Physical and Chemical Environmental Factors Associated with the Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Cyanobacteria in Lake George, New York.
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and environmental factors were studied in Lake George, New York from May 1998 to August 1998. Lake George, New York is a (meso) oligotrophic freshwater lake located in the southeast corner of the Adirondack State Park. An island filled channel known as The Narrows separates it into two distinct basins. The water in the lake flows from south to north where it empties into Lake Champlain near Ticonderoga, New York. The lake is dimictic, mixing in the spring and the fall, and stratification of the water column into a distinct epilimnion and hypolimnion occurs each summer. The lake undergoes a clear water phase in late May/early June. The goal of the study was to determine the temporal and spatial development of the cyanobacteria population in the north and south basins of the lake and their association to physical and chemical factors in the water column. Various nitrogen and phosphorus species were measured along with physical factors such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and illumination. These factors were then used to search for trends and associations with cyanobacteria enumerated by epifluorescent microscopy. One morphological genus, Synechococcus, was found to dominate the cyanobacteria population throughout the water column and throughout the period of the study. Abundance of Synechococcus increased after the clear water phase ended, reaching its maximum in both basins in early August. Other general trends showed the greatest initial abundance of Synechococcus at 20 and 25 meters in depth in the late spring and this moved up in the water column to an average of 15 meters after the clear water phase of the lake ended in mid-June. Slight temporal and spatial differences were found between the two sites, however linear regression found no strong associations between Synechococcus and any single chemical or physical factor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363278
Entities
People
- Lance E. Richardson
Organizations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute