New (and improved) tools for researching algae in lakes

New (and improved) tools for researching algae in lakes

James Rusak Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Dorset Environmental Science Centre

New and Improved Tools • • • •

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High-frequency monitoring buoys New research partnerships Smartphone Apps + YOU!

Traditional long-term monitoring studies 79o00'

1. Harp 2. Chub 3. Blue Chalk 1 4. Red Chalk 5. Red Chalk East 6. Dickie 7. Heney 8. Crosson Huntsville 9. Plastic

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Study Area

Dwight

Dorset 2

Port Sydney

3 4

5

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9

Baysville 6 117

Bracebridge

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8 11 118

45o00' Vankoughnet

Carnarvon

Expanding the time horizon: automated HF sensors on Harp Lake

Harp Lake 45 23, 79 08 Muskoka, Chaffey

HPOF HP6

Chemistry Sample Location Stream Sample Site

Hp#

HP6A

HP5 5

7 9

25 25

37

33

N 35

31 29

27

15

5

23

13 11

3

2

19

15 9

5 7 1 3

Access

HP4

11 9 7 HP3 5

500 m Depth in meters

2 HP3A

THELMA (The Harp Environmental Lake Monitoring Ark) Conceived: 28 May 2009 Born: 29 June 2010 Age: almost seven‌ First words(ONLINE): 25 July 2011 (satellite communication)

Data Collected • Wind speed and direction • Relative Humidity and Vapour Pressure • Air temperature • Short and longwave radiation • Temperature Chain (25cm resolution to 10m / 1m to bottom) • Dissolved Oxygen (1 and 18m) • Chlorophyll • pH and conductivity • CO2 • Over 100 variables reported every 10 minutes!

Water Temperature Heatmap

Research Tool

Research Tool

Research Tool

Research Tool

Research Tool

Research Tool

Research Tool

THELMA: current / future directions (if you build it…)

Carbon dynamics • with DelGiorgio (UQAM): CO2 sensors on Harp Lake Predictive modelling of climate change effects • with Yao (MOECC) / McKay (EnvCan): temp/oxygen sensors on Harp and Heney Early warning metrics of changes in lake health • NSERC Strategic Network Grant with Huot (Sherbrooke) Algal monitoring and dynamics • with Paterson (MOECC) / Creed (Western): chlorophyll and phycocyanin sensors

but what’s THELMA without LOUISE?

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LOUISE – a partner in research 

LOUISE (Lake Observatory of the Underwater In-Situ Environment) is THELMA’s partner in research.   

• •

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Phycocyanin and Chlorophyll, Dissolved Oxygen (2 depths), Water temperature (every 25 cm), pH, conductivity Wind speed, Precipitation, Relative Humidity, Barometric Pressure, Air Temperature Capacity to also broadcast data online

Constructed and tested in summer 2016 Deployed in early August / troubleshooting sensors and communications in early August  / working well by late August 

LOUISE: High-frequency water quality monitoring on Three Mile Lake  

 

Three Mile Lake has seen significant cyanobacteria and green algal blooms in the past.

LOUISE will investigate how different factors contribute to the onset, timing, duration and composition of bloom events.

Chlorophyll and phycocyanin sensors generate data on green and blue-green algae Research Questions:    

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Can we predict bloom occurrence?

What determines bloom composition?

What are the events and or conditions that trigger or terminate algal blooms?

What are the potential options to mitigate cyanobacterial bloom occurrence?

LOUISE data…

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Tool2: New Research Partnerships Lake Louise, Alberta

NSERC Canadian Lake Pulse Network Open pit mine, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories

Potato field, South Lake, PEI

Réseau du CRSNG sur l’état des lacs du Canada

Network objectives To assess the health status of Canadian lakes, to identify their key stressors, and to understand how these stressors have altered lake biogeochemical functioning.

1.

Large-Scale Sampling of Lakes (LSSL) complemented by Partners’ datasets.

•

To forecast probable future changes in the health status of Canadian lakes using climate and land-use scenarios.

2.

•

Using predictive models

To develop new observational approaches, such as genomics and automated sensing to provide managers with new stewardship tools.

3.

•

Using LSSL data and Satellite remote-sensing

The Network in space and time

• 3 gradients of lake stressors • 6 data sources to examine different metrics in space and time

Integration through 3 thematic threads and one methodological thread Climate

Land use

Project #1

Contaminants Project #2

Project #5

Project #3 Project #6

Project #6

Methods Project #4

Projec t #7

Project #8 Project #9 Project #10

• Bilingual, dynamic web portal of lake health in Canada

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Large Scale Sampling of Lakes - 600 lakes in 7 core ecozones - Including 40 lakes selected for the presence of historical samples or importance to Partners - 80 lakes sampled in four “sampled ecozones�

- Probabilistic identification of representative lakes based on multi-stage clusters approach.

Fig: Yves Prairie

Downing, J. A., Prairie, Y. T., Cole, J. J., Duarte, C. M., Tranvik, L. J., Striegl, R. G., . . . Melack, J. M. (2006). The global abundance and size distribution of lakes, ponds, and impoundments. Limnology and Oceanography, 51(5), 2388-2397.

Large Scale Sampling of Lakes - 600 lakes in 7 core ecozones - Including 40 lakes selected for the presence of historical samples or importance to Partners - 80 lakes sampled in four “sampled ecozones�

- Probabilistic identification of representative lakes based on multi-stage clusters approach.

Fig: Yves Prairie

Downing, J. A., Prairie, Y. T., Cole, J. J., Duarte, C. M., Tranvik, L. J., Striegl, R. G., . . . Melack, J. M. (2006). The global abundance and size distribution of lakes, ponds, and impoundments. Limnology and Oceanography, 51(5), 2388-2397.

Lake Pulse sampling list Optical • IOPs (profile and discrete), AOPs • Irradiance

Chemical • • •

Biological

•

• Bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton • Photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic pigments • Influenza, coliforms • Electron transport rate, NPQ, phytoplankton groups (profiles) • Chlorophyll fluorescence (profiles)

•

Physical • Temperature (profiles)

• • •

•

Nutrients Major ions Pharmaceuticals & pesticides Cyanotoxins Gases (GHG, O2) and isotopic signature N mineralization & internal loading CDOM EEMs Suspended particulate matter pH, conductivity, O2 (profiles)

Paleolimnological •

Top down (diatoms, chironomids, Chlorophyll a)

The first summer of LSSL sampling!

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Research Tool 3: Lake Observer: Crowdsourcing LakeRelated Data Across the Globe

photo: Midge Eliassen

Lake Observer App (free!)

• • • •

iOS and Android registration system expertise tracking collaboration



GLEON Esri USGS NALMS White House Climate Data Initiative

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Canadian Lake Pulse Network

   

Capitalizes on what is becoming a common tool!

• time, date, place recorded automatically • interface with existing monitoring • increase spatial extent of sampling • increase frequency

photo: Kate Paladin

Lake Observer records many kinds of data about lakes >>>>>>>>>>

Water Quality

• common measurements of water quality

Algae and Cyanobacteria • surface and within water column • extent • distribution • color • taxa • density • sample ID • photo

Lake Pulse is extending the Lake Observer App this summer…

Chlorophyll + Water Colour

Have a new smartphone capable of RAW format photos? You can be on the cutting-edge of research too!

See me…

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Download and try the app! www.lakeobserver.org www.gleon.org facebook.com/GLEONetwork Email: jim.rusak@ontario.ca

Thank you!

And special thanks to Chris McConnell and Tim Field for buoy help, the Lake Pulse team and GLEON! 37