Turbity and light

Page 1: Introduction

  • Title: Light and Turbidity Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems

Page 2: Understanding Turbidity

  • Definition of Turbidity

    • Optical property of water that affects light transmission.

    • Causes light to scatter and absorb rather than transmit.

  • Causes of Turbidity

    • Primarily caused by suspended solids such as:

      • Sediments

      • Microorganisms

      • Algae

      • Organic matter

      • Contaminants

  • Effects on Light

    • Higher turbidity leads to greater scattering of light, resulting in a cloudy or opaque appearance.

Page 3: Negative Impacts of Turbidity

  • Reduced Light Penetration

  • Clogged Gills in aquatic organisms.

  • Smothered Habitats for various species.

  • Disrupted Food Chains due to impaired visibility and accessibility.

  • Spawning Difficulties for fish and other aquatic animals.

  • Reduced Disease Resistance in aquatic life.

Page 4: Plant Growth and Turbidity

  • Impact on Submerged Plants

    • Light is essential for the growth of submerged vegetation.

    • High turbidity limits light penetration, inhibiting this growth.

  • Feedback Loop

    • Established submerged vegetation can enhance water clarity, supporting further plant growth.

    • This creates two stable states in shallow lakes:

      • Clear, vegetation-dominated state

      • Turbid, vegetation-poor state

Page 5: Effects on Aquatic Animals

  • Prey Capture Rates

    • Turbidity generally reduces prey capture rates for aquatic predators.

    • Impact significant regardless of predator’s reliance on visual or other sensory cues.

  • Climate-Related Changes

    • Increased turbidity levels can occur due to climate change effects.

Page 6: Role of Microorganisms in Turbidity Management

  • Microbial Species

    • Rhodobacter and Rhodoferax are important for supporting turbidity tolerance.

    • They contribute to a "microbial loop" enhancing food web stability.

  • Implications for Ecosystem Management

    • Enhancing specific microbial populations can improve primary producers' resilience to turbidity.

    • Potential strategies may include introducing microbial agents to help restore turbid aquatic environments.

Page 7: Bibliography

  • Ortega, J. C. G., et al. (2020). Negative effect of turbidity on prey capture for both visual and non‐visual aquatic predators. Journal Of Animal Ecology, 89(11), 2427-2439. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13329

  • The role of microbial communities on primary producers in aquatic ecosystems: Implications in turbidity stress resistance. Environ. Res., 215 (2022)

  • Scheffer, M. (1999). The effect of aquatic vegetation on turbidity; how important are the filter feeders?. Hydrobiologia, 408, 307-316.

Page 8: Conclusion

  • Gracias for attending the workshop.