26 Sep 2023

Microseira wollei (M. wollei) Blooms in Freshwater Ecosystems in Lake St. Clair (Michigan, USA)–Impacts and Possible Management Approaches

PURPOSE: The proliferation and shoreline accumulation of the filamentous biphasic cyanobacterium, Microseira wollei (M. wollei) (previously classified as Lyngbya wollei), have become an increasing problem in the Great Lakes, both for aesthetic reasons and its potential to harbor harmful bacteria and pathogens (Vijayavel et al. 2013). Occurrences have been reported and studies have also been conducted in the southeastern US where M. wollei has become a nuisance in recent years and is known to produce toxins (Hudon et al. 2014). Reports of M. wollei proliferations in the eastern US have been identified in the Manitoba lakes (Macbeth 2004), in Lake Erie from Maumee Bay (Bridgeman and Penamon 2010), in Lake St. Clair near Detroit (Vijayavel et al. 2013), and throughout the St Lawrence River (Vis et al. 2008; Lévesque et al. 2012). M. wollei has become a serious nuisance for marinas, public beaches, and lakefront property owners. In addition, M. wollei appears to have the ability to produce a wide range of toxins, but the conditions promoting their production, type, and concentration are poorly known (Hudon et al. 2014). Occurrences of large algal mats matching characteristics of M. wollei have been observed along the northwest shore and nearshore waters of the beach at Lake St. Clair dating back to 2010. To date, a comprehensive study detailing the potential impacts M. wollei has on freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes River, particularly Lake St. Clair is lacking. Further, management solutions are not well understood. This technical note (TN) reviews the potential causes of M. wollei blooms and their ecological impacts on aquatic systems and assesses the management options available to eliminate or minimize the impacts of these blooms.