentration of soluble phosphate in the water. It also increased total plant biomass, but surprisingly reduced the amount of phytoplankton. The fall in phytoplankton is thought to be caused by shading from increased floating plants, which may be linked to a warming-induced release of soluble phosphate from the sediment. Warming also reduced fish biomass, probably the result of oxygen stress. Perhaps more importantly, high nitrogen loading as well as warming reduced the number of plant species.

Although temperature rises alone are unlikely to cause a switch in water conditions, they could intensify signs of eutrophication in shallow lakes. For example, increased temperature together with increased nutrient loading may cause nuisance growths of floating plants which may affect biodiversity.

Global Warming: Oxygen and Aquatic Habitats ..

A very interesting project about growing number of Dead Zones in oceans and eutrophication.

http://www.idw-online.de/pages/de/news319798

Global Warming: Oxygen and Aquatic Habitats in a Changing World
Dr. Manfred Schloesser, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Max-Planck-Institut für marine Mikrobiologie
10.06.2009

All higher aquatic life depends on oxygen. It is, thus, an alarming finding that hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions in aquatic ecosystems increase in number, duration and extent due to global warming and eutrophication.

On the 1st of April the EU-funded project HYPOX started with the goal to understand causes, temporal dynamics, future trends and consequences of hypoxia (i.e., low oxygen conditions) in aquatic systems.

The alarming observation of propagating "dead zones" where ecosystems collapse due to oxygen depletion as well as the potential worsening effect of climate change call for stronger scientific efforts in this field. Global warming will lead to degassing of oxygen, increased stratification, reduced deep-water circulation and changes in wind patterns affecting transport and mixing. Observed and projected increases in hypoxia are accompanied by enhanced emission of greenhouse gases and losses in biodiversity as well as ecosystem functions and services such as fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. A better understanding of global changes in oxygen depletion requires a global observation system continuously monitoring oxygen and associated parameters at high resolution, including the assessment of physical mixing and of the role of the seafloor in controlling the sensitivity of aquatic systems to oxygen depletion and their recovery after periods of hypoxia.

Within the project HYPOX, oxygen depletion and associated processes will be monitored through a network of individual observing stations at selected locations distributed over Europe. The selected observation sites cover a broad range of aquatic systems that differ in oxygen status or sensitivity towards change: oxygen-rich open ocean with high sensitivity to global warming (Arctic), semi-enclosed basins with permanent anoxia (Black Sea, Baltic Sea) and seasonally or locally anoxic land-locked systems (fjords, lagoons, lakes). The obtained monitoring results will be combined with information on past hypoxia events and state-of-the-art numerical modeling to predict future hypoxia and its effect on aquatic ecosystems. Thus HYPOX will form a first step towards establishing a sustainable ocean observing network for oxygen monitoring contributng to the currently evolving Global Earth Observation System GEOSS.

In order to get the scientific work started the MPI in Bremen hosted the first general (kick-off) meeting. For three days (15.-17.04.2009) the scientists from all 16 partner institutions of 11 nations jumped right away into lively discussions on all aspects of the project. The scientific program of the meeting was focusing on structure and tasks of the eight Work Packages and on the characteristics of the project sites and work to be carried out there. Inspiring scientific and technological input was provided by talks on hypoxia occurrence and science (Jack Middelburg, NIOO-KNAW), state of the art in long term oxygen measurements (Anders Tengberg, UGOT), and the challenges and benefits of the GEO and GEOSS initiatives (Christoph Waldmann, MARUM). The program was completed by presentations on related projects: the ESONET/EMSO Network of Excellence (Jean Francois Rolin, Ifremer), the HYPER project (Jacob Carstensen, University of Aarhus, Denmark), and the project EuroSITES (Kate Larkin, National Oceanography Centre, Great Britain). The HYPOX project is coordinated by Antje Boetius (Leader Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius) and Felix Janssen (MPI) together with Christoph Waldmann (MARUM).

More information: http://www.hypox.net
http://www.mpi-bremen.de
EU project HYPOX grant agreement No. 226216

Weitere Informationen:
http://www.mpi-bremen.de homepage of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
http://www.hypox.net homepage of the EU project HYPOX

NOAA Eutrophication Update

http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/eutroupdate/Key_findings.pdf

"Factors influencing eutrophication (nitrogen load and susceptibility) were high for the majority of assessed systems.

"The majority of estuaries assessed had overall eutrophic conditions rated as moderate to high.

"If only assessed systems are considered, conditions have improved in 13 estuaries, worsened in 13, and remained the same in 32 systems...."

BIWA-KO (LAKE BIWA) Japan

http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/asi/asi-01.html

BIWA-KO (LAKE BIWA)

EUTROPHICATION

Nuisance caused by eutrophication

unusual algal bloom: Uroglena americana (1977-1985), Peridinium spp. (since 1972), Anabaena spp. (since 1965), etc. Overgrowth of exotic water weeds: Elodea nuttallii (1965-1970, 1980-) and Egeric densa (1971-1975). Disturbed filtration in cleaning beds for city water: Since 1959. Foul smell of tap water: Since 1969; mainly due to the generation of geosmin associated with the bloom of Phormidium, Anabaena, etc.

The Northern Lake remained oligotrophic until around 1955, though the eutrophication had already started in pre-war days as seen in the past trend of transparency in Fig. ASI-1-4. However, it was suddenly accelerated by the post-war industrialization of the lake's catchment area. The first clogging trouble in the sand filter of a city water supply to Kyoto took place as early as in 1959. Between 1960 and 1965, drastic changes in the biomass and species composition of plankters and benthic animals became apparent. The plankton biomass increased almost tenfold since 1950 (Fig. ASI-1-11), while the primary productivity in Northern Lake nearly doubled between 1965 and 1985. Algal blooms, particularly the so-called "freshwater red tide" caused by Uroglena americana, and the resultant unpleasant smell of tap water from the lake became a matter of keen social concern.

The Water Pollution Control Law legislated in 1970 abated the rate of eutrophication to a considerable extent through the regulation of nutrient level in industrial effluents, but the deterioration of lake water quality did not stop at all due to the steady growth of population and industrial activity in the catchment. The construction of an extensive sewerage network started in 1972 within the framework of the Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Project, though its progress has been slow owing to the financial burden to local communities.

The residents' voluntary movement against the use of phosphate-containing synthetic detergents resulted in the ban of their use in 1980 by the enforcement of a prefectural ordinance for the prevention of eutrophication of L. Biwa. The P content of lake water was thereby somewhat reduced in past several years, but the effect of the ordinance has been only marginal. To prevent further eutrophication, it seems urgent to take new measures at least until the completion of the sewerage network.