A new insight into black blooms: Synergies between optical and chemical factors

Black blooms have been associated with fish-kills and the loss of benthic fauna as well as closure of potable water supplies. Their frequency and duration has increased in recent decades in rivers, inland lakes and reservoirs, and has often been associated with the decay and release of organic matter (planktonic algae, aquatic macrophytes, sediment release, etc.). However, the interactions between microbial, chemical, hydrodynamic and optical conditions necessary for black blooms are poorly understood. The present study combines field investigations and laboratory mesocosm studies to show that black blooms are caused by a combination of high CDOM (chromophoric dissolved organic matter) absorption, the formation of CDOM-Fe complexes and low backscattering. Mesocosm experiments showed that black bloom conditions occur after 4 days, with a significant increase in the concentrations of Fe2+ and ∑S2−. Total absorption (excluding absorption due to water) at 440 nm increased by 30% over this time to 7.3 m−1. In addition, the relative contribution of CDOM absorption to the non-water total absorption increased from 18% to 50%. Regression analyses between chemical and bio-optical data in both field and mesocosm experiments indicated that the concentrations of Fe2+ co-varied positively with CDOM absorption ag(440) (R2 > 0.70), and the specific CDOM absorption (ag(440)/DOC). Conditions that favored the development of black blooms were elevated algal or macrophyte biomass and limited water column mixing.