Harmful Cyanobacteria (Aquatic Ecology Series)

249 Pages·2005·6.1 MB·English

by  Jef Huisman (Editor)

HARMFULCYANOBACTERIA
AQUATIC ECOLOGY SERIES
Volume3
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
HARMFUL CYANOBACTERIA
Edited by
JEF HUISMAN
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics,University of Amsterdam,
TheNetherlands
and
HANSC.P. MATTHIJS
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
and
PETRAM. VISSER
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
AC.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 1-4020-3009-6 (HB)
ISBN 1-4020-3022-3 (e-book)
Published by Springer,
P.O. Box 17, 3300 AADordrecht, The Netherlands.
Sold and distributed in North, Central and South America
by Springer,
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In all other countries, sold and distributed
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Printed on acid-free paper
Cover photo:
Dense bloom of the cyanobacterium /Microcystis/, Wann See, Germany
(photo taken by Gertrud Schlag).
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Printed in the Netherlands.
To Professor Luuc R. Mur
For his leading contributions
to European research on harmful cyanobacteria
For his guidance of a new generation of aquatic scientists
AQUATIC ECOLOGY SERIES
Aquatic ecology is an extraordinarily broad and diverse discipline. Aquatic
ecology is the study of the functional relationships and productivity of organisms and
communities of waters as regulated by their physical, chemical, and biotic environment.
The marine environment extends broadly from the complex land-water coastal
environments to the open ocean. Limnology encompasses all inland aquatic
environments, including streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. Research has
accelerated in certain areas andbeen less active in others. Reassessments and syntheses
are stimulating to the discipline as a whole, aswell as enormously useful to students and
researchers in ecological sciences.
A series of succinct monographs and specialized evaluations in aquatic ecology
has been developed. Subjects covered are topical (e.g., lake hydrodynamics, microbial
loop in aquatic ecosystems) rather than broad and superficial.
The treatments must be comprehensive and state-of-the-art, whether the topic is at
the biochemical, mathematical, population, community, or ecosystem level. The
objectives are to advance the topics by the development of arguments, with documented
support, that generate new insights, concepts, theories to stimulate thought, ideas,
directions, controversies. The books are intended for mature as well as emerging
scientists tostimulate intellectualleadership in the topics treated.
Receipt of manuscripts approximately 18 months after an agreement is desired,
for publication within 10 months thereafter. Electronic submission is essential with
hardcopy. Format and manuscript guidance will be provided.
For further information and book proposal details please contact:
Prof. Robert G. Wetzel, Series Editor Dr. Anna Besse, Publishing Editor
Department of Environmental Sciences Aquatic and Biogeosciences
and Engineering Springer
The University of North Carolina Van Godewijckstraat 30
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431 P. O. Box 17
USA 3300 AA Dordrecht
Email: [email protected] The Netherlands
Phone: 919 + 843-4916 Email: [email protected]
Phone: [phone]
CONTENTS
PREFACE ix
CONTRIBUTORS xi
1. HARMFULCYANOBACTERIA 1
From mass mortalities to management measures
G.A. Codd, J. Lindsay, F.M. Young, L.F. Morrison & J.S. Metcalf
2. MOLECULAR BIOLOGYOFCYANOBACTERIAL TOXINS 25
Genetic basis of microcystin production
T. Börner & E. Dittmann
3. DYNAMICS OF CYANOBACTERIAL TOXINS 41
Sources of variability in microcystin concentrations
W.E.A. Kardinaal & P.M. Visser
4. NUTRIENT LIMITATIONOF FRESHWATERCYANOBACTERIA 65
Tools to monitor phosphorus limitation at the individual level
M. Dignum, H.C.P. Matthijs, R..Pel, H.J. Laanbroek & L.R.. Mur
5. NUTRIENT LIMITATION OF MARINE CYANOBACTERIA 87
Molecular ecology of nitrogen limitation in an oligotrophic sea
A.F. Post
6. THE ECOPHYSIOLOGYOF THE HARMFUL 109
CYANOBACTERIUMMICROCYSTIS
Features explaining its success and measures for its control
P.M. Visser, B.W. Ibelings, L.R. Mur & A.E. Walsby
7. POPULATION DYNAMICSOF HARMFULCYANOBACTERIA 143
Factors affecting species composition
J. Huisman & F.D. Hulot
8.OPTICAL DETECTIONOFCYANOBACTERIAL BLOOMS 177
Shipboard observation and remote sensing
H.J. Gons, H. Hakvoort, S.W.M. Peters & S.G.H. Simis
9. WATER SAFETY PLANS 201
A better approach to prevent human exposure to harmful cyanobacteria
I. Chorus
INDEX 229
PREFACE
Innocently, the white dog looks up: ‘What ‘s all that fuss about? Why am I called
back ashore, when I ‘m having so much fun in this green soup?’ Indeed, it is a wise
decision of the owner to call this dog backk ashore without delay. The green soup the
dog is standing in is a dense surface bloom of Microcystis. The cyanobacterium
Microcystis is a cosmopolitan species of freshwater lakes. It can produce
microcystins, a toxic substance that has caused numerous illnesses and deaths of
dogs, cattle, birds, and even humans.
Are all cyanobacteria harmful? No, not at all. Cyanobacteria are phototrophic
microorganisms that convert sunlight into organic biomass by means of
photosynthesis. As such, cyanobacteria are the aquatic equivalents of grasses and
trees on land. In fact, cyanobacteria were the first organisms in the evolutionary
history of our planet to produce oxygen. They are the evolutionary ancestors of all
modern plants. Together with the eukaryotic phytoplankton, cyanobacteria form the
basis of the aquatic food web.
However, a few cyanobacterial species are capable of producing powerful toxins.
Several of these harmful species are quite widespread. They occur throughout the
world, especially in fresh and brackish waters, and may occasionally reach high
population densities, as the cover of this book illustrates. Waters dominated by such
harmful cyanobacteria are often closed for recreation, and cannot be used for the
intake of drinking water or agricultural purposes. During the past few years, much
new knowledge on harmful cyanobacteria has been acquired, owing to scientific
advances in molecular biology, genomics, and the computational sciences and also
owing to an increased recognition of the problems caused by harmful cyanobacteria.
In fact, it is fair to say that we now know a lot more about harmful cyanobacteria
than only five years ago. The aim of thisbook, therefore, is to provide an up-to-date
review that makes this recently acquired knowledge accessible to a broad readership.
The first chapter (chapter 1) in this book introduces the subject, and explains the
problems associated with harmful cyanobacteria. Two subsequent chapters (chapters
2 and 3) focus on the molecular biology and physiology of toxin production, with
emphasis on the genetic regulation and variability in toxin production. Next, modern
approaches are discussed that allow rapid assessment of the extent to which
nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, limit the growth of cyanobacteria
(chapters 4 and 5). The subsequent chapter (chapter 6) reviews our current
knowledge of the physiology and ecology of Microcystis, one of the most
widespread and extensively studied harmful species. This is followed by a state-of-
the-art review of the population dynamics of harmful cyanobacteria, with particular
attention to environmental factors that favour cyanobacteria over other
phytoplankton species (chapter 7). Chapter 8 introduces novel techniques in remote
sensing, which allow monitoring of the development of cyanobacterial blooms from
aircraft and satellites. The final chapter (chapter 9) discusses how improvements in
water management, based on the new Water Safety Plans introduced by the World
Health Organization, may reduce human exposure to harmful cyanobacteria.
ix
x PREFACE
The idea for this book came up during a farewell symposium, organized at the
University of Amsterdam in September 2003, on the occasion of the retirement of
Professor Luuc Mur. For more than 40 years, Luuc Mur has been active in
phytoplankton biology, first as lecturer and later as Professor in Aquatic
Environmental Biology at the University of Amsterdam. He has educated numerous
undergraduate and graduate students on water management, the marvellous beauty
of the phytoplankton, and the potential trouble of harmful cyanobacteria. Many of
these former students are still very active in aquatic research and water management
today. During the 1970s and 1980s, Luuc Mur was among the first scientists to
recognize that advances in microbiology could be made useful in aquatic ecology. In
particular, phytoplankton species such as the cyanobacteria and green algae could be
studied in the laboratory using continuous-culture techniques. This culture technique
enabled detailed investigation of the growth kinetics of these microorganisms under
controlled laboratory conditions. In the 1980s and 1990s, with the increasing
eutrophication of many European lakes, the problems caused by harmful
cyanobacteria became widely apparent. With funding provided by the fourth
framework program of the European Committee, Luuc Mur initiated two research
projects (CYANOTOX and TOPIC) to study the toxicology, molecular biology,
physiology, and ecology of harmful cyanobacteria. These two research projects
brought together a diverse group of European scientists that have stood at the basis
of much of what is currently known about harmful cyanobacteria. It is our pleasure -
on behalf of all colleagues, students and friends - to thank Luuc Mur for his leading
contributions and guidance of a new generation of aquatic scientists.
This book would not have been possible without the financial support provided
by the Earth and Life Sciences Foundation (ALW), the Netherlands Organization for
Scientific Research (NWO), and the University of Amsterdam.
Special thanks go to all chapter authors, whose work provides the backbone of
this book, and to all reviewers that have been of great help in sharpening the
chapters. We thank Bibi Krot and Pascale Thiery for helping us in organizing the
symposium, and for their invaluable assistance during the development of this book.
We thank Gertrud Schlag for providing the beautiful photograph that illustrates the
cover, and Ellen Spanjaard for the cover design. Last but not least, we are most
grateful to Professor Robert Wetzel and the staff at Springer, especially Anna Besse-
Lototskaya and Judith Terpos, for their stimulating guidance.
Jef Huisman, Hans C.P. Matthijs & Petra M. Visser (editors)
Amsterdam, August 2004.