Monitoring Algal Abundance, Water Quality, And Deploying Microbial Sensors Along the Central Arizona Project

Microalgae offer a unique set of promises and perils for environmental management and sustainable production. Algal blooms are becoming a more frequent phenomenon within water infrastructure. As algae blooms are common, water infrastructure across the world has seen mounting problems associated with algal blooms. Some of these problems include biofouling and release of toxins. Since 1997, Arizona’s Central Arizona Project (CAP) has faced escalating problems associated with the algae diatom Cymbella sp. and the green-algae Cladophora glomerata. In this research study, algae are diagramed within the CAP system, the nutrient and abiotic requirements of the diatom Cymbella sp. are determined, and real-time microbial sensors are deployed along the CAP canals for understanding algae blooms and changes in CAP flow conditions. The following research objectives are met: How can water delivery infrastructure improve algae contamination risks in critical water resources? To do this research demonstrates that (i) nuisance algae species within the CAP canals are Cymbella sp. and Cladophora glomerata (ii) that the nuisance “rock-snot” diatom Cymbella sp. is not Cymbella mexicana nor is it Cymbella janischii, but rather a novel Cymbella sp.(iii) that in laboratory settings, Cymbella sp. prefers high Phosphorus and low Nitrogen conditions (iv) that the Cymbella sp. bloom happens in the early summer along the CAP canals (v) that the diatom Cymbella sp. can be removed through chemical treatments (vi) that microbial sensors can measure changes in algae composition along the CAP canals (vii) that microbial sensors, water quality parameters, and weather data can be integrated to measure algae blooms within water systems.