The culture of algae and its applications

An article explaining how the methods and results from the time spent by the author culturing algae can be applied to other algal investigations. The work by the author found that physiological requirements differ widely among algae belonging to different systematic groups. Details are given of the results of a series of experiments which were undertaken in solutions with similar proporties to some natural waters in the Lake District. Reference is made to a paper under preparation at that time containing data on phytoplankton studied in the field within the Lake District during 1937. Reference is also made to Loch Leven and the affects of bluegreen alga on the number of trout caught weekly during 1937.

The production of algae growing on gravel in a chalk-stream

Epilithic algae, ie that growing on the surface of stones, was studied as part of the work on the energy flow of the chalk-stream ecosystem, by the River Laboratory. The study area was on Bere Stream and 2 neighbouring streams. The algal biomass was estimated from analysis of chlorophyll a. In Bere Stream the peak chlorophyll a cover occurred in April, while in the neighbouring streams, which have considerably lower nutrient levels, there was on peak. Assuming that 2% of a diatoms dry wt is chlorophyll a, then even in mid-April the biomass of epilithic algae amounted to no more than 15 g dry wt m Super(-2) of exposed gravel. Annual production was calculated to be > 15 times greater than biomass. The estimation of net primary production is always difficult for benthic floras and comparisons are especially difficult when different methods are used. But these figures contrast sharply with those for Ranunculus (water crowfoot) which has a ratio of annual production to maximal seasonal biomass of 1:16. The accumulation of algal biomass is apparently being prevented. Some organic matter may be excreted; some algae will be washed off the bed of the stream by current and grazing by herbivorous invertebrates will also tend to prevent algal accumulation.

Experiments using an artificial stream to investigate the seasonal growth of chalk-stream algae

Research into the production ecology of chalk streams using a large artificial recirculating stream is described. Physical chemical processes including calcium and inorganic phosphate levels, and exchange of gaseous carbon dioxide in both a simple closed system and a circulating system with gravel substrate have been monitored in both light and dark conditions. Further experiments were concerned with the seasonal changes in algal growth over the gravel substrate with constant water velocities and replenishment. The algal population, composed mainly of the diatoms Achnanthes minutissima, Meridion circulare, Nitzschia fonticola and Synedra ulna reached a peak in mid May and declined rapidly during June. Concentrations of phosphate phosphorus fell as the diatoms grew but was not thought to limit growth. Silicate concentrations followed the diatom cycle closely but never fell below 0.8 mg/l Si. It is possible that one of the nutrients may have been limiting the rate of growth due to steep diffusion gradients through the algal mat. In the last summer and autumn a hard calcareous crust composed of the green alga Gongrosira incrustans and the blue green alga Homeothrix varians , developed. The channel stream is compared with the natural conditions found in chalk streams.

Automatic identification and enumeration of algae

A good understanding of the population dynamics of algal communities is vital in many ecological and pollution studies of freshwater and oceanic systems. Present methods require manual counting and identification of algae and can take up to 90 min to obtain a statistically reliable count on a complex population. Several alternative techniques to accelerate the process have been tried on marine samples but none have been completely successful because insufficient effort has been put into verifying the technique before field trials. The objective of the present study has been to assess the potential of in vivo fluorescence of algal pigments as a means of automatically identifying algae. For this work total fluorescence spectroscopy was chosen as the observation technique.

Methods of determining the quality of water using the functional characteristics of algae

In the study of questions relating to the quality of raw water and the biological produc- tivity of water bodies algal indicators have an important place. Despite the importance of these functional indicators in determining the quality of water and the nature of the production processes as a basis for preserving the ecological equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems, their use in the system of hydrobiological methods of monitoring the quality of surface water has not received proper consideration. This paper aims to analyse the matter and the possibl use of functional algal criteria in the system for the biological monitoring of aquatic objects and also to give some results in using these criteria.

Eutrophication and the management of planktonic algae: What Vollenweider couldn't tell us

The ”Vollenweider model” is a sophisticated mathematical statement about the long-range behaviour of (mainly temperate) lakes and their ability to support phytoplankton chlorophyll. Misapplication of the model, against which Vollenweider himself warned, has led to many misconceptions about the dynamics of plankton in lakes and reservoirs and about how best to manage systems subject to eutrophication. This contribution intends to frame the most important issues in context of the phosphorus- loading and phosphorus-limitation concepts. Emphasis is placed on the need to distinguish rate-limitation from capacity-limitation, to understand which is more manageable and why, to discern the mechanisms of internal recycling and their importance, and to appreciate the respective roles of physical and biotic components in local control of algal dynamics. Some general approaches to the management of water quality in lakes and reservoirs to eutrophication are outlined.

Calcite covering of sediment as a possible way of curbing blue-green algae

Natural calcite precipitation in lakes is a well-known control mechanism of eutrophication. In hard-water lakes, calcite deposits on the flat bottoms of shallow lakes and near the shores of deeper lakes resulted from biogenic decalcification during the millenia after the last glacial period. The objective of a new restoration technology is to intensify the natural process of precipitation by utilizing the different qualities of calcareous mud layers. In a pilot experiment in Lake Rudower See, East Germany, phosphorus-poor deeper layers of the sediments were flushed out and spread over the phosphorus-rich uppermost sediments, to promote the co- precipitation of calcite with phosphorus from the water-column.

Immunodetection of planktonic algae

Interest in the identification and characterisation of cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates in aquatic environments is increasing rapidly due to the perceived roles of these organisms in primary production and nuisance aspects in terms of water treatment and public health. Techniques for the identification and quantification of these organisms currently are limited, and the application of molecular approaches provides fundamental taxonomic information and techniques of practical value. Antigenic properties of algal cells may be useful taxonomic markers. Immunodetection techniques utilise the specificity of the antibody/antigen association as a probe for recognising and distinguishing between microorganisms according to their cell- surface chemistry. Immunofluorescent detection of unicellular cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates has been studied with success in marine and freshwater ecosystems and a range of techniques and results are presented and discussed. The most recent advances in the study of planktonic algae have come with the application of continuous flow cytometric methods (CFC). Flow cytometry makes use of the autofluorescence properties of the algal cells, which alone can be used to demonstrate their presence and permit their quantification in natural water samples. When used in conjunction with immunolabelling techniques, the potential of CFC analysis is broadened to study the serological/strain composition of plankters in natural populations. Changes in algal strains represented within and between waters over periods of time are reported and discussed, along with the ecological issues thus raised.

O Fitoplâncton e a dialética da balneabilidade de praias: um estudo de caso na Praia de Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ.

A praia de Itacoatiara, área de proteção ambiental, localizada no município no Niterói- RJ, tem importante contribuição para o turismo ecológico da região. Busca a certificação ambiental do programa Bandeira Azul e este trabalho buscou cumprir determinação de monitoramento ambiental como um dos critérios do programa. O objetivo foi avaliar a proliferação de microalgas marinhas como sensor da qualidade da balneabilidade diagnosticada através de um bioindicador, o fitoplâncton. As coletas foram realizadas em dois pontos nos meses de novembro de 2008 e de janeiro a março de 2009. Foram encontradas 52 unidades taxonômicas, sendo que 33 pertencem às diatomáceas (Bacillariophyceae), 15 dinoflagelados (Dinophyceae), 1 às cianobactéria (Cyanophyceae), 1 euglenofícea (Euglenophyceae), 1 crisofícea (Chrysophyceae) e 1 prasinofícea (Prasinophyceae) e fitoflagelados. A metodologia seguida foi de sedimentação em cubetas e analisadas em microscópio invertido. A praia de Itacoatiara está caracterizada por sofrer influência de ambientes adjacentes com massas dágua comprometidas promovendo proliferações algais monoespecíficas com densidades consideradas de Bloom. As espécies dominantes foram Tetraselmis sp (Prasinophyceae) considerada potencialmente nociva por apresentar contaminação visual e as Cianobactérias que podem produzir toxinas. Os parâmetros vento, ondulação e maré foram apontadas como os principais carreadores das massas dágua comprometidas até a região estudada. Por cumprir o objetivo geral, conclui-se que o fitoplâncton marinho pode ser utilizado como parâmetro para a caracterização e qualidade da balneabilidade de praias.

Biossorção de lantânio por Sargassum sp.: ensaios em batelada e contínuos

Diante dos avanços tecnológicos, pesquisadores têm intensificado a busca por métodos de remoção de metais, que tragam bons resultados de captação a partir de efluentes contaminados, aliados a um baixo custo. A utilização de materiais biológicos como algas marinhas, fungos e bactérias vem se destacando e se tornando uma solução atrativa quando comparados com os tratamentos químicos convencionais; essa técnica é denominada biossorção. A biossorção é um processo de captação de íons metálicos de uma solução, a partir de interações entre o metal e determinados sítios ativos presentes na parede celular da biomassa. Existe também um crescente interesse pelo estudo dos elementos de terras raras (TR) por possuirem alto valor agregado, acarretado por processos caros e de alta complexidade na sua separação e purificação. Desta forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo descrever o potencial de biossorção de lantânio - um representante dos TR - pela macroalga Sargassum sp., a partir de soluções aquosas. Para isso foram realizados estudos em batelada, aplicando modelos cinéticos e de equilíbrio, e estudos em regime contínuo de biossorção dos íons de lantânio (III), além de um sistema contínuo bimetálico, no qual houve a adição do metal cério, outro TR. As determinações analíticas foram realizadas por espectrometria de emissão ótica por plasma indutivamente acoplado. Os ensaios cinéticos foram realizados nas concentrações metálicas de 10 e 100 mg.L-1 e em duas concentrações distintas de biomassa 2 e 5 g.L-1 na temperatura de 301C. Dois modelos cinéticos foram testados, pseudo-primeira ordem e segunda ordem, tendo o modelo de segunda ordem apresentado melhor ajuste dos dados, com r2 igual a 0,9697. No ensaio de equilíbrio foi construída a isoterma que apresentou um perfil crescente na captação no entanto não alcançou a remoção máxima. Os modelos de Langmuir e Freundlich foram utilizados para ajustar os dados da isoterma, sendo verificado maior correlação dos dados com o modelo de Langmuir; resultando num valor de captação máxima calculado pelo modelo de 3,55 mmol.g-1. No ensaio dinâmico foram realizados dois experimentos, 1 e 2. O Experimento 1 foi realizado com três colunas interligadas e recheadas com 20g de biomassa cada, sendo bombeada uma solução aquosa de lantânio na concentração de 1,41mmol.L-1. O Experimento 2 foi constituido de uma solução contendo lantânio e cério ambos na mesma concentração anterior de 1,41 mmol.L-1, sendo bombeada somente para uma única coluna recheada com 20g de biomassa. Os resultados demonstraram que o ponto de saturação não foi atingido dentro das 8 horas em que se deu o processo, o que indica a alta afinidade da Sargassum sp. pelo lantânio e que a presença do cério associada a redução da vazão prejudicou a captação do lantânio