Sustainable Management of Algae in Eutrophic Ecosystems

Abstract

The accelerated eutrophication of the world's freshwater and marine ecosystems is a complex problem that results in decreased productivity, loss of biodiversity, and various economic woes. Controlling algae populations in a eutrophic water body has values in mitigating some of these negative effects. This paper reviews a number of strategies for algae management, with a focus on sustainable practices that have minimal environmental impact. The information in the literature is then used to propose a design for an integrated algae-aquaculture system to be used for the dual purposes of nutrient assimilation and production of fish and algal biomass. Effectiveness of the proposed system and possible revenue streams to offset capital costs are examined; other solutions that utilize the techniques in the literature are also explored.

Cyanobacterial blooms in earthen aquaculture ponds and their impact on fisheries and human health in Bangladesh

“…Moreover, when more of these dense algal blooms die, microbial decomposition severely depletes dissolved oxygen, creating a hypoxic or even anoxic ‘dead zone’ (Arend et al, 2011) lacking or having no sufficient oxygen to support most organisms. Thus, this can lead to a host of detrimental effects with the most notable being increased productivity and biomass of phytoplankton, including algae (Davis & Koop, 2006; McNeary & Erickson, 2013; Smith, 2003). Eutrophication is also associated with major changes in aquatic community structure (Schindler, 2006).…”

Synthetic Analysis of Thematic Studies towards Determining the Recreational Potential of Anthropogenic Reservoirs

“…The prevailing view is that shallow waters are more vulnerable (to eutrophic conditions) than deep reservoirs due to the lack of thermal stratification of the water during the summer months. Both artificial and natural deep lakes, which become thermally stratified in summer, act as nutrient reservoirs and do not form dangerous suspended solids [96]. For managers of recreational water reservoirs, the key element is therefore to control and effectively manage the inflow of external nutrients, which boils down to monitoring potentially dangerous sources, such as: runoff from agricultural areas or discharge of sewage [97,98].…”

Sustainable Management of Eutrophic Lakes and Reservoirs

“…This would not be feasible on a large scale, though. Harvesting the algae when blooms start to develop is another management technique [65]. This is also a relatively expensive method due to equipment, fuel and labor costs and is unlikely to be feasible for larger lakes and reservoirs.…”