Anna Boegehold1, Karim Alame1, Donna Kashian1, and Nick Johnson2
1Wayne
State University
2United States Geological Survey

May enhance cyanobacteria blooms through
selective feeding

Cyanobacteria toxins can impact humans and
wildlife

Blooms becoming larger, more frequent, more
severe
2015

Are broadcast spawners

Spawn from April-September

May rely on phytoplankton
cues for spawning

Nutritious algae may stimulate
while cyanobacteria could
hinder reproduction
www.100thmeridian.org
Determine the effects of cyanobacteria on
quagga mussel spawning, fertilization, and
sperm motility
Quagga mussels collected from Detroit
River on Belle Isle State Park, Detroit, MI
13 total cultures of 8 species
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






Anabaena flos-aquae
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
Dolichospermum lemmermanii
Gloeotrichia echinulata (2 cultures)
Lyngbya woolei
Microcystis aeruginosa (5 cultures)
M. wesenbergii
Planktothrix suspensa

Mussels placed into vials containing either
cyanobacteria or control solution

Induced to spawn using 5-HT serotonin

Checked for spawning by examining solutions
at 200x for sperm or eggs

13 cultures tested

Induced mussels to spawn in
control solution

Combined sperm and eggs in
treatment and control

Examined eggs for mitosis
after 3 hours

13 cultures tested

Sperm from five mussels were recorded
(monochrome video camera at 400x)

At least 10 sperm from
each recording were tracked
for 5 seconds

Recordings were analyzed for
distance, velocity, and acceleration

8 cultures tested
Control
Aphanizomenon
flos-aquae
Fisher’s Exact Test
Control
Aphanizomenon
flos-aquae
Fisher’s Exact Test;
red circles = p<0.05
T-test
* = p<0.05
Ap
ab
ae
ha
na
ni
zo
me
D
ol
no
ich
n
os
p
G
er
lo
mu
eo
m
tri
ch
G
lo
ia
eo
AS
tri
G
ch
V
ia
BQ
11
-0
2
M.
Ly
ae
n
ru
gb
gi
ya
no
M.
sa
LE
ae
MS
ru
gi
no
sa
M.
BQ
ae
11
ru
gi
no
M.
sa
ae
LS
ru
C
gi
no
sa
M.
U
ae
T
EX
ru
gi
no
sa
Z
U
M
.
R
w
es
e
nb
er
g
ii
P.
su
sp
en
sa
An
00
2020
40
40
60
60
eggs
% Fertilized
% Fertilized Eggs
80
80
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
100
100
T-test
* = p<0.05
Ap
ab
ae
ha
na
ni
zo
me
D
ol
no
ich
n
os
p
G
er
lo
mu
eo
m
tri
ch
G
lo
ia
eo
AS
tri
G
ch
V
ia
BQ
11
-0
2
M.
Ly
ae
n
ru
gb
gi
ya
no
M.
sa
LE
ae
MS
ru
gi
no
sa
M.
BQ
ae
11
ru
gi
no
M.
sa
ae
LS
ru
C
gi
no
sa
M.
U
ae
T
EX
ru
gi
no
sa
Z
U
M
.
R
w
es
e
nb
er
g
ii
P.
su
sp
en
sa
An
00
2020
40
40
60
60
eggs
% Fertilized
% Fertilized Eggs
80
80
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
100
100
cy
st
M
T
E
X
cy
st
is
Z
U
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
ic
ro
U
G
LE
R
L
is
a
C
hi
LS
tr
ic
cy
st
is
ro
cy
st
is
M
ic
m
G
lo
eo
ic
ro
M
ic
ro
M
iz
o
ba
en
a
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
na
00
1000
1000
2000
2000
3000
3000
4000
4000
Traveled (nm)
(nm)
Travelled
DistanceDistance
SpermSperm
*
5000
5000
*
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate
ANOVA; p<0.05
cy
st
M
T
E
X
cy
st
is
Z
U
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
ic
ro
U
G
LE
R
L
is
a
C
hi
LS
tr
ic
cy
st
is
ro
cy
st
is
M
ic
m
G
lo
eo
ic
ro
M
ic
ro
M
iz
o
ba
en
a
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
na
00
1000
1000
2000
2000
3000
3000
4000
4000
Traveled (nm)
(nm)
Travelled
DistanceDistance
SpermSperm
*
5000
5000
*
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate
ANOVA; p<0.05
m
na
tis
U
T
E
X
G
LE
R
is
C
a
L
ic
ro
cy
st
is
Z
U
M
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
M
ro
cy
s
cy
st
LS
tr
ic
hi
cy
st
is
G
lo
eo
ic
ro
ic
ro
M
ic
M
iz
o
ba
e
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
na
00
of Sperm
(nm/s)
(nm/s)
Sperm
Velocity ofVelocity
200
400
600
800
200
400
600
800
*
1000
1000
*
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate ANOVA;
p<0.05
m
na
tis
U
T
E
X
G
LE
R
is
C
a
L
ic
ro
cy
st
is
Z
U
M
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
M
ro
cy
s
cy
st
LS
tr
ic
hi
cy
st
is
G
lo
eo
ic
ro
ic
ro
M
ic
M
iz
o
ba
e
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
na
00
of Sperm
(nm/s)
(nm/s)
Sperm
Velocity ofVelocity
200
400
600
800
200
400
600
800
*
1000
1000
*
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate ANOVA;
p<0.05
m
ba
e
ic
ro
na
X
G
LE
R
T
E
C
a
L
ic
ro
cy
st
is
Z
U
M
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
M
tis
U
LS
tr
ic
hi
cy
st
is
cy
st
is
ic
ro
G
lo
eo
M
ic
ro
cy
s
M
iz
o
na
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
-50
-50
00
50
50
100
100
150
150
200
200
) 2)
Acceleration (m s2(m/s
SpermAcceleration
Sperm
250
250
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate ANOVA;
p<0.05
m
ba
e
ic
ro
na
X
G
LE
R
T
E
C
a
L
ic
ro
cy
st
is
Z
U
M
R
.W
es
en
be
rg
ii
M
tis
U
LS
tr
ic
hi
cy
st
is
cy
st
is
ic
ro
G
lo
eo
M
ic
ro
cy
s
M
iz
o
na
en
on
ol
ic
ho
sp
er
m
um
ph
an
M
D
A
A
-50
-50
00
50
50
100
100
150
150
200
200
) 2)
Acceleration (m s2(m/s
SpermAcceleration
Sperm
250
250
Cyanobacteria
Control
*
MANOVA w/
multivariate ANOVA;
p<0.05

Spawning – Aphanizomenon flos-aquae
inhibits at > 0.158 mg/L chlor-a

Fertilization – 7 cultures have an effect

Sperm motility
 Distance and velocity impacted by
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and two
Microcystis aeruginosa cultures
 Acceleration impacted by M. wesenbergii

Cyanobacteria impacts
spawning and fertilization in lab
studies

Results can be used to
enhance population model
estimates

A chemical tool for reducing
dreissenid reproduction might
be derived from cyanobacteria
to be used in tandem with other
control efforts
Microcystis aeruginosa
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Identify and isolate chemical responsible
for spawning inhibition

Determine the cause for lower fertilization
rates and sperm motility

Veliger toxicology study with
cyanobacteria cultures




United States Geological Survey
David Pitts Lab, Wayne State University
Sue Watson – ECC Canada
Lab Colleagues:





Darrin Hunt
Corey Krabbenhoft
Ali Shakoor
Andrew Camilleri
Razi Antoon
Karim Alame and Darrin Hunt collecting mussels and plankton at Belle Isle,
Detroit MI