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Hypoxia Sustains Cyanobacteria Blooms in the Baltic Sea

Funkey, Carolina LU ; Conley, Daniel LU ; Reuss, Nina S. ; Humborg, Christoph ; Jilbert, Tom and Slomp, Caroline P. (2014) In Environmental Science & Technology 48(5). p.2598-2602
Abstract
Nutrient over-enrichment is one of the classic triggering mechanisms for the occurrence of cyanobacteria blooms in aquatic ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, cyanobacteria regularly occur in the late summer months and form nuisance accumulations in surface waters and their abundance has intensified significantly in the past 50 years attributed to human-induced eutrophication. However, the natural occurrence of cyanobacteria during the Holocene is debated. In this study, we present records of cyanobacteria pigments, water column redox proxies, and nitrogen isotopic signatures for the past ca. 8000 years from Baltic Sea sediment cores. Our results demonstrate that cyanobacteria abundance and nitrogen fixation are correlated with hypoxia... (More)
Nutrient over-enrichment is one of the classic triggering mechanisms for the occurrence of cyanobacteria blooms in aquatic ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, cyanobacteria regularly occur in the late summer months and form nuisance accumulations in surface waters and their abundance has intensified significantly in the past 50 years attributed to human-induced eutrophication. However, the natural occurrence of cyanobacteria during the Holocene is debated. In this study, we present records of cyanobacteria pigments, water column redox proxies, and nitrogen isotopic signatures for the past ca. 8000 years from Baltic Sea sediment cores. Our results demonstrate that cyanobacteria abundance and nitrogen fixation are correlated with hypoxia occurring during three main intervals: (1) ca. 7000-4000 B.P. during the Littorina transgression, (2) ca. 1400-700 B.P. during the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and (3) from ca. 1950 A.D. to the present. Issues of preservation were investigated, and we show that organic matter and pigment profiles are not simply an artifact of preservation. These results suggest that cyanobacteria abundance is sustained during periods of hypoxia, most likely because of enhanced recycling of phosphorus in low oxygen conditions. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Science & Technology
volume
48
issue
5
pages
2598 - 2602
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:24512281
  • wos:000332494200010
  • scopus:84895550364
  • pmid:24512281
ISSN
1520-5851
DOI
10.1021/es404395a
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c0c6e4aa-d07a-427c-a27c-edd9ddcbeea2 (old id 4414273)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:02:16
date last changed
2022-04-28 03:42:04
@article{c0c6e4aa-d07a-427c-a27c-edd9ddcbeea2,
  abstract     = {{Nutrient over-enrichment is one of the classic triggering mechanisms for the occurrence of cyanobacteria blooms in aquatic ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, cyanobacteria regularly occur in the late summer months and form nuisance accumulations in surface waters and their abundance has intensified significantly in the past 50 years attributed to human-induced eutrophication. However, the natural occurrence of cyanobacteria during the Holocene is debated. In this study, we present records of cyanobacteria pigments, water column redox proxies, and nitrogen isotopic signatures for the past ca. 8000 years from Baltic Sea sediment cores. Our results demonstrate that cyanobacteria abundance and nitrogen fixation are correlated with hypoxia occurring during three main intervals: (1) ca. 7000-4000 B.P. during the Littorina transgression, (2) ca. 1400-700 B.P. during the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and (3) from ca. 1950 A.D. to the present. Issues of preservation were investigated, and we show that organic matter and pigment profiles are not simply an artifact of preservation. These results suggest that cyanobacteria abundance is sustained during periods of hypoxia, most likely because of enhanced recycling of phosphorus in low oxygen conditions.}},
  author       = {{Funkey, Carolina and Conley, Daniel and Reuss, Nina S. and Humborg, Christoph and Jilbert, Tom and Slomp, Caroline P.}},
  issn         = {{1520-5851}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{2598--2602}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Environmental Science & Technology}},
  title        = {{Hypoxia Sustains Cyanobacteria Blooms in the Baltic Sea}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es404395a}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/es404395a}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}