Effects of extreme flood events on nutrient and physical drivers of cyanobacteria blooms in Shelburne Pond
Abstract
Nutrient drivers of cyanobacteria blooms are well understood, but blooms remain challenging to predict because we do not fully understand how disturbance events interact with these mechanisms in eutrophic lakes such as Shelburne Pond, VT. We sampled biweekly through the summer and fall of 2024 and observed a disturbance event between 7/3 and 7/17. Chemical, physical, and biological samples are being analyzed to understand how that disturbance a��ected the lake and phytoplankton community relative to predisturbance conditions. Understanding how cyanobacteria react to disturbance aids in better predicting blooms in relation to changing weather patterns and climate extremes.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Ana Morales
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources
Program/Major
Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Effects of extreme flood events on nutrient and physical drivers of cyanobacteria blooms in Shelburne Pond
Nutrient drivers of cyanobacteria blooms are well understood, but blooms remain challenging to predict because we do not fully understand how disturbance events interact with these mechanisms in eutrophic lakes such as Shelburne Pond, VT. We sampled biweekly through the summer and fall of 2024 and observed a disturbance event between 7/3 and 7/17. Chemical, physical, and biological samples are being analyzed to understand how that disturbance a��ected the lake and phytoplankton community relative to predisturbance conditions. Understanding how cyanobacteria react to disturbance aids in better predicting blooms in relation to changing weather patterns and climate extremes.