With impressive specificity, RNAi can potentially block nucleotide sequences that are only found in a target pest and not in friendly insects or humans.
Image credit: Science Source/USDA/Nature Source.
New Research In
Physical Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
Biological Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
Edited by Robert E. Hecky, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, and accepted by the Editorial Board March 4, 2013 (received for review September 27, 2012)
Abstract
In 2011, Lake Erie experienced the largest harmful algal bloom in its recorded history, with a peak intensity over three times greater than any previously observed bloom. Here we show that long-term trends in agricultural practices are consistent with increasing phosphorus loading to the western basin of the lake, and that these trends, coupled with meteorological conditions in spring 2011, produced record-breaking nutrient loads. An extended period of weak lake circulation then led to abnormally long residence times that incubated the bloom, and warm and quiescent conditions after bloom onset allowed algae to remain near the top of the water column and prevented flushing of nutrients from the system. We further find that all of these factors are consistent with expected future conditions. If a scientifically guided management plan to mitigate these impacts is not implemented, we can therefore expect this bloom to be a harbinger of future blooms in Lake Erie.
Footnotes
- ↵1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: michalak{at}stanford.edu.
↵2Present address: School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Republic of Korea.
↵3Present address: US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
Author contributions: A.M.M., E.J.A., D.B., N.S.B., T.B.B., R.C., J.V.D., J.C.H., M. R. Moore, D.J.P., R.P.R., D.S., and A.L.S. designed research; A.M.M., E.J.A., D.B., S.B., N.S.B., T.B.B., J.D.C., K.C., R.C., I.D., M.A.E., G.L.F., L.H., J.C.H., L.J., T.H.J., K.C.K., X.L., M. R. McWilliams, M. R. Moore, D.J.P., R.P.R., D.S., A.L.S., D.M.W., and M.A.Z. performed research; A.M.M., E.J.A., D.B., S.B., N.S.B., T.B.B., J.D.C., K.C., R.C., I.D., J.V.D., M.A.E., L.H., J.C.H., L.J., T.H.J., K.C.K., X.L., M. R. McWilliams, M. R. Moore, D.J.P., R.P.R., D.S., A.L.S., E.V., D.M.W., and M.A.Z. analyzed data; and A.M.M., E.J.A., D.B., N.S.B., T.B.B., J.D.C., K.C., I.D., J.V.D., M.A.E., J.C.H., T.H.J., E.L., M. R. McWilliams, M. R. Moore, D.J.P., R.P.R., D.S., and A.L.S. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. R.E.H. is a guest editor invited by the Editorial Board.
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1216006110/-/DCSupplemental.
Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.
2011 Lake Erie harmful algal bloom
Sign up for Article Alerts
Jump to section
You May Also be Interested in
It's an intriguing new hypothesis that has started to garner attention as researchers continue to debate the merits of multiple models.
Image credit: NASA/GSFC.
Changing environmental conditions and genetic adaptations may explain how penguins radiated and expanded their geographic ranges to encompass diverse environments.
Image credit: Aurora Fernández Durán (photographer).
In the United States, mortality rates and life expectancy were worse for Blacks during nonpandemic years than for Whites during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study finds.
Image credit: Pixabay/PIRO4D.
Genetic insights could help shore up populations of a rare dog species thought to be nearly extinct in the wild.
Image credit: Anang Dianto (photographer).