What is it about?

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are increasing in frequency and duration in aquatic ecosystems around the world. Simple and reliable techniques are needed in water quality monitoring programs to predict the presence of these harmful organisms. We developed a model to predict Chl a concentration (total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria) with the use of simple, low-cost fluorometers (with evaluation of turbidity and CDOM interference). Our algorithms allow for the simultaneous use of multiple instruments (same model).

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Our model was developed to monitoring cyanobacteria with low-cost fluorometer and we performed inter-calibrations between different units of the same fluorometer which can significantly facilitate freshwater monitoring over large regions (multiple instruments measuring in different areas at the same time). The approach is general and could be implemented with other fluorometer brands with similar configuration.

Perspectives

I hope this article encourage the use of pigment fluorescence for monitoring cyanobacterial bloom-forming organisms.

Professor Sylvia Bonilla
Universidad de la Republica Uruguay

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Interpretation of total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria fluorescence from cross‐calibrated fluorometers, including sensitivity to turbidity and colored dissolved organic matter, Limnology and Oceanography Methods, November 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/lom3.10290.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page