Project Detail

Overwintering strategy of Microcystis sp. - does microcystin play a signal role?

Name:	Overwintering strategy of Microcystis sp. - does microcystin play a signal role?
Researchers:	Maršálek Blahoslav (researcher)
Provider:	GACR
Realization from:	2003
Realization to:	2005
Summary:	Microcystis sp. is frequently dominant, scum-forming cyanobacteria, but the autecology of this genus (especially the overwintering phase of life cycle) is not known well. Overwintering has a crucial influence on metabolic activity, ecophysiology andquantity of the inoculum, which will form the water blooms during the next seasons. Preliminary results, which we obtained at the end of EU project CYANOTOX, show that there are permanent benthic Microcystis populations at the bottom. The majority ofMicrocystis colonies of pelagic (water blooms) origin is lysed at the top layer of sediments and usually is not viable source of the new blooms. Hypothesis 1: Colonies of pelagic origin play an important ecological role: they form comfortable conditions(energy source, electron receptors, activity of associated bacteria which should prevent lysis etc.) for overwintering and spring start of Microcystis colonies of (predominantly) benthic origin.