The incidence of freshwater algal blooms has been increasing across North America, including regions with no historical record of bloom occurrence. Eutrophication and climate change have been implicated as major drivers of microalgal (i.e., phytoplankton) blooms. In contract, microalgal (i.e., visible, mat-forming algae) blooms are not consistently explained by nutrients, and not much is known about the role of climate change. Morphologically diverse species of macroalgae bloom across a range of habitats and nutrient conditions, even in systems where nutrient concentrations are low. This presentation will explore how morphological traits and habitat features may support the emergence of macroalgal blooms, with a particular focus on three species: Cladophora glomerata, Didymosphenia geminata, and Nitellopsis obtusa.

Presenter: Dr. Andrea Kirkwood, Ontario Tech University