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
7
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
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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.
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To forecast probable future changes in the health status of Canadian lakes using climate and land-use scenarios.
2.
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Using predictive models
To develop new observational approaches, such as genomics and automated sensing to provide managers with new stewardship tools.
3.
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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
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• Bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton • Photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic pigments • Influenza, coliforms • Electron transport rate, NPQ, phytoplankton groups (profiles) • Chlorophyll fluorescence (profiles)
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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
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