Toxic algae and fish mortality in a brackish-water lake in Åland, SW Finland

Tore Lindholm; Petra Öhman; Katriina Kurki-Helasmo; Brendan Kincaid; Jussi Meriluoto

doi:10.1023/A:1003667728458

Toxic algae and fish mortality in a brackish-water lake in Åland, SW Finland

Tore Lindholm^*, Petra Öhman, Katriina Kurki-Helasmo, Brendan Kincaid, Jussi Meriluoto

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

79 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The brackish-water Lake Vargsundet (SW Finland) was affected by multiple algal toxins and extensive fish mortality in July 1997. Dense populations of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte Prymnesium sp. and the hepatotoxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii were observed simultaneously, but usually in distinct layers. Fish died in the relatively clear epilimnion where 10-40 million Prymnesium cells per litre were recorded (chlorophyll a range 6-18 μg l^-1). Fish survived in the metalimnion dominated by the hepatotoxic P. agardhii (chlorophyll a 20-40 μg l^-1). The deeper layers were anoxic. The Prymnesium-rich water remained ichthyotoxic until the end of August but the toxicity was less marked in tests with Artemia salina. As even inconspicuous haptophyte blooms with low chlorophyll a concentrations may be harmful, safety and monitoring issues need reconsideration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	109-120
Number of pages	12
Journal	Hydrobiologia
Volume	397
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003667728458
Publication status	Published - 1999
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

Fish kill
Microcystin
Planktothrix
Prymnesin
Prymnesium
Toxic algae

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title = "Toxic algae and fish mortality in a brackish-water lake in {\AA}land, SW Finland",

abstract = "The brackish-water Lake Vargsundet (SW Finland) was affected by multiple algal toxins and extensive fish mortality in July 1997. Dense populations of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte Prymnesium sp. and the hepatotoxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii were observed simultaneously, but usually in distinct layers. Fish died in the relatively clear epilimnion where 10-40 million Prymnesium cells per litre were recorded (chlorophyll a range 6-18 μg l-1). Fish survived in the metalimnion dominated by the hepatotoxic P. agardhii (chlorophyll a 20-40 μg l-1). The deeper layers were anoxic. The Prymnesium-rich water remained ichthyotoxic until the end of August but the toxicity was less marked in tests with Artemia salina. As even inconspicuous haptophyte blooms with low chlorophyll a concentrations may be harmful, safety and monitoring issues need reconsideration.",

keywords = "Fish kill, Microcystin, Planktothrix, Prymnesin, Prymnesium, Toxic algae",

author = "Tore Lindholm and Petra {\"O}hman and Katriina Kurki-Helasmo and Brendan Kincaid and Jussi Meriluoto",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the {\AA}land water authorities, especially Mr Carl Stor{\aa} for arranging financial support. A grant from the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation to J. M. is also acknowledged. Mr Svante Wistbacka assisted greatly in organizing the test fishing. We thank the staff of the Hus{\"o} Biological Station and the {\AA}bo Akademi University for excellent working facilities. Copyright: Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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pages = "109--120",

journal = "Hydrobiologia",

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AU - Öhman, Petra

AU - Kurki-Helasmo, Katriina

AU - Kincaid, Brendan

AU - Meriluoto, Jussi

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the Åland water authorities, especially Mr Carl Storå for arranging financial support. A grant from the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation to J. M. is also acknowledged. Mr Svante Wistbacka assisted greatly in organizing the test fishing. We thank the staff of the Husö Biological Station and the Åbo Akademi University for excellent working facilities. Copyright: Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - The brackish-water Lake Vargsundet (SW Finland) was affected by multiple algal toxins and extensive fish mortality in July 1997. Dense populations of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte Prymnesium sp. and the hepatotoxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii were observed simultaneously, but usually in distinct layers. Fish died in the relatively clear epilimnion where 10-40 million Prymnesium cells per litre were recorded (chlorophyll a range 6-18 μg l-1). Fish survived in the metalimnion dominated by the hepatotoxic P. agardhii (chlorophyll a 20-40 μg l-1). The deeper layers were anoxic. The Prymnesium-rich water remained ichthyotoxic until the end of August but the toxicity was less marked in tests with Artemia salina. As even inconspicuous haptophyte blooms with low chlorophyll a concentrations may be harmful, safety and monitoring issues need reconsideration.

AB - The brackish-water Lake Vargsundet (SW Finland) was affected by multiple algal toxins and extensive fish mortality in July 1997. Dense populations of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte Prymnesium sp. and the hepatotoxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii were observed simultaneously, but usually in distinct layers. Fish died in the relatively clear epilimnion where 10-40 million Prymnesium cells per litre were recorded (chlorophyll a range 6-18 μg l-1). Fish survived in the metalimnion dominated by the hepatotoxic P. agardhii (chlorophyll a 20-40 μg l-1). The deeper layers were anoxic. The Prymnesium-rich water remained ichthyotoxic until the end of August but the toxicity was less marked in tests with Artemia salina. As even inconspicuous haptophyte blooms with low chlorophyll a concentrations may be harmful, safety and monitoring issues need reconsideration.

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KW - Microcystin

KW - Planktothrix

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KW - Prymnesium

KW - Toxic algae

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VL - 397

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ER -

Toxic algae and fish mortality in a brackish-water lake in Åland, SW Finland

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Keywords

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