First Application of IFCB High-Frequency Imaging-in-Flow Cytometry to Investigate Bloom-Forming Filamentous Cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea

Cyanobacteria are an important part of phytoplankton communities, however, they also known for forming massive blooms with potentially deleterious effects on recreational use, human and animal health, ecosystem functioning. Emerging high-frequency imaging flow cytometry applications, such as Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB), crucial in furthering our understanding the factors driving bloom dynamics, since these applications provide community composition information at frequencies impossible to attain using conventional monitoring methods. However, proof applicability automated studying dynamics filamentous cyanobacteria is still scarce. In this study we present first results IFCB applied a Baltic Sea cyanobacterial continuous flow-through setup. Our main aim was demonstrate pros cons identifying taxa estimating their biomass. Selected environmental parameters (water temperature, wind speed salinity) were included, order system occur possibilities analyzing observations against changes environment. compare methods, enumerated from water samples light microscopical analysis. Two common Sea, Aphanizomenon flosaquae Dolichospermum spp. dominated bloom, followed by increase Oscillatoriales abundance. The compared well analysis, especially case . biomass varied slightly between methods deviated most. Bloom formation initiated temperature increased over 15°C terminated increased, dispersing bloom. Community shifts closely related movements mass. We how application can help understand development summer blooms.