The research performed in this study is targeted towards understanding phytoplankton dynamics in Acton Lake in the winter versus the summer. This lake is eutrophic, meaning phytoplankton levels are increased and the lake may experience algal blooms. These algae blooms may disrupt lake food webs and reduce recreational opportunities as their expansion toxifies the water. This study seeks to understand whether algae populations in this eutrophic lake continue to grow during the winter because lakes were historically considered dormant during this time period. During the summer months, nutrients may become less abundant in lakes as compared to the winter (Williamson et al., 2021; Hampton et al., 2022). Lake samples are collected weekly to determine phytoplankton concentrations. Samples were also used for lab incubation experiments to determine whether nutrient additions stimulate phytoplankton growth. The nutrients used within the experiment were nitrogen, phosphorus, as well as a mixture of both respectively. In order to conduct this research, an Algae Lab Analyzer, which measures phytoplankton concentrations, is used. The data from the analyzer is used to compare the concentration against each other and to conclude if a specific nutrient combination will increase the algae growth. Here, the Acton Lake phytoplankton responses for one date in the winter will be compared against one date in the summer. This work will contribute to my future career as I will have gained experience within a lab and using advanced lab equipment. For this project, two sets of data from a graduate student will be used to create and interpret graphs.
Hampton, S. E., Sharma, S., Brousil, M. R., & Filazzola, A. (2022). Winter and summer storms modify chlorophyll relationships with nutrients in seasonally ice‐covered lakes. Ecosphere, 13(11). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4272
Williamson, T. J., Vanni, M. J., & Renwick, W. H. (2021). Spatial and Temporal Variability of Nutrient Dynamics and Ecosystem Metabolism in a Hyper-eutrophic Reservoir Differ Between a Wet and Dry Year. Ecosystems, 24(1), 68–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00505-8
Authors: Rebecca Harberts, Kloe Atwood and Lesley Knoll
Advisor: Lesley B. Knoll, Biology
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