Caloosahatchee Watershed Issues and Cyanobacteria
Blooms
Rick Bartleson, Mark Thompson SCCF Marine Lab
Acknowledgements: Lee Co. Environmental Laboratory, SFWMD
Cyanobacteria Effects
Caloosahatchee Cyanos
Environmental Controls
• Temperature
• Flushing
• Nutrient effect
Watershed
• Flow timing
• Nutrients
Cyanobacteria
• Upstream
• Downstream
Mitigation, Use as Indicator
Effects of Cyanobacteria
•Increased turbidity
•Decreased light to SAV and other phytoplankton
•Oxygen depletion
•Toxic to other species
•Reduced trophic transfer to desirable species
2011
2011
Microscope photos I’ve taken
Several River photos I’ve taken
Caloosahatchee Cyanobacteria
• Frequent cyanobacteria blooms
east of S79
• Also blooms of dinoflagellatesKansodinium ambiguum 2009,
2013, Ceratium, Akashiwo
sanguinea
• Markley and Parsons 2013
Kansodinium ambiguum
Caloosahatchee Cyanobacteria
Multiple species
Simultaneous bloom along river 2011
Blooms spread down-estuary- 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013
Cassani, 2008
Anabaena
Aphanizomenon
Microcystis
Cylindrospermopsis
Others Planktothrix sp.,
Solveson, Olga 2006
Pseudanabaena sp.,
Merismopedia sp.,
Aphanocapsa sp.
2011
Estuarine Cyanobacteria
Lyngbya majuscula
malyngolide
2006, 2007, 2013
University of Sevilla
Also Synechococcus
Estuarine and Gulf Cyanobacteria
Gulf
Trichodesmium erythraeum
Dust- and mineral-iron utilization by
the marine dinitrogen-fixer Trichodesmium
Rubin et al. 2011.
Sanibel Beaches, San Carlos Bay,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012
San Carlos Bay 8/10/2005
Beautiful Island 2006
Cape Coral Bridge 2009
Shell Point 2013
Environmental Controls
6000
2011
5000
4000
3000
2000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2013
5/12 13 µg/L
0
11/5 Low Conc.
Flow S79 (cfs)
1000
Conditions favoring cyanobacteria:
• Stratified or stagnant water
• Low flushing rate
• temperatures >25°C March-Nov
• CDOM
• BCOD
Environmental Controls- Nutrients
• N:P <22 favors cyanobacteria
• OP concentrations above limiting
levels
• High nutrient loading rates
• N, P saturated growth-Fe limited
Lake Okeechobee, Havens et al. 2003
TN:TP ratio 15.6 @ S79 (2002-2004)
S79 Orthophosphorus
Nutrient loading
OP Wet season 2012
TP kg d-1 S79
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
SFWMD
Data
Lee County
Data
Nutrient Loading
Estuary dissolved nutrient levels promote algal growth
NH3 Pine Island Sound
Ortho P (µgL-1)
Ortho P Boca Grande Pass
Half saturation
Level
Paerl, H.W., et al. 2008. Co-occurrence of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria harmful algal
blooms in southwest Florida coastal waters: A case for dual nutrient (N and P) input controls.
Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 371: 143-153.
dual N and P input reductions are usually required for effective long-term control and
management of blooms (Paerl)
Nutrient Loading
Nutrient Loading- Caloosahatchee
Anthropogenic
• Septic systems
• Sewage Treatment
• Stormwater Runoff
• Agricultural
Lake Okeechobee
Agriculture
Urban/Disturbed
Upland Forest
Wetland/Water
1.7 million cattle in FL in 2003 and 2012
@150g N excretion/d=930metric tons N/yr
Nutrient Loading -Sources
-Atmospheric P
20 fold increase in atmospheric P
deposition rates from sugar cane
burning (Grimshaw and Dolske 2002).
Atmospheric P load to Charlotte
Harbor (at 50 mg m-2 yr-1) is 40
metric tons yr-1.
P deposition (mg m-2 yr-1) 1979
(Brezonik et al., 1983).
84 mg m-2 yr-1 average in circled area
Nutrient Loading
Upstream
Of S79
Higher ratio indicates
sewage
Nutrient loading- SWFL Drainage
Surface water
runoff has
been
drastically
increased by
drainage
ditches and
canals.
Nutrient loading-Increased Runoff
Increased watershed results in
more surface water, wider salinity
range and higher nutrient and
color loadings
Added watershed
Former watershed
Reduced Sheetflow and Groundwater Discharge
1999
Mid Hawthorn
48’ drop
Estero Bay Watershed Section
Kissimmee Basin Storage
6’ drop
20’ drop
6’ drop
Solutions
Reducing Runoff and Nutrient
Loading
• Allow aquifer recharge
• Route rain to fallow farmlands and
pastures
• Nutrient removal using SAV
(restoration) and algae
• TMDLs for phosphorus and CDOM
• Fertilizer minimization
• Livestock fencing, manure
management
• Replacement of septic systems with
tertiary treatment
Questions/
Acknowledgments
SCCF Annual Fund
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