@article{plaas_paerl_baumann_karl_popendorf_barnard_chang_curtis_huang_mathieson_et al._2022, title={Harmful cyanobacterial aerosolization dynamics in the airshed of a eutrophic estuary}, volume={852}, ISSN={["1879-1026"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158383}, abstractNote={In addition to obvious negative effects on water quality in eutrophic aquatic ecosystems, recent work suggests that cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) also impact air quality via emissions carrying cyanobacterial cells and cyanotoxins. However, the environmental controls on CHAB-derived aerosol and its potential public health impacts remain largely unknown. Accordingly, the aims of this study were to 1) investigate the occurrence of microcystins (MC) and putatively toxic cyanobacterial communities in particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), 2) elucidate environmental conditions promoting their aerosolization, and 3) identify associations between CHABs and PM2.5 concentrations in the airshed of the Chowan River-Albemarle Sound, an oligohaline, eutrophic estuary in eastern North Carolina, USA. In summer 2020, during peak CHAB season, continuous PM2.5 samples and interval water samples were collected at two distinctive sites for targeted analyses of cyanobacterial community composition and MC concentration. Supporting air and water quality measurements were made in parallel to contextualize findings and permit statistical analyses of environmental factors driving changes in CHAB-derived aerosol. MC concentrations were low throughout the study, but a CHAB dominated by Dolichospermum occurred from late June to early August. Several aquatic CHAB genera recovered from Chowan River surface water were identified in PM2.5 during multiple time points, including Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Dolichospermum, Microcystis, and Pseudanabaena. Cyanobacterial enrichment in PM2.5 was indistinctive between subspecies, but at one site during the early bloom, we observed the simultaneous enrichment of several cyanobacterial genera in PM2.5. In association with the CHAB, the median PM2.5 mass concentration increased to 8.97 μg m−3 (IQR = 5.15), significantly above the non-bloom background of 5.35 μg m−3 (IQR = 3.70) (W = 1835, p < 0.001). Results underscore the need for highly resolved temporal measurements to conclusively investigate the role that CHABs play in regional air quality and respiratory health risk.}, journal={SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, author={Plaas, Haley E. and Paerl, Ryan W. and Baumann, Karsten and Karl, Colleen and Popendorf, Kimberly J. and Barnard, Malcolm A. and Chang, Naomi Y. and Curtis, Nathaniel P. and Huang, Hwa and Mathieson, Olivia L. and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Dec} }
 @article{paerl_venezia_sanchez_paerl_2020, title={Picophytoplankton dynamics in a large temperate estuary and impacts of extreme storm events}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-020-79157-6}, abstractNote={Abstract Picophytoplankton (PicoP) are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to primary productivity and phytoplankton biomass in coastal and estuarine systems. Remarkably though, PicoP composition is unknown or not well-resolved in several large estuaries including the semi-lagoonal Neuse River Estuary (NRE), a tributary of the second largest estuary-system in the lower USA, the Pamlico-Albemarle Sound. The NRE is impacted by extreme weather events, including recent increases in precipitation and flooding associated with tropical cyclones. Here we examined the impacts of moderate to extreme (Hurricane Florence, September 2018) precipitation events on NRE PicoP abundances and composition using flow cytometry, over a 1.5 year period. Phycocyanin-rich Synechococcus -like cells were the most dominant PicoP, reaching ~ 10 6 cells mL −1 , which highlights their importance as key primary producers in this relatively long residence-time estuary. Ephemeral “blooms” of picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (PEUK) during spring and after spikes in river flow were also detected, making PEUK periodically major contributors to PicoP biomass (up to ~ 80%). About half of the variation in PicoP abundance was explained by measured environmental variables. Temperature explained the most variation (24.5%). Change in total dissolved nitrogen concentration, an indication of increased river discharge, explained the second-most variation in PicoP abundance (15.9%). The short-term impacts of extreme river discharge from Hurricane Florence were particularly evident as PicoP biomass was reduced by ~ 100-fold for more than 2 weeks. We conclude that precipitation is a highly influential factor on estuarine PicoP biomass and composition, and show how ‘wetter’ future climate conditions will have ecosystem impacts down to the smallest of phytoplankton.}, number={1}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Paerl, Ryan W. and Venezia, Rebecca E. and Sanchez, Joel J. and Paerl, Hans W.}, year={2020}, month={Dec} }