Download Healthy Waterways Coastal Algal Blooms of South East Queensland

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Coastal Algal Blooms
of South East Queensland
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South East Queensland
Healthy Waterways Partnership
Coastal Algal Blooms
of South East Queensland
A FIELD GUIDE
South East Queensland
Healthy Waterways Partnership
Using this guide
The coastal waters of South East Queensland
provide important habitat for many species of
cyanobacteria and algae which in turn provide
food and habitat for many invertebrate and
vertebrate animals. However, the delivery of
high nutrient loads into estuaries and enclosed
bays may stimulate the rapid and unabated
growth of some cyanobacterial and/or algal
species, resulting in the formation of blooms.
These blooms are harmful to the marine
ecosystem and humans who depend on it.
This guide has been written to help you
identify cyanobacterial and algal blooms
in the coastal environments of South East
Queensland. It contains a brief overview of the
different bloom-forming species you are likely
to encounter, including those which may be
toxic; and algal drifts which are often mistaken
for algal blooms. Underlined words are defined
in the glossary on the following page.
The list of bloom-forming species and
locations in this brochure is incomplete, and
there is the possibility for species and bloom
locations to differ to those reported here. This
is particularly relevant for red algal species,
with only one species known to bloom in
South East Queensland, compared to several
red algal species forming blooms on New
South Wales coasts.
We strongly encourage you to use the data sheet
at the back of the guide to gather information
on algal blooms while out enjoying the beaches
and waterways of South East Queensland. Also
included is information on whom to contact in
the event of a major algal bloom.
Any data you gather can then be entered into the
online Healthy Waterways Coastal Algal Blooms
registry (www.algalblooms.org) so that we can
keep a record of algal blooms in the region.
This information will be invaluable to
local scientists by greatly improving their
understanding of the where and why of algal
blooms. By enhancing our understanding,
we will be better positioned to make
informed decisions and manage our coastal
environments.
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Key to symbols
Symbols have been used in the species
descriptions to highlight key characteristics.
Harmful to touch/breathe
Species are harmful to humans
and wildlife. Avoid all contact
and contact your local council
immediately.
Bloom species
Species grow rapidly and unabated
in response to increased nutrient
levels and favourable growth
conditions.
Drift species
Species form large drifting rafts
which may be deposited on
beaches by currents and waves.
Microscopic view of filaments
An illustration of the thallus as
viewed under a microscope.
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4
Glossary of terms
algae – a general term applied to aquatic,
photosynthetic organisms of simple
construction (unicells to fronds) with primitive
reproductive organs
apex – growing tip of a thallus or a thallus
branch
blooms – excessive growth of one to a few
fast-growing, environmentally-tolerant species
which outcompete other cyanobacterial or
algal species to exploit the environmental
conditions associated with nutrient
enrichment. Blooms of algae and cyanbacteria
have increased in last 5 decades due to the
impacts of human-induced disturbances
chlorophyll – green pigment found in all
photosynthetic organisms, sometimes
concealed by other pigments such as the red
pigment in the red algae
colony or colonial growth form – many cells
of similar form and function loosely grouped
together
cyanobacteria – unicellular or filamentous
organisms that, like other bacteria, lack
membranes enveloping their internal cellular
structures. Also incorrectly known as bluegreen algae due to their pigment composition
and ability to photosynthesise
invertebrate – animals lacking a backbone
drifts – accumulations of between 10 and 50
species of algae and cyanobacteria which
have been dislodged from the substrate
following storm activity
photosynthesis – process that uses solar
energy to convert carbon dioxide and water
into sugars and oxygen. Occurs in terrestrial
and aquatic plants, algae and cyanobacteria.
epiphyte – an organism that attaches to and
grows upon a living plant while remaining
independent of it except for support.
phycocyanin – blue photosynthetic pigment
found in cyanobacteria and some algal groups
filamentous – long thread-like structure, of
fairly uniform diameter, either unbranched
(resembling human hair) or branched
flagella – hair-like extensions from cells which
beat to propel the cell through water
fucoxanthin – brown photosynthetic pigment
found in brown algae, diatoms and some other
phytoplankton groups
nonmotile – not capable of movement,
stationary
peridinin – red photosynthetic pigment found
in dinoflagellates
phycoerythrin – red photosynthetic pigment
found in cyanobacteria, red and some other
algal groups
phytoplankton – microscopic, photosynthetic
organisms which float or drift in the water
column
thallus – simple body or growth form of algae
and cyanobacteria
vertebrate – animals which have backbones
5
Marine cyanobacteria
and algae
Cyanobacteria and algae are a large group
of photosynthetic organisms which have
evolved in aquatic environments over the last
3 billion years. Unlike terrestrial plants which
evolved from a common, green algal ancestor,
cyanobacteria and algae share no common
ancestor and therefore, from an evolutionary
viewpoint, are not related. This unrelatedness
is reflected in their classification into four of the
six Kingdoms of Life on Earth: cyanobacteria
(Bacteria); red and green algae (Plantae),
euglenoids and dinoflagellates (Protozoa) and
the brown algae, diatoms and several other
major groups (Chromista).
Cyanobacteria and algae play an important
role in marine ecosystems: underpinning food
webs including those supporting commercial
fisheries; contributing to global biogeochemical
(carbon, nitrogen, sulphur) cycles; stabilising
sediments to improve water quality and
providing habitat for many invertebrate species.
Marine cyanobacteria and algae also remove
large amounts of carbon dioxide from seawater.
Globally, there are approximately 34 000
described species of cyanobacteria and algae,
but this number can be expected increase to
around 350 000 species once undiscovered
species are documented.
Types of algae
Green algae
(Phylum Chlorophyta)
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria are unicellular or
filamentous organisms that, like
other bacteria, lack membranes
around their internal cellular
structures. Their popular (although
scientifically inaccurate) name, blue
green algae, refers to the green
(chlorophyll) and blue (phycocyanin)
pigments in their cells, although
some species contain the red
pigment phycoerythrin. Unlike
algae, cyanobacteria can use
nitrogen from the atmosphere,
permitting them to thrive in
nitrogen-limited waters.
Green seaweeds have
a variety of growth
forms which include
filamentous, tubular,
sheet-, net- or frondlike thalli. Families are
differentiated by the
organisation of their
cells which are either
microscopic or larger
(to 1 mm long) or form
single cell filaments to 10
cm long or single celled
plants to a metre long.
Queensland Museum
Queensland Museum
Red algae
(Phylum Rhodophyta)
Brown algae
(Phylum Phaeophyta)
The red pigment, phycoerythrin,
distinguishes this group of algae
which can range in colour from
pink to iridescent magenta. Red
seaweeds exhibit a stunning range
of forms including unbranched
and branched filaments, netlikesheets, crusts, calcified, branched
fronds and delicate, fleshy,
gelatinous or leathery fronds.
Brown seaweeds contain the
brown pigment, fucoxanthin, as
well as chlorophyll and vary in
form from small filaments to tubes
to large leathery kelps several
metres in length. Large brown
algae form complex communities
on rocky coasts worldwide
including Sargassum communities
which are found locally.
Queensland Museum
Queensland Museum
6
Algal drifts and blooms
Large accumulations of cyanobacteria and
algae can result from either drifts or blooms.
Drifts
During storms and windy periods,
cyanobacteria and macroalgae may be
ripped from the rocks, seagrasses and
other structures on which they grow. These
unattached thalli drift in the sea until they are
stranded in shallow water and on the shore.
Algal drifts are typically comprised of 10 to 50
species of green, red and brown seaweeds of
different growth forms including large frondose
or leathery species. In contrast, algal blooms
are dominated by one or two filamentous or
sheet-like species.
Algal drifts are
made up of
many different
species
SEQHWP
A bloom of the brown alga,
Hincksia sordida
Blooms
High levels of the nutrients, nitrogen and
phosphorus, may trigger algal blooms.
Some blooms are natural events such as
phytoplankton blooms, fuelled by the episodic
upwelling of nutrient-rich water from the ocean
floor into the well lit surface waters. However,
other blooms, which have increased in intensity
and frequency over the last five decades are
attributed to human-related activities. Altered
land use practices in catchments, development
in the coastal zone, groundwater seepage
and sewer and stormwater discharges have
increased nutrient loading into estuaries and
bays, causing excessive algal growth. All
blooms cause environmental degradation by
depleting dissolved oxygen to levels too low for
the survival of fish and aquatic invertebrates,
disrupting marine food webs, altering marine
community structure and decreasing biodiversity
caused by the loss of organisms unable to
tolerate bloom conditions. Many slow growing
algal species (eg Sargassum species) are lost
from habitats experiencing high nutrient loading
and blooms. Some bloom-forming species are
toxic to humans or other animals, causing skin
conditions, asthma-like symptoms, diarrhoea,
and in extreme cases, death.
Kate Moore
Relatively few cyanobacterial and algal species
form blooms. Most bloom-forming species are
characterised by high nutrient uptake rates
and high growth rates due to their filamentous
and sheet-life growth forms. These species
are tolerant of varying and often extreme
environments associated with the bloom,
including dramatic fluctuations in nutrient
levels, pH, and turbidity, low dissolved oxygen
levels from the degradation of organic matter
and high levels of hydrogen sulphide, ammonia
and other toxic metabolites. Being an ancient
life form on Earth, cyanobacteria evolved in
extreme and fluctuating environments, and
now often become the unchallenged, dominant
organisms in polluted environments.
7
Distinguishing characteristics for bloom-forming species
Bloom-forming species of cyanobacteria
and algae can be identified by different
characteristics. Differences in colour and
morphology are visible to the naked eye, but
many cell and reproductive characteristics on
which species identifications are based require
microscopic examination.
Colour
The red, brown and green colour is the first
characteristic used for the identification of
cyanobacteria and algae. It is reliable and
identifiable but care must be taken with
some cyanobacteria and red algae which
may resemble a brown alga when sunlight
degrades the red pigment, phycoerythrin, to a
brown colour. Algae stranded and dehydrating
on the shore should never be used for
identification as the dominant pigment often
degrades to reveal the underlying chlorophyll
pigment before it also degrades.
Thallus morphology
The ‘thallus’ is the relatively simple body or
growth form of a cyanobacterium or alga. Algae
exhibit an enormous diversity in morphology,
but bloom-forming species typically have either
a sheet-like (1) or filamentous thallus (2-6).
Filamentous thalli
Filaments may be unbranched or threadlike (2)
or branched (3-6).
large thalli, produced during blooms, detach
and are fragmented by waves.
Without a microscope it is often difficult to
determine whether thalli of fine filaments are
a mass of tangled unbranched filaments or
branched filaments.
Cyanobacterial and algal thalli are composed
of cells which can only be seen under a
microscope. Various species have filaments
composed of either a single row or many rows
of cells. Sheet-like thalli of Ulva species are
composed of two layers of similar looking
cells.
Branched filaments
Branching patterns are varied and can include:
• many branches from all sides of the main
axes (3)
• branched at long intervals (4)
• repeatedly forked into two equal branches (5)
• with branches mostly from one side of the
main axes (6).
Morphology is a less reliable character when
Cell structure
Reproductive structures
The different cyanobacterial and algal
groups reproduce in different ways and the
structures they produce can be used to further
differentiate species. However, microscopic
examination is necessary to visualise the
reproductive structures and therefore will not
be discussed in this brochure.
Thallus morphology
Sheet-like thallus
1
Filamentous thalli
Unbranched
2
3
Branched
4
5
6
8
Cyanobacteria
Lyngbya majuscula
Caloundra
Lyngbya majuscula
bloom locations
in South East
Queensland from
2002-2007
common name:
fireweed, mermaids
hair
features: forms red
to brown unbranched
tangled masses of fine
(~ 50 µm) filaments
10-30 cm long,
Kathleen Ahern
resembling a tangled
mass of long straight human hair.
Bribie
Island
Moreton
Island
Redcliffe
habitat: common in seagrass communities in
sheltered estuaries and bays, growing either
as benthic mats, as an epiphyte on seagrass
leaves or detaching and drifting in the water
column within seagrass communities or
unvegetated areas.
Harmful to touch/breathe
common name: sea
sawdust
features: reddish
brown, unbranched,
fine (~ 10 µm) filaments
to 0.5 mm long
typically aggregated
into larger clumps,
millimetres in diameter.
Kathleen Ahern
habitat: aggregrated clumps float on the water
surface, superficially resembling sawdust;
single and smaller bundles of filaments can be
just visible suspended in the water column.
Brisbane
Manly
blooms: Pumicestone Passage, Deception
Bay, Eastern Banks and Canaipa Passage.
warning: touching Lyngbya majuscula
filaments releases toxins which destroy skin
cells, and can cause intense pain around the
affected region and skin ulcers which require
medical attention. Inhaling the air around dried
can cause asthma-like symptoms.
Trichodesmium
(Oscillatoria) sp.
Victoria
Point
North
Stradbroke
Island
Beenleigh
0
Bloom species
10
20
30
Jacobs
Well
Kilometres
Drift species
blooms: aggregated clumps of this tropical
species are transported into southern
Queensland waters by the southward-flowing
East Australian Current to cover large areas
of the sea from Noosa south along waveexposed coasts (Point Cartwright, Caloundra).
This species enters Moreton Bay via the wide
northern opening and South Passage and has
been recorded from Scarborough, Brighton,
Wynnum, Wellington Point, Eastern Banks and
Peel Island.
Microscopic view of filaments
9
Red algae
Brown algae
Asparagopsis
taxiformis
Laurencia spp.
common name: iodine
weed
features: densely
tufted plants, 0.5-2
cm tall forming a turf
of branched filaments
40-60 µm in diameter. Julie Phillips
A. taxiformis can also
be found growing as a large (10-30cm), red
plume, and is the alternate stage in the life
cycle to the turf form.
habitat: on rocky shores in Moreton Bay and
adjacent, wave exposed coasts.
blooms: known from the Maroochy River and
Caloundra in late summmer/early autumn.
Harmful to touch/breathe
Ectocarpus
fasciculatus
common name: none
features: thallus
erect to 20 cm high
or forming turfs, with
many cylindrical
or compressed
branches 0.5-4 mm
in diameter. Branch
Queensland Museum
tips are truncated
and have a pit bearing protruding colourless
hairs, a characteristic of the genus. More than
20 species of Laurencia occur in South East
Queensland.
habitat: common in the mid to lower intertidal
to subtidal zones in sheltered to wave exposed
coasts. These common species are often
found in drifts.
Bloom species
Drift species
common name: none
features: thalli usually
small to 5 cm long,
growing to 50 cm
long during blooms;
main filaments well
developed, sparsely
Queensland Museum
branched near the
base and much branched in the upper thallus
with the lateral branches arising in series from
one side of the main filament; filaments 25-40
µm in diameter.
habitat: epiphytic on larger macroalgae or
seagrasses growing in sheltered to wave
swept habitats.
blooms: in winter and spring in Pumicestone
Passage and Moreton Bay
Microscopic view of filaments
10
Brown algae continued
Hincksia
mitchelliae
habitat: epiphytic on larger macroalgae or
seagrasses in calm sheltered estuaries and
bays.
common name: none
features: thallus
medium to dark
brown, usually to 10
cm long but longer in
nutrient rich habitats,
with much branched
Julie Phillips
filaments. Filaments
30-60 µm near thallus base tapering 20-30 µm
towards the thallus apex.
blooms: small fragments ~ 5 cm long occurred
in spring and early summer of 2002-2005 at
Main Beach, Noosa and north to Fraser Island,
with wave action depositing large masses
along the beaches. Large thalli of this species
grow during winter at Cleveland, Victoria Point
and possibly at other localities in southern
Moreton Bay.
habitat: sheltered to wave swept rocky shores.
Colpomenia
sinuosa
blooms: recorded once, during winter in
Pumicestone Passage.
features: thalli
appear as globular,
convoluted, hollow,
thin sacs 2-25 cm
in diameter broadly
Queensland Museum
attached to rocks.
Known in other countries to grow attached
to oysters, with detached large air-filled thalli
floating away with the oyster.
Hincksia sordida
common name: none
features: small to large
thalli to 100 cm long
forming loose tangled
masses, composed
of sparsely-branched
filaments 30-50 µm in
diameter.
common name:
oyster thief
habitat: sheltered to wave exposed rocks.
blooms: in Gold Coast estuaries, periodically
washed out and fragmented by the surf
into brown flakes commonly referred to as
‘cornflakes’ by swimmers.
Sargassum spp.
common name: none
features: thallus
leathery, to 50 cm or
more high, composed
of one to several
thick (0.5-1 cm) main
axes (‘stems’) bearing
lateral branches,
Chris Roelfsema
leaf-like structures,
vesicles (floats) and receptacles (reproductive
structures).
habitat: lower intertidal and subtidal zones
on wave exposed and sheltered rocky shores;
common species in drifts and indicator of lownutrient waters.
Queensland Museum
Harmful to touch/breathe
Bloom species
Drift species
Microscopic view of filaments
11
Green algae
Ulva rigida and
Ulva lactuca
Ulva paradoxa
(formerly
Enteromorpha
paradoxa)
Common name: sea
lettuce
habitat: sheltered and wave swept rocky
shores or floating in very sheltered areas in
Moreton Bay.
Harmful to touch/breathe
common name: none
common name: none
features: thin sheetlike individual fronds
or tufts resembling
lettuce leaves, 20-50
mm in height, although Queensland Museum
larger plants may
occur particularly during blooms.
blooms: in winter.
Cladophora
prolifera
features: light green,
very slender, soft,
branched, tubular
thallus, 2-20 cm long,
Julie Phillips
main branches 50-200
µm wide with younger branches 20-50 µm
wide.
habitat: attached to firm substrata, epiphytic
on seagrasses or loose lying in calm areas.
blooms: in Hervey Bay during spring and
summer.
Bloom species
Drift species
features: dark green,
firm, much branched,
dense spreading tufts
to 15 cm high with
branches 350-450 µm
wide near the base
www.worldwidereefers.com
tapering to 100-220
µm wide near the plant growing tip or apex.
habitat: attached to rocks or loose lying in
calm areas.
blooms: on the west coast of South
Stradbroke Island.
Microscopic view of filaments
12
Phytoplankton and seagrasses
There are other organisms that can accumulate
and wash ashore in large masses (seagrasses)
or can form blooms which give the water a
distinctive colour (phytoplankton).
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are microscopic (5-200 µm),
photosynthetic, single cells or groups of
cells (colonies) that float or swim in aquatic
environments. Phytoplankton blooms colour
the seawater red, brown or green but with no
obvious structures (eg filaments) visible. There
are several groups of phytoplankton including
diatoms, dinoflagellates and euglenoids
which have formed blooms in South East
Queensland. Some phytoplankton species
produce toxins which have caused human
deaths elsewhere in the world (eg Canada) and
fish kills both in Australia and other continents.
Diatoms (Phylum Bacillariophyta)
Diatoms which are the most common group
in the phytoplankton are composed of
nonmotile single cells or a chain-like group
of cells (colonies). Cells are symmetrical
(either centric or bilateral), and have an outer
skeleton made of silica and contain the brown
pigment fucoxanthin. The centric diatoms
Harmful to touch/breathe
Thalassiosira weisflogii and
Melosira moniloformis have
bloomed in local estuaries
in response to increased
nutrient loads. Surf diatoms
(Anaulus australis) colour
the surf brown along sand
Deb Gale
beaches in South East
Queensland. These are natural blooms of
diatoms which live in the sand during the night
and surf the waves during the day.
Dinoflagellates (Phylum
Dinophtya)
Dinoflagellates are mostly
unicellular with two flagella,
with some species known
to form chain-like colonies.
Julie
Phillips
Most photosynthetic
dinoflagellates contain
the red pigment peridinin but some species
contain either the brown pigment fucoxanthin
or chlorophyll as the dominant pigment.
Dinoflagellates are the most common
bloom-forming phytoplankton in the marine
environment with some species toxic to
humans, fish and invertebrates.
Bloom species
Drift species
Euglenoids (Phylum
Euglenophyta)
Euglenoids are unicellular
flagellates which contain
chlorophyll as the dominant
photosynthetic pigment.
These blooms colour the
Julie Phillips
water green. Eutrepiella
blooms in coastal lakes in the South East
Queensland and Euglena colours sand green
on beaches along the Cooloola coast.
Seagrasses
Seagrasses are the only
flowering plants (Kingdom
Plantae) adapted to living
completely submerged in
the marine environment.
Queensland Museum
Seagrasses have retained
the structures typical of
land plants: roots, stems, leaves with veins
containing vascular tissue, flowers and seeds.
Unlike the majority of macroalgae which
attach to rocks, seagrasses use roots and
underground stems to anchor themselves into
mud and sand. Following storm events, large
masses of seagrass leaves can wash up and
decompose on coastal beaches and shorelines.
13
Please go to www.algalblooms.org to
enter this data into the Coastal Algal
Blooms registry and help us learn
more about algal blooms in SEQ.
Coastal algal blooms data sheet
Location of Bloom
Region (e.g. Bramble Bay, Noosa River)
Location/Nearby Landmarks (e.g. next to jetty, end of Smith St)
Bloom Details
Intensity (percentage of substrate/seagrass covered by algae)
0 - none present
3 - dense coverage (41-70%)
1 - light coverage (1-10%)
4 - very dense coverage (71-100%)
2 - medium coverage (11-40%)
Description
(Provide any relevant information about the algae and the bloom such as colour
and thallus morphology (see page 8). Use the species guide (pages 9-13) to try
and identify the species. Other useful information to note:
• origin of the bloom (e.g. nearby river mouth)
• nearby environmental disturbance or impacts (e.g. stormwater drain, fish kill)
• evidence of actions taken (e.g. bulldozing, signage)
Approximate area affected (square meters)
Latitude
Longitude
Use your GPS or smartphone to get this information while in the
field. Alternatively, the online registry will enter this information
automatically when your location is pinpointed on a map.
Additional comments
Take some photos to upload to the Coastal Algal Blooms registry
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Key contacts
If you find any large algal blooms, record
location and details of the bloom then contact
the Department of Environment and Resource
Management or your local council:
Department of Environment and
Resource Management
DERM Pollution Hotline
Phone: 1300 130 372
Brisbane City Council
Main Call Centre
Phone: (07) 3403 8888
Gold Coast City Council
Catchment Management Unit
Phone: (07) 5581 6722
Logan City Council
Environment and Sustainability Branch
Phone: (07) 3412 3412
A database of coastal algal blooms in South
East Queensland can be accessed at
www.algalblooms.org.
Moreton Bay Regional Council
Senior Environmental Planner (Catchments)
Phone: (07) 5433 2406
For information on coastal algal blooms and
their management in Queensland, visit the
Department of Environment and Resource
Management website at
www.derm.qld.gov.au/water/blue_green/cab.
Redland City Council
Adviser, Environmental Management
Phone: (07) 3829 8999
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Waterways Operations Teamleader
Phone: (07) 5475 7272
For more information on Healthy Waterways,
go to www.healthywaterways.org or
phone (07) 3123 1682.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Department of Environment and Resource
Management within the Queensland Government for funding this
project.
We would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this guide:
Mara Wolkenhauer (Healthy Waterways), Kirstin Pratt (DERM), Julie Phillips, Kate Moore and the
Queensland Museum, Kathleen Ahern, Deb Gale and Chris Roelfsema for their photographs.
Front cover: Lyngbya majuscula bloom in Deception Bay, Kathleen Ahern
© South East Queensland Healthy
Waterways Partnership 2010.
This publication may be used for
research, individual study and
educational purposes. Properly
acknowledged quotations may be
made but queries regarding the
republication of any material should
be addressed to the Partnership.15
South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership
PO Box 13086, George St, Brisbane, QLD 4003
Phone: (07) 3123 1682 Fax: (07) 3103 4573
www.healthywaterways.org
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