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Dynamic phytoplankton community structure in a subtropical reservoir during an extended drought, Central Texas, USA

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Abstract

Subtropical lakes remain understudied by comparison to lakes in temperate and tropical regions when considering environmental factors impacting cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (CyanoHAB) propagation and success. Central Texas, USA, exhibited an extended, severe drought from 2010 to 2015. Phytoplankton data from Lake Buchanan, a large reservoir on the Colorado River, displayed rapid shifts in the community during this period as the reservoir transitioned to more eutrophic conditions. This study serves to assess the likelihood of CyanoHABs considering this recent transition in trophic status and determine factors promoting success of potentially harmful species. Routine monitoring was performed every other month, including measurements of environmental parameters, nutrients, as well as the identification of phytoplankton using DNA barcoding and cell counts. DNA sequencing analysis confirmed the presence of multiple known bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Potential producers of saxitoxins Planktothrix, Aphanizomenon/Chrysosporum, and Raphidiopsis thrived in drought conditions, whereas Limnothrix and Pseudanabaena performed better during non-drought conditions. Following the drought period, Chrysosporum ovalisporum, Phormidium tenue, and Planktothrix sp. were still present along with other potentially harmful species; however, the community had shifted to predominantly diatoms comprised of Fragilaria and Lindavia. These results suggest the drought conditions, i.e., increased conductivity, temperature, and nutrient loads, likely influenced the success of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The success of these taxa contributed to eutrophication and subsequent decline in diversity. Subtropical lakes should therefore be monitored more closely during extended drought periods, as the risks associated with eutrophication and CyanoHABs are predicted to be significantly higher.

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Data availability statement

Sequence and biovolume data for this study can be found on Mendeley Data: “Phytoplankton community structure in Lake Buchanan during an extended drought, Central Texas, USA (2013–2017)”, Mendeley Data, V1, https://doi.org/10.17632/9w8kwvnwth.1. Nutrient data for this study period are accessible via https://www.waterquality.lcra.org/.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Lower Colorado River Authority, Water Quality Protection Department. We would like to thank Lisa Benton, Bryan Cook, and Dave Bass of the LCRA for their involvement with this project, as well as Drs. Matt Ashworth and Ed Theriot at the University of Texas at Austin for their expertise on diatom identification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin, TX, USA

    Tatiana E. Gámez

  2. Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA

    Tatiana E. Gámez & Alan W. Groeger

  3. Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Tatiana E. Gámez & Schonna R. Manning

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Schonna R. Manning

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  1. Tatiana E. Gámez
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TEG conceived and designed the analysis, collected the data, performed the analysis, and wrote the primary draft. SRM and AWG contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data. TEG took the lead in writing the manuscript, SRM and AWG performed critical revisions for intellectual content. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tatiana E. Gámez.

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Gámez, T.E., Groeger, A.W. & Manning, S.R. Dynamic phytoplankton community structure in a subtropical reservoir during an extended drought, Central Texas, USA. Aquat Sci 85, 7 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-022-00903-1

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