Algal growth response and survival in a range of light and temperature conditions: implications for non-steady-state conditions in waste stabilisation ponds.

Growth and physiological experiments were carried out using Scenedesmus subspicatus and Chlorella vulgaris as representative species typically found in waste stabilisation ponds. These experiments were designed to test the ability of the organisms to survive and grow under a range of different temperatures and light intensities that might occur in mid to high latitude regions. Growth was assessed using optical density and photosynthetic rate for a combination of temperatures of 5, 10, 15 and 20 degrees C at light intensities of 7.