Repeated hydrogen peroxide dosing briefly reduces cyanobacterial blooms and microcystin while increasing fecal bacteria indicators in a eutrophic pond.

This study explored the effects of HO on Cyanobacteria and non-target microbes using fluorometry, microscopy, flow cytometry, and high throughput DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene during a series of mesocosm and whole-ecosystem experiments in a eutrophic pond in NY, USA. The addition of HO (8 mg/L) significantly reduced Cyanobacteria concentrations during a majority of experiments (66%; 6 of 9) and significantly increased eukaryotic green and unicellular brown algae in 78% and 45% of experiments, respectively. While heterotrophic bacteria declined significantly following HO addition in all experiments, bacteria indicative of potential fecal contamination (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, fecal coliform bacteria) consistently and significantly increased in response to HO, evidencing a form of 'pollution swapping'.

The Efficacy of Hydrogen Peroxide in Mitigating Cyanobacterial Blooms and Altering Microbial Communities across Four Lakes in NY, USA.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) has been proposed as an agent to mitigate toxic cyanobacterial blooms due to the heightened sensitivity of cyanobacteria to reactive oxygen species relative to eukaryotic organisms. Here, experiments were conducted using water from four diverse, eutrophic lake ecosystems to study the effects of HO on cyanobacteria and non-target members of the microbial community. HO was administered at 4 µg L and a combination of fluorometry, microscopy, flow cytometry, and high throughput DNA sequencing were used to quantify the effects on eukaryotic and prokaryotic plankton communities.

Evaluation of Rapid, Early Warning Approaches to Track Shellfish Toxins Associated with Dinophysis and Alexandrium Blooms.

Marine biotoxin-contaminated seafood has caused thousands of poisonings worldwide this century. Given these threats, there is an increasing need for improved technologies that can be easily integrated into coastal monitoring programs. This study evaluates approaches for monitoring toxins associated with recurrent toxin-producing and blooms on Long Island, NY, USA, which cause paralytic and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (PSP and DSP), respectively.