The life cycle of Chironomus anthracinus in Lough Neagh

Chironomus anthracinus generally had a one year life cycle at 8 m depth in Lough Neagh, during the study period. In spring 1975 however only a proportion of the population emerged as usual, the rest remaining a second year in the benthos to emerge in 1976. The mean dry weight of larvae just before emergence was 2.8 mg in 1971 and 2.6 mg in 1974 but only 1.6 mg in 1975, and it seems that larvae must reach a weight of at least 1.0 mg in the early spring to emerge that year. Considering temperature, oxygen saturation and standing crop of phytoplankton as factors influencing the life cycle, mean monthly chlorophyll a (phytoplankton) was weakly correlated with mean monthly increase in weight and % monthly weight increase could be related to temperature.     

The significance of alkaline phosphatase activity in Lough Neagh

SUMMARY. A study of the eutrophic Lough Neagh was undertaken to ascertain the use of alkaline phosphatase activity as an indicator of phosphorus-limited algal growth. Lough Neagh and its surrounding rivers were monitored during 1974 and 1975. Alkaline phosphatase activity increased in the lough when the algal crop increased and depleted orthophosphate to a growth-limiting concentration. Enzyme activity was appreciable, however, at all other times of the year and may on occasions have been associated with zooplankton. The enzyme activity in the inflowing rivers was much greater than in the lough itself. Depending on enzyme stability the enzyme inputs from rivers could contribute significantly to the lough activity. Sewage disposal works effluent appeared to be a major source of enzyme activity in river water. As the alkaline phosphate activity in Lough Neagh resulted from several sources, increased activity could not be used as a reliable indicator of phosphorus limited algal growth.     

Silica and diatom growth in Lough Neagh: the importance of internal recycling

1. Lough Neagh is a large eutrophic lake with a high dissolved silica (SiO2) concentration arising from the basaltic rock in parts of the catchment and the normal winter maximum concentration is over 8 mg L−1. Based on frequent observations between 1974 and 1997, the annual cycles of SiO2 input, uptake and release are explored.
2. Large spring blooms of the planktonic diatoms Aulacoseira subarctica Haworth and Stephanodiscus astraea occur every year and are terminated by SiO2 depletion. Although there are periods when one diatom species has dominated the other, over the period as a whole, the two diatoms appear to be in a stable coexistence.
3. A model of the effect of river inputs on lake concentration shows that without SiO2 release from the sediment, the maximum spring dissolved SiO2 concentration (and hence diatom crop) would be only about one-third of that actually observed.
4. It is concluded that within-lake processes play a large role and are potentially more variable than catchment processes in determining the available SiO2 in Lough Neagh.
5. The role of benthic animals, especially Chironomus anthracinus, in the sediment SiO2 release process is discussed. Field data suggest the SiO2 release rate is highly sensitive to temperature, but this could be partly caused by an interaction between temperature and animal activity.     

Seasonality of Rotifers and Temperature in Lough Neagh,N. Ireland

Long runs of seasonal rotifer population data allow analysis of seasonal occurrence using mathematical tools. The application of Fourier analysis to a 15 year dataset describes seasonality in simple mathematical terms. This facilitates comparison of population expression with potential population driving variables and provides a basic modelling tool. Results show that annual patterns of occurrence and density have linkages with annual maximum and minimum environmental temperature, although the exact relationships are not clear.     

A Long Term Study of the Phosphorus Cycle in Lough Neagh,Northern Ireland

Eleven years of weekly observations on the phosphorus cycle in Lough Neagh are analysed. The data comprised inputs, outputs and lake concentrations of the soluble and particulate phosphorus fractions. It is shown that the particulate phosphorus input quickly sediments to the bottom and the particulate phosphorus in the lake is largely made up of phytoplankton. The average phosphorus retention in the lake was 34 %, similar to the particulate phosphorus input. Climate has a big influence on the phosphorus input and sediment release, both of which varied two-fold. A simulation model suggested that suppression of sediment P release would reduce lake winter phosphorus concentrations by an average of 29 %.     

The recent history of the chironomid fauna of Lough Neagh, from the analysis of remains in sediment cores

SUMMARY. Analysis of sub-fossil chironomid remains in the top of Lough Neagh sediments shows a change from a mainly Tanytarsus fauna to a mainly Chironomus one. This has been accompanied by an exponential increase in numbers of head capsules deposited per m² per year. Tentative dating places this change within the last 130 years, with the most rapid increase in numbers post-1945     

The past and future of phytoplankton in the UK's largest lake,Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the UK and has been extensively monitored since 1974. It has suffered from considerable eutrophication and toxic algal blooms. The lake continues to endure many of the symptoms of nutrient enrichment despite improvements in nutrient management throughout the catchment, in particular a permanently dominant crop of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii. This study examines the historical changes in the Lough, and uses the PROTECH lake model to predict how the phytoplankton community may adapt in response to potential future changes in air temperature and nutrient load. PROTECH was calibrated against 2008 observations, with a restriction on the maximum simulated mixed depth to reflect the shallow nature of the lake and the addition of sediment released phosphorus throughout the mixed water column between 1 May and 1 October (with an equivalent in-lake concentration of 2.0 mg m⁻³). The historical analysis showed that phytoplankton biomass (total chlorophyll a) experienced a steady decline since the mid-1990s. During the same period the key nutrients for phytoplankton growth in the lake have shown contrasting trends, with increases in phosphorus concentrations and declines in nitrate concentrations. The modelled future scenarios which simulated a temperature increase of up to 3 °C showed a continuation of those trends, i.e. total chlorophyll a and nitrate concentrations declined in the surface water, while phosphorus concentrations increased and P. agardhii dominated. However, scenarios which simulated a 4 °C increase in air temperature showed a switch in dominance to the cyanobacteria, Dolichospermum spp. (formerly Anabaena spp.). This change was caused by a temperature related increase in growth driving nutrient consumption to a point where nitrate was limiting, allowing the nitrogen-fixing Dolichospermum spp. to gain sufficient advantage. These results suggest that in the long term, one nuisance cyanobacteria bloom may only be replaced by another unless the in-lake phosphorus concentration can be greatly reduced.     

The Nitrogen Cycle in Lough Neagh,N. Ireland 1975 to 1987

Results from thirteen years of weekly observations are presented on the nitrogen cycle in Lough Neagh. The data comprised catchment and atmospheric inputs, output via the outflow and calculated losses by sedimentation and denitrification. Nitrate-nitrogen in the rivers is the dominant input fraction and the nitrate loading has increased over the period observed. 52 % of the input N sediments to the lake bottom, but 65 % of this is lost by denitrification. In spite of increasing nitrogen inputs, the summer soluble nitrate concentrations have decreased due to uptake by a perpetual crop of the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii GOMONT .     

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Viral Community of Lough Neagh,the Largest Freshwater Lake in Ireland

Lough Neagh is the largest and the most economically important lake in Ireland. It is also one of the most nutrient rich amongst the world’s major lakes. In this study, 16S rRNA analysis of total metagenomic DNA from the water column of Lough Neagh has revealed a high proportion of Cyanobacteria and low levels of Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes. The planktonic virome of Lough Neagh has been sequenced and 2,298,791 2×300 bp Illumina reads analysed. Comparison with previously characterised lakes demonstrates that the Lough Neagh viral community has the highest level of sequence diversity. Only about 15% of reads had homologs in the RefSeq database and tailed bacteriophages (Caudovirales) were identified as a major grouping. Within the Caudovirales, the Podoviridae and Siphoviridae were the two most dominant families (34.3% and 32.8% of the reads with sequence homology to the RefSeq database), while ssDNA bacteriophages constituted less than 1% of the virome. Putative cyanophages were found to be abundant. 66,450 viral contigs were assembled with the largest one being 58,805 bp; its existence, and that of another 34,467 bp contig, in the water column was confirmed. Analysis of the contigs confirmed the high abundance of cyanophages in the water column.     

Multispectral image analysis for algal biomass quantification

This article reports a novel multispectral image processing technique for rapid, noninvasive quantification of biomass concentration in attached and suspended algae cultures. Monitoring the biomass concentration is critical for efficient production of biofuel feedstocks, food supplements, and bioactive chemicals. Particularly, noninvasive and rapid detection techniques can significantly aid in providing delay‐free process control feedback in large‐scale cultivation platforms. In this technique, three‐band spectral images of Anabaena variabilis cultures were acquired and separated into their red, green, and blue components. A correlation between the magnitude of the green component and the areal biomass concentration was generated. The correlation predicted the biomass concentrations of independently prepared attached and suspended cultures with errors of 7 and 15%, respectively, and the effect of varying lighting conditions and background color were investigated. This method can provide necessary feedback for dilution and harvesting strategies to maximize photosynthetic conversion efficiency in large‐scale operation. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:808–816, 2013     

The fauna of the muddy sediments of Lough Neagh, with particular reference to eutrophication

SUMMARY. The main groups of animals found in the muddy sediments of Lough Neagh were Chironomidae (Diptera) and Oligochaeta (mainly Tubificidae). At 8 m depth, the average biomass of the main species in these groups was: Chironomus anthracinus , 2.64gm⁻²; Procladius , 342.8 mgm⁻²; tubificids ( Tubifex, Potamothrix, Aulodrilus, Limnodrilus ), 418.7mgm⁻². At 25m depth C. anthracinus and Procladius were less abundant, C. plumosus was present and among the tubificids Limnodrilus had a higher density (up to 50000m⁻²) often an order of magnitude greater than at 8m. Kinnego Bay, a semi-enclosed, polluted area of the lough, had fewer chironomids than the open lough, with chiefly C. plumosus and Procladius. Limnodrilus was more abundant than at 8m. Dero obtusa (Naididae) was also present, sometimes in large numbers (31000m⁻²).
The response of this fauna to eutrophication in L. Neagh appears to be a diminution in the number of species present, with C. plumosus gradually replacing C. anthracinus as the dominant Chironomus , and tubificids, particularly Limnodrilus , becoming more abundant, A further stage, shown in Kinnego Bay, has Procladius as the most numerous' chironomid. Average total biomass at the three sites was 3.9gm⁻² at 8m, 13.2gm⁻² at 25 m in the main lake, 2.8gm⁻² in Kinnego Bay. At 8m depth, C. anthracinus contributed 76% of the total biomass, at 25m Limnodrilus contributed 74% and C. anthracinus 15%, and in Kinnego Bay, Limnodrilus contributed 40%, C. plumosus 28% and Procladius 20%.     

Studies on the Feeding of Coregonus pollan (Thompson) Alevins and Fry in Lough Neagh

Pollan alevins and fry were collected in the open lake between March and July. Fish were measured in total length, upper (U_j) and lower (L_j) jaws and weighed. The gape-height was calculated according to two different formulae. For the examined fish the relationship between total length (L_t) and gape-height (D) was found to be D=0.092 L_t—0.306. The size of food in the gut content was measured, and this increased during fish growth, but amounted to 13.2–26.0 % of D. In the first food of pollan alevins, nauplii and copepodites dominated, but after the alevins had reached 20 mg, copepods appeared to be more frequent food items. In the middle of May, Daphnia longispina was found in the food of pollan fry with an individual weight over 45 mg. Benthic invertebrate fauna were taken after the fish weighed more than 1.4 g. Chironomus anthracinus and Chironomus sp. larvae were among the food item dominants.     

Seasonality,population dynamics and production of planktonic rotifers in Lough Neagh,Northern Ireland

The abundances, population dynamics and production of the rotifer community of Lough Neagh were examined for a three year period. Keratella cochlearis was the most abundant species accounting for over 40% of biomass followed by Polyarthra dolichoptera and Notholca acuminata. The mean standing crop for the rotiferan zooplankton increased in successive years (41, 51, 75 mg dwt m^–2) as did production (1037, 1322, 1417 mg dwt m^–2 y^–1). The seasonal pattern of biomass expression and production varies markedly in different years. Instantaneous birth rates tend to be lower but more consistent for the more abundant species, instantaneous death rates show periods of negative mortality indicating an inadequacy of the model employed but explicable as hatching of resting eggs. K. cochlearis as the most successful species is explained as its perennial appearance and adaptation to the low annual temperature cycle found in the lough. The population succession and the annual occurrence of species differs in each year.     

Preliminary results on phosphorus reduction in Lough Neagh - Assessing the effect against a background of change

Lough Neagh is a large (387 km²), shallow (mean depth 8.9 m) eutrophic lake. The phosphorus budget is described in order to illustrate that 75% of the particulate phosphorus input sediments to the bottom and that there is little retention of SRP in the lake. 54% of the SRP loading comes from sewage works and this is being reduced by phosphorus reduction at the major sewage works. There has been a downturn in the maximum algal crops, particularly of blue-green algae. However, there is an underlying upward trend in SRP loading and the paper stresses the importance of analysing trends in nutrient budgets to get an accurate evaluation of reduction strategies.     

Evidence for the co-existence of separate strains or species of Ligula in Lough Neagh,Northern Ireland

LIGULA (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) infections in gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) differ markedly in the pathology that is observed in the host, particularly with respect to a tissue response and the extent of inhibition of gonadal development. The entire internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2) and the large subunit domains D1-D3 were sequenced and compared in parasites from these fish from Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, together with a single specimen from minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) from Wales. Sufficient differences were observed between parasites from R. rutilus and G. gobio to support the suggestion that they may represent different strains/species. In contrast, Ligula from P. phoxinus closely resembled those from R. rutilus. Ligula infections in G. gobio were recorded prior to the introduction of R. rutilus. The co-existence of separate strains or species of Ligula in Lough Neagh probably resulted from the introduction of R. rutilus to these waters, correlated with an increase in the number of great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus).     

The food of the pollan, Coregonus autumnalis pollan Thompson, in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

Stomach contents of pollan caught monthly throughout the year were examined. Stomach fullness was significantly correlated with water temperature. Adult pollan fed on bottom fauna, mainly chironomid larvae, in October-March, chironomid pupae in April and on Daphnia spp. in May-September. Immature (0+ and 1 +) fish also ate other cladocerans and copepods. While there is no evidence for selection of any benthic prey species, adult pollan appear to be highly selective feeders on Daphnia spp. in summer.     

Effects of climatic change and eutrophication on the glacial relict, Mysis relicta, in Lough Neagh

1. The glacial relict, Mysis relicta, which occurs mainly in unproductive cold water habitats, shows increased mortality rates in temperatures above 16–18 °C. Using a 12‐year data set the growth, mortality and fat stores of Mysis in Lough Neagh, an increasingly hypertrophic lake which lacks a thermal refuge and which is subject to warming, were investigated. 2. Mysis showed a significant reduction in fat stores on reaching sexual maturity, contrary to studies elsewhere. 3. The contributions of temperature and eutrophication (total phosphorus, chlorophyll‐a concentrations) to growth, mortality and the timing and duration of developmental events were investigated by regression. 4. Water temperatures rose between 1994 and 2005 and the time when temperatures exceeded 16 °C doubled over this period. Juvenile and adult growth rates declined and the duration of the juvenile stage increased in warmer years. Eutrophication also affected these variables but, in general, to a lesser extent than temperature. 5. Year class strength (YCS) declined by a factor of 10 over the study period. YCS was independent of temperature up to 2000 °C degree days (>4 °C) but declined steeply above that point. Temperature was more important than eutrophication in predicting mortality and YCS. YCS was positively correlated with the length of time water temperature was below 7 °C, the upper temperature for Mysis breeding. 6. An established bioenergetic model predicted that water temperature and the timing of embryo release would have appreciable effects on Mysis viability. It also indicated that Mysis would lose mass at summer temperatures, consistent with the observed fat decline.     

The rates of sediment-water exchange of oxygen and sediment bioturbation in Lough Neagh,Northern Ireland

Oxygen is transported 30 mm into the sediment at an 8 m depth site in eutrophic Lough Neagh by the irrigational activities of the benthic fauna. Faunal activity also mixes the upper 20 mm of sediment. Sediment oxygen uptake rate, redox potential-depth profile and the chlorophylla concentration were measured in the upper sediment layers from February to November 1979. Chlorophylla input to the sediment, following the Spring phytoplankton maximum, remained in the 0–1 cm sediment layer but did cause the redox potential profile to change from one with potentials around 400 mV in the upper 50 mm to one with a strong gradient over the 0–30 mm region. The start of benthic faunal activity in May caused the chlorophylla to be mixed into the 1–2 cm layer and also caused oxygen to be transported into the sediment at a rate sufficient to change the redox potential back to its initial state. The biodiffusion coefficient for solids in the upper 20 mm was estimated to be 6 × 10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹. Oxygen transport in the pore, waters of the upper sediment layers was considered to be best described as advection, caused by the irrigational activities of the benthic fauna.     

A freshwater‐feeding Lampetra fluviatilis L. population in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

Pollan Coregonus autumnalis , caught in the fresh waters of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, were scarred by river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis and adult river lamprey were found for much of the year with full guts, indicating a freshwater‐feeding population.