Definitions
Define algal blooms
rapid growth of algae fueled by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems
What are the three common human activities that provide nutrient sources for algal blooms?
farm/lawn fertilizers, improperly treated sewage, and stormwater runoff
In which region do warmer oceans promote more blooms?
in colder regions
What is cyanobacteria?
blue-green algae that can perform photosynthesis
What is the primary cause of eutrophication in coastal waters and estuaries?
Nitrogen
Define nutrient loading
total amount of nutrients entering an aquatic ecosystem
What is the "energy residence time" for aquatic systems?
about 20 days
What are sea surface temperature gradients?
how quickly ocean temperatures change across an area
Name three mitigation strategies
P and NP input reductions, increasing flushing, mechanically enhancing vertical mixing, food web manipulation, ultrasonic treatment, upstream wetland development, chemical treatments, encouraging macrophyte growth, and sediment capping/dredging
What two time periods were used in the second figure?
near and far future
Define Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Algal blooms that produce toxins that negatively affect the environment, animals, and humans
What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?
the rate at which energy is captured and converted into producer biomass
What percentage did the frequency of blooms increase by?
59%
What occurred under low freshwater discharge conditions?
reduce flushing, lengthen residence times, strengthen stratification, and favor buoyant cyanobacteria and internal nutrient loads
How much would we need to reduce the nitrogen input to achieve EPAs 20% projected reduction?
62%
Define the benthos
The community of organisms and organic matter found at the very bottom of a body of water
How much does the tourism industry lose each year due to algal blooms?
close to $1 billion
What are the three major factors driving the increase in blooms?
rising sea surface temperatures, changes in ocean conditions, and nutrient pollution from human activities
What characteristic did every single CyanoHAB genus have in common?
Odors and taste
Why did only a small portion of watersheds show robust increases across models?
Intermodel differences and internal climate variability
Define eutrophication
the process where water becomes over-enriched with nutrients, leading to excessive algae growth and oxygen loss
What are the three common prevention methods mentioned?
Aeration, chemical control, and ultrasonic technology
What did satellite data collected over many years help observe and measure?
costal regions globally and patterns such as how often blooms happen and how large they become
Determine how changes in precipitation (intensity and temporal dynamics) resulting from climate change will affect rates of phosphorus and nitrogen input to inland and coastal waters and watersheds
Why do annual precipitation changes dominate the predicted increases?
more certain and more strongly correlated with nitrogen flux