Determining the Efficacy of a Submersible in Situ Fluorometric Device for Cyanobacteria Monitoring Coalesced with Total Suspended Solids Characteristic of Lowland Reservoirs

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of turbid water on a fluourometric device designed to detect phycocyanin and chlorophyll a in cyanobacteria cells in vivo. Cell densities corresponding to the Blue Green Algae Alert levels endorsed by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and adopted by numerous water resource managers were coalesced with a range of total suspended solids at defined gradients characteristic of lowland freshwater ecosystems. The parameters of interest were phycocyanin and chlorophyll a. Microcystis aeruginosa was the experimental organism used to establish cell densities consistent with the three-stage alert level framework. We found phycocyanin to be an effective measure for detecting M. aeruginosa at concentrations prescribed within the cyanobacterial alert levels (Green, Amber and Red) in turbid waters up to 200 Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words: fluorometry; freshwater cyanobacteria; turbidity; alert level framework Received 6 June 2015; Revised 3 November 2015; Accepted 23 November 2015