Algal blooms and their guards

[hkv]

This fall I made a small contribution to a research project at Lunds University in Sweden. It was another member of this forum that introduced me to the project (Viktor J Nilsson). A big thank you for that Victor!

The project was about keeping track of harmful alga blooms. Residents around Vombjsön (Vomb Lake) helped researchers from Lund with daily water samples. The purpose was to study how the algal blooms in the lake are affected by the weather, not least the heat waves of recent years. One theory is that recent years' extreme weather is affecting the algal flora in the lake. During the extremely dry summer of 2018, the content of cyanobacteria decreased. In their place came a completely different group of algae, dinoflagellates. It seems knowledge about the dinoflagellates is limited, for example, it is unclear whether they can develop poison in an environment similar to that in Lake Vomb which was studied. The voluntary samplers followed the algae growth between July and September to see which of the two algae groups dominates in Vombsjön this year. The measurement results are published continuously and my contribution was to take a few photographs of what the samplers found. Below I selected a few photographs that I took in September/October using the samples I received. At this time of the year, the cyanobacteria had started to decline in favor of diatoms.

Staurastrum, Aulacoseira granulata, Stephanodiscus by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Diatom - Asterionella formosa by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Stephanodiscus and Closterium by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Woronichinia by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Naiadinium polonium by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Stephanodiscus, Aulacoseira granulata, Fragilaria crotonensis by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Stephanodiscus and Closterium by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Nassula sp. by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Dolichospermum sp. by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Dolichospermum sp. by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Fragilaria crotonensis by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Fragilaria crotonensis by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Woronichinia by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Pediastrum duplex by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

Dolichospermum sp. by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr

[Wes]

Wow! Extremely good images Håkan.

[Hobbyst46]

All are fantastic, and my favorite winner is the green Closterium with two Stephanodiscus sattelites near the tow ends, on a dark blue background..

[75RR]

I think it is great that you are able to contribute to this interesting project. Do keep us informed.

Lovely images. Fantastic detail on the Pediastrum duplex and on the cytros on the nassula sp!

[hkv]

Wow! Extremely good images Håkan

Thanks!

All are fantastic, and my favorite winner is the green Closterium with two Stephanodiscus sattelites near the tow ends, on a dark blue background..

Interesting that you say that, because others have said the same. Personally I find it interesting to compare the size between the diatom and the closterium. The diatoms looks o small next the the giant closterium.

I think it is great that you are able to contribute to this interesting project. Do keep us informed.

Lovely images. Fantastic detail on the Pediastrum duplex!

Thanks, what I like about the Pediastrum duplex is the bristles that are visible at the ends of each "arm". I have never seen this before. Only in drawings in books but never in a photograph. I first thought they very flagella like, but apparently, they are stiffer.

[D0c]

Wow simply amazing.

[tgss]

Outstanding!
Tom W.