Miquel Lurling

Wageningen University & Research | WUR · Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management

Aquatic ecosystems are large contributors to global methane (CH4) emissions. Eutrophication significantly enhances CH4-production as it stimulates methanogenesis. Mitigation measures aimed at reducing eutrophication, such as the addition of metal salts to immobilize phosphate (PO43−), are now common practice. However, the effects of such remedies o...

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) can pose risks to ecosystems and human health worldwide due to their capacity to produce natural toxins. Nevertheless, the potential danger associated with numerous metabolites produced by cyanobacteria remains undisclosed. Only select classes of cyanopeptides have been extensively studied to yield su...

Sustainable management of lakes requires us to overcome ecological, economic, and social challenges. These challenges can be addressed by focusing on achieving ecological improvement within a multifaceted, co‐beneficial context. In‐lake restoration measures may promote more rapid ecosystem responses than is feasible with catchment measures alone, e...

The eutrophic Bouvigne pond (Breda, The Netherlands) regularly suffers from cyanobacterial blooms. To improve the water quality, the external nutrient loading and the nutrient release from the pond sediment have to be reduced. An enclosure experiment was performed in the pond between March 9 and July 29, 2020 to compare the efficiency of dredging,...

The climatic stressors that are affecting lake ecosystems, especially phytoplankton, are projected to become more intense with continued climate change (e.g., heatwaves, precipitation events). Concerns over the combined effects that multiple, coinciding stressors can have on phytoplankton necessitates investigating the impacts of different regional...

Recommended Citation: WWQA Ecosystems, 2023. White Paper – Embedding Lakes into the Global Sustainability Agenda. Published by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme coordinated World Water Quality Alliance Ecosystems Workstream. 22nd March 2023. ISBN: 978-1-906698-82-9. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7752982....

Lake Lesser Prespa in Greece is part of the Prespa Lakes area which is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area due to its international importance for endemic biodiversity and migratory birds. Twenty fish taxa have been reported in that lake. From a field survey in July 2016, the species Economidichthys pygmaeus (Holly, 1929) (Gobiidae) was ide...

Numerous products and techniques are used to combat harmful cyanobacterial blooms in lakes. In this study, we tested nine products, the phosphate binders Phoslock® and Aqual-PTM, the coagulant chitosan, the phosphorus binder and coagulant aluminum salts (aluminum sulphate and sodium aluminate), the copper-based algicides SeClear, Captain® XTR and C...

One of the main symptoms of eutrophication is the proliferation of phytoplankton biomass, including nuisance cyanobacteria. Reduction of the external nutrient load is essential to control eutrophication, and in-lake interventions are suggested for mitigating cyanobacterial blooms to accelerate ecosystem recovery. Floc & Sink (F&S) is one such inter...

The anomalous past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a test of human response to global crisis management as typical human activities were significantly altered. The COVID-instigated anthropause has illustrated the influence that humans and the biosphere have on each other, especially given the variety of national mobility interventions...

Freshwater ecosystems are an important source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), and their emissions are expected to increase due to eutrophication. Two commonly applied management techniques to reduce eutrophication are the addition of phosphate-binding lanthanum modified bentonite (LMB, trademark Phoslock©) and dredging, but their effect on CH4...

In this study, the effects of traditional copper (CuSO 4 .5H 2 O) and novel copper algaecides (Captain XTR, SeClear and Lake Guard Blue) were tested on Daphnia magna under acute (48 h) and chronic (21 d) exposure scenarios. The EC 50 values calculated in the acute tests were between 0.5 and 0.6 mg Cu L − 1 for all four compounds. Lake Guard Blue an...

Bioturbation by omni-benthivorous fish often causes sediment resuspension and internal nutrient loading, which boosts phytoplankton growth and may lead to a shift of clear water lakes to a turbid state. Removal of large-sized omni-benthivorous individuals is a lake restoration measure that may revert lakes from a turbid to a clear water state, yet...

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta is predicted to be one of the regions most impacted by climate change, causing increased temperature and salinity in inland waters. We hypothesized that the increase in temperature and salinity may impact the microcystin (MC) production of two Microcystis strains isolated in this region from a freshwater pond (strain MBC...

Harmful algal blooms are symptomatic of eutrophication and lead to deterioration of water quality and ecosystem services. Extreme climatic events could enhance eutrophication resulting in more severe nuisance algal blooms, while they also may hamper current restoration efforts aimed to reduce nutrient loads. Evaluation of restoration measures on th...

• The re-establishment of submerged macrophytes is crucial in shallow lake restoration transforming a turbid into a clear water system, but it might be inhibited by juvenile omni-benthivorous fish. These fishes disturb the sediment, and even uproot new sprouts, creating turbid water through sediment resuspension and release of nutrients stored in t...

Lake Rauwbraken was impacted by eutrophication caused by diffuse external phosphorus (P) loads (total 1.21 mg m⁻² d⁻¹, estimated in 2008). Over 40 years, this load built up a legacy pool in the sediments, resulting in 6.82 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ PO4-P internal load (estimated in 2008), causing cyanobacterial blooms and swimming bans. To address the internal lo...

Eutrophication has been identified as the primary cause of water quality deterioration in inland waters worldwide, often associated with algal blooms or fish kills. Eutrophication can be controlled through watershed management and in-lake measures. An extreme heatwave event, through its impact on mineralization rates and internal nutrient loading (...

Globally the number of relatively deep, isolated lakes is increasing because of sand, gravel, or clay excavation activities. The major excavation areas are located within the delta of rivers, and thus the deep freshwater ecosystems formed upon excavation, called quarry lakes, are unique to the landscape. They are embedded in a landscape comprised o...

Phosphorus sorbents (PS) are viewed as a powerful tool to manage eutrophication. Here, we tested three commercially available PS - lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB), aluminium-modified zeolite (AMZ) and aluminium salts (Al) on their capacity to chemically inactivate soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) at six different temperatures (5 to 35 °C) and f...

To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and tot...

A detailed mass balance that evaluates nutrient inputs and outputs is fundamental to determining the most promising strategies to mitigate eutrophication and its undesirable effects. However, such analyses are rare in Brazilian urban ponds where water quality impairment remains a significant issue. We performed a mass balance to identify the main p...

Combining coagulants with ballast (natural soil or modified clay) to remove cyanobacteria from the water column is a promising tool to mitigate nuisance blooms. Nevertheless, the possible effects of this technique on different toxin-producing cyanobacteria species have not been thoroughly investigated. This laboratory study evaluated the potential...

The nutrients imported by breeding waterbirds should be considered when identifying the main sources of nutrient input to lakes. Lake Lesser Prespa (Greece), including the adjacent Vromolimni pond, hosts numerous protected waterbirds that nest in densely populated colonies across the reedbeds. The accelerated eutrophication of the lake in recent ye...

Cyanobacterial blooms in drinking water supply affect its quality, which ultimately impacts ecosystem and public health. Thus, this cross-sectional study was conducted to perform a preliminary study on cyanotoxins via analysis of samples collected only once from two sites during the month of peak algal bloom and to subsequently prompt a comprehensi...

Concentration of microcystin variants (dmRR, RR, YR, dmLR, LR, LY, LW, LF), nodularin (NOD) and total microcystin concentrations (µg L-1) at various locations in the Prespa Lakes in Greece during 2012-2014.

The Prespa Lakes area in Greece—comprised partly of lake Great and lake Lesser Prespa and the Vromolimni pond—has a global importance for biodiversity. Although the waters show regular cyanobacteria blooms, assessments of water quality threats are limited. Samples collected in 2012 revealed scattered and low microcystin (MC) concentrations in Great...

Intense sand and gravel mining has created numerous man-made lakes around the world in the past century. These small quarry lakes (1-50 ha) are usually hydrologically isolated, often deep (6 – 40 meters) and stratify during summer and in cold winters. Due to their small size, these deep man-made lakes are usually not included in the regular monitor...

High temperature can promote cyanobacterial blooms, whereas ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can potentially depress cyanobacterial growth by damaging their photosynthetic apparatus. Although the damaging effect of UVR has been well documented, reports on the interactive effects of UV radiation exposure and warming on cyanobacteria remain scarce. To bet...

Phytoplankton is confronted with a variable assemblage of zooplankton grazers that create a strong selection pressure for traits that reduce mortality. Phytoplankton is, however, also challenged to remain suspended and to acquire sufficient resources for growth. Consequently, phytoplanktic organisms have evolved a variety of strategies to survive i...

In the Netherlands, legacies and diffuse nutrient pollution continue to fuel recurrent cyanobacterial blooms in mostly shallow and relatively small surface waters. A survey in peer-reviewed literature and Dutch grey-literature was performed to gain insight into the physical-, chemical- and biological in-lake interventions used to bring these waters...

Chitosan has been tested as a coagulant to remove cyanobacterial nuisance. While its coagulation efficiency is well studied, little is known about its effect on the viability of the cyanobacterial cells. This study aimed to test eight strains of the most frequent bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, exposed to a realistic concentra...

The combination of a low-dose coagulant (polyaluminium chloride-'Floc') and a ballast able to bind phosphate (lanthanum modified bentonite, LMB-'Sink/Lock') have been used successfully to manage cyanobacterial blooms and eutrophication. In a recent 'Floc and Lock' intervention in Lake de Kuil (the Netherlands), cyanobacterial chlorophyll-a was redu...

Eutrophication is the prime water quality issue in inland waters. Eutrophication and its key symptom, harmful cyanobacterial blooms, is expected to further increase in the future, which highlights the importance of managing the issue. The reduction of external nutrient load is crucial but might not bring fast relief to eutrophic waters due to ongoi...

Both global warming and eutrophication are predicted to promote cyanobacterial blooms. At the same time, how tropical phytoplankton communities exhibiting different trophic state systems will respond to temperature variations is less clear. To investigate the effects of temperature changes and nutrient additions on phytoplank-ton communities, and g...

Phytoplankton anti-grazer traits control zooplankton grazing and are associated with harmful blooms. Yet, how morphological versus chemical phytoplankton defenses regulate zooplankton grazing is poorly understood. We compared zooplankton grazing and prey selection by contrasting morphological (filament length: short vs. long) and chemical (saxitoxi...

Both global warming and eutrophication are predicted to promote cyanobacterial blooms. At the same time, how tropical phytoplankton communities exhibiting different trophic state systems will respond to temperature variations is less clear. To investigate the effects of temperature changes and nutrient additions on phytoplank-ton communities, and g...

Lake Lesser Prespa in Greece is a vital breeding habitat for the Dalmatian and Great White Pelican and a shelter for numerous rare and endemic species. However, eutrophication processes are distressing the lake system and the outbreaks of cyanobacterial blooms during the warm months may pose a threat to aquatic organisms due to the presence of micr...

Lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB, commercially called Phoslock®) has been widely applied in freshwater systems to manage eutrophication. Little is known, however, about its behaviour and efficiency in binding filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) in saline environments. We assessed if LMB would adsorb phosphate over a range of salinities (0-32 ppth...

The environmental neurotoxin β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) may represent a risk for human health. BMAA accumulates in freshwater and marine organisms consumed by humans. However, few data are available about the kinetics of BMAA accumulation and detoxification in exposed organisms, as well as the organ distribution and the fractions in which BMAA...

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The environmental neurotoxin β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) may represent a risk for human health in case of chronic exposure or after short-term exposure during embryo development. BMAA accumulates in freshwater and marine organisms consumed by humans. It is produced by marine and freshwater phytoplankton species, but the range of producers remain...

A sediment core experiment sampled from a eutrophic lake in the Netherlands to study the performances of a hot floc-lock adsorbent - Phoslock, under the disturbance of the short-term extreme heatwave. The experiment was mainly done by Cleon Stratmann at the Wageningen University and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology - NIOO.

Lanthanum Modified Bentonite (LMB; Phoslock®) is used to mitigate eutrophication by binding phosphate released from sediments. This study investigated the fate of lanthanum (La) from LMB in water, sediment, macrophytes, and chironomid larvae in Lake Rauwbraken (The Netherlands). Before the LMB application, water column filterable La (FLa) was 0.02...

Small water systems are important hotspots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, but estimates are poorly constrained as data are scarce. Small ponds are often constructed in urban areas, where they receive large amounts of nutrients and therefore tend to be highly productive. Here, we investigated GHG emissions, seasonal and diel variation, and net ec...

Water bodies in the urban landscape are omnipresent, with many being small, lentic waters such as ponds and lakes. Because of high anthropogenic forcing, these systems have poor water quality, with large consequences for the provisioning of ecosystem services. Understanding of the main pressures on urban water quality is key to successful managemen...

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii is a potentially toxic freshwater cyanobacterium that can tolerate a wide range of light and temperature. Due to climatic changes, the interaction between light and temperature is studied in aquatic systems, but no study has addressed the effect of both variables on the saxitoxins production. This study evaluated the...

How grazer selectivity regulates the primary producer community is a core topic in ecology. Yet, the role of zooplankton grazing selection on phytoplankton dynamics is poorly understood. Few studies have compared the effect of grazers with contrasting selectivity on mixed phytoplankton prey, and none over multiple phytoplankton generations. We test...

The release of phosphorus (P) stored in the sediment may cause long-term delay in the recovery of lakes, ponds, and lagoons from eutrophication. In this paper, we tested on a laboratory scale the efficacy of the flocculant polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and a strong P-binding agent (lanthanum-modified bentonite, LMB) on their ability to flocculate a...

Studies on cyanobacteria in Vietnam are limited and mainly restricted to large reservoirs. Cyanobacterial blooms in small water bodies may pose a health risk to local people. We sampled 17 water bodies in the vicinity of urban settlements throughout the Mekong basin and in southeast Vietnam. From these, 40 water samples were taken, 24 cyanobacteria...

Lake Kleine Melanen (The Netherlands) experienced cyanobacterial blooms during the summertime, causing public health risks, turbid water, and lack of macrophytes. To improve the situation, we determined the underlying causes of the poor water quality. Our diagnosis included the water and phosphorus (P) budget of the lake and showed the need for the...

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent probl...

Eutrophication (nutrient over-enrichment) is the primary worldwide water quality issue often leading to nuisance cyanobacterial blooms. Climate change is predicted to cause further rise of cyanobacteria blooms as cyanobacteria can have a competitive advantage at elevated temperatures. We tested the hypothesis that simultaneous rise in nutrients and...

Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to thei...

Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to thei...