2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | SPATIAL PATTERNS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER | Virtual Platform

SPATIAL PATTERNS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Phytoplankton serve as the basis of aquatic food webs, providing a food source for larger organisms and aiding in nutrient processing. However, eutrophication promotes the formation of harmful algal blooms, some of which have recently occurred in large rivers in the Midwestern United States. Few studies exist on river phytoplankton communities, including the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). Therefore, our main objectives were to characterize the community of phytoplankton across over 1500km of the UMRS and understand their response to environmental factors. Community and environmental data collected from six river reaches during the spring and summer of 1996-2012 were evaluated. Communities in the northern reaches were more diverse and distinct from the southern reaches. Cyanobacteria made up ~15% of the communities in the northern reaches but were nearly absent from other reaches. Additionally, community composition was significantly different among reaches and was most strongly related to the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. These relationships increase our understanding of riverine phytoplankton communities, including environmental factors that promote cyanobacteria presence, which helps inform the management of the UMRS to reduce the risk of harmful species.

Biodiversity
Stream
Big data

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Presenters/Authors

James Pack (), Centre College, james.pack@outlook.com;