Algal Bloom Biophysics and Remote SensingNEW! In part of two new multi-disciplinary teams, we're working to understand the effect of waves in lakes on algal bloom initiation, cyanotoxin aerosol production, and bloom senescence. We're also partnering with remote sensing experts to develop hyperspectral image workflows for tracking blooms and other components of lake biology and chemistry.
Prior to these projects, we've been applying ecosystem approaches to understand microcystin dynamics in lakes (Shingai and Wilkinson 2023). Additionally, we have been collaborating with other groups to understand the role of groundwater (Brookfield et al. 2021) and iron availability (Leung et al. 2021) in algal blooms. Long-Term Trends and Short-Term Dynamics of Algal BloomsThe interaction between eutrophication and climate change has been hypothesized to drive widespread intensification of blooms in inland waters, although there is little empirical evidence that this trend is pervasive. Using long-term water quality monitoring data, we demonstrated that bloom intensification in inland waterbodies – defined as trends in chlorophyll-a of increasing bloom magnitude, severity, or duration – has not been widespread for hundreds of lakes in the US (Wilkinson et al. 2022). We hope to expand on this work to better understand the complex drivers of ecosystem trajectories over decades.
On a shorter timescale, phytoplankton biomass and spatial pattern responds to disturbances such as storm events (Ortiz et al. 2021) that bring nutrients or light-absorbing organic matter into lakes. We're working to understand how antecedent conditions set the stage for phytoplankton response to storm events during the summer. This work is being led by Danny Szydlowski and is funded by the National Science Foundation. |
Nutrient Cycling and Algal BloomsPhosphorus (P) release from lakebed sediments may fuel algal blooms, especially in shallow ecosystems. A primary mechanism that controls internal P loading is the size and chemical composition of the sediment P pool, which my lab found varies substantially both within and among lakes (Albright et al. in review). This spatial variation combined with fluctuating environmental drivers leads to hot spots and hot moments of internal P loading . Combining year-round experiments and high frequency measurements in a hypereutrophic lake, we found that oxic P-release in the littoral zone has an outsized influence on whole-ecosystem internal loading rates (Albright et al. 2022). This work was led by Ellen Albright and funded by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and National Science Foundation GRFP.
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The Importance of Long-Term DataLong-term data records are invaluable for understanding both abrupt and unexpected change and long-term ecosystem trajectories (see above). Our research on algal blooms has been heavily informed by our group's leadership in federal and state water quality monitoring programs at Iowa State University (2017-2020). Now at UW-Madison, we are continuing to contribute to long-term data collection and research through the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Program.
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