Persistent Phytoplankton Bloom in Lake St. Lucia (iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa) Caused by a Cyanobacterium Closely Associated with the Genus Cyanothece (Synechococcaceae, Chroococcales)

A persistent phytoplankton bloom, the longest on record, was caused by a cyanobacterium closely associated with the genus Cyanothece in Lake St. Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. The bloom persisted for at least 18 months due to the organism's resistance to high temperatures, intense insolation, and hypersalinity, as well as the absence of grazing pressure from salinity-sensitive zooplankton. Exceptionally heavy summer rains in 2011 reduced salinity, leading to a crash in the cyanobacterium population. The study characterized the causative organism using light and electron microscopy, along with 16S rRNA sequencing.

Muir, D. G., & Perissinotto, R. (2011). Persistent Phytoplankton Bloom in Lake St. Lucia (iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa) Caused by a Cyanobacterium Closely Associated with the Genus Cyanothece (Synechococcaceae, Chroococcales). Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 77(17), 5888–5896. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00460-11