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Nitrogen Cycling in Eutrophic Systems
October 4, 2016, 7:00 PM
Free
Silvia Newell, assistant professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, will discuss cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Taihu and western Lake Erie, which are driven largely by agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus. Cyanobacterial community dominance and HAB development may depend on ammonium (NH4+) availability, and increased NH4+ has been linked to increased toxin production. Microcystis, the dominant toxic cyanobacterial genus in both lakes, cannot fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2); consequently, it must compete for NH4+ with other primary producers. Understanding the factors that govern nitrogen cycling and NH4+ availability is, therefore, crucial for identifying conditions that stimulate and maintain HABs.