Webinar

Tracking Phytoplankton Community Changes with FlowCam at a Non-Profit Watershed Organization

The ability to track algae and cyanobacteria changes is a critical component of any lake monitoring effort, particularly for lakes that are prone to regular blooms. Basic water quality indicators like secchi depth and chlorophyll are important, but they don't tell the whole story; specifically, they don't tell lake managers and landowners anything about what types of organisms are present. Flow imaging microscopes like FlowCam bridge this gap, offering a deeper understanding of bloom dynamics than is possible with a sonde or is practical by outsourcing preserved samples to another lab for microscopy analysis.

In this webinar, Dr. Danielle Wain, Lake Science Director at 7 Lakes Alliance, talks about how her non-profit uses FlowCam to track changes in algae & cyanobacteria composition. She'll describe how using FlowCam to visually and quantitatively track the different phases of blooms has enabled routine, weekly monitoring and contributed to data-rich watershed management plans. Dr. Wain will provide an overview of the Belgrade Lakes watershed, the evolution of their monitoring program, and tips for replicating similar programs elsewhere. Additional topics include engaging with undergraduate research and transitioning from a FlowCam VS to a FlowCam Cyano.

Fill out the form on the right to download now!