Toxic benthic freshwater cyanobacterial proliferations: Challenges and solutions for enhancing knowledge and improving monitoring and mitigation

Susanna A Wood (1) , Laura T Kelly (1) , Keith Bouma-Gregson (2) , Jean-François Humbert (3) , Haywood Dail Laughinghouse (4) , James Lazorchak (5) , Tara G Mcallister (6) , Andrew Mcqueen (7) , Kaytee Pokrzywinski , Jonathan Puddick (1) , Catherine Quiblier (8, 9) , Laura A Reitz (10) , Ken G Ryan (11) , Yvonne Vadeboncoeur (12) , Arthur Zastepa (13) , Timothy W Davis (10)

1 Cawthron Institute
2 Office of informationmanagement and analysis
3 iEES Paris - Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris
4 Agronomy department
5 Office of Research and Development
6 Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence for Complex Systems
7 Environmental Laboratory
8 MCAM - Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Micro-organismes
9 UPCité - Université Paris Cité
10 Department of Biological Sciences [Bowling Green]
11 School of Biological Sciences [Wellington, New Zealand]
12 Department of Biological Sciences [Dayton]
13 ECCC - Environment and Climate Change Canada

This review summarises knowledge on the ecology, toxin production, and impacts of toxic freshwater benthic cyanobacterial proliferations. It documents monitoring , management, and sampling strategies, and explores mitigation options. Toxic proliferations of freshwater benthic cyanobacteria (taxa that grow attached to substrates) occur in streams, rivers, lakes, and thermal and meltwater ponds, and have been reported in 19 countries. Anatoxin-and microcystin-containing mats are most commonly reported (eight and 10 countries, respectively). Studies exploring factors that promote toxic benthic cyanobacterial proliferations are limited to a few species and habitats. There is a hierarchy of importance in environmental and biological factors that regulate proliferations with variables such as flow (rivers), fine sediment deposition, nutrients, associated microbes, and grazing identified as key drivers. Regulating factors differ among colonisation, expansion, and dispersal phases.

Mots clés: cyanotoxins; lakes; monitoring; risk assessment; rivers

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Biologie moléculaire; Ecologie, Environnement; Interactions entre organismes

Susanna A Wood, Laura T Kelly, Keith Bouma-Gregson, Jean-François Humbert, Haywood Dail Laughinghouse, et al.. Toxic benthic freshwater cyanobacterial proliferations: Challenges and solutions for enhancing knowledge and improving monitoring and mitigation. Freshwater Biology, 2020, 65, pp.1824 - 1842. ⟨10.1111/fwb.13532⟩. ⟨mnhn-02947818⟩