A new method has been developed to estimate the carbon content of phytoplankton that make up algal blooms, tailored to the characteristics of South Korea's freshwater ecosystems.
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Research announced on November 4 that they have derived, for the first time in the country, carbon estimation formulas for 36 species of phytoplankton found in rivers, lakes, and wetlands, reflecting biological characteristics.
Previously, the domestic academic community and research fields relied on carbon estimation formulas developed abroad based on marine phytoplankton and protozoan data. However, discrepancies arose in estimating the carbon biomass of key phytoplankton, such as harmful algal blooms, due to differences in freshwater environments and algal characteristics.
In response, the institute analyzed a total of 36 species, including 18 harmful algal species, 9 diatom species, and 9 other algal species, through a study titled 'Tracing the Origins of Algal Blooms in the Nakdong River and Predicting Their Occurrence Due to Climate Change' conducted last year.
Phytoplankton are small in size, making it difficult to directly measure the carbon content of individual cells. The researchers measured cell sizes using digital microscope image analysis, calculated the biomass, and then measured the carbon content using an elemental analyzer. They statistically analyzed the relationship between these two values to enable carbon estimation based solely on biomass.
As a result of applying the new estimation formula, the error in carbon content estimation decreased by 26% to 39% compared to existing foreign formulas. By taxonomic group, the error reduction was 35% for cyanobacteria, 39% for diatoms, and 26% for other algae.
The institute believes that this new estimation formula is significant as it can add carbon biomass information tailored to South Korea's freshwater environment to existing algal bloom observation data.
Kim Kyung-hyun, head of the institute's Water Environment Research Division, stated, "This research is a successful case of developing technology to quantify domestic freshwater algal blooms in terms of carbon biomass. We will conduct field verification and integrate carbon content information into existing algal bloom observation data to enhance a monitoring and prediction system that assures the public regarding algal blooms."
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Research announced on November 4 that they have derived, for the first time in the country, carbon estimation formulas for 36 species of phytoplankton found in rivers, lakes, and wetlands, reflecting biological characteristics.
Previously, the domestic academic community and research fields relied on carbon estimation formulas developed abroad based on marine phytoplankton and protozoan data. However, discrepancies arose in estimating the carbon biomass of key phytoplankton, such as harmful algal blooms, due to differences in freshwater environments and algal characteristics.
In response, the institute analyzed a total of 36 species, including 18 harmful algal species, 9 diatom species, and 9 other algal species, through a study titled 'Tracing the Origins of Algal Blooms in the Nakdong River and Predicting Their Occurrence Due to Climate Change' conducted last year.
Phytoplankton are small in size, making it difficult to directly measure the carbon content of individual cells. The researchers measured cell sizes using digital microscope image analysis, calculated the biomass, and then measured the carbon content using an elemental analyzer. They statistically analyzed the relationship between these two values to enable carbon estimation based solely on biomass.
As a result of applying the new estimation formula, the error in carbon content estimation decreased by 26% to 39% compared to existing foreign formulas. By taxonomic group, the error reduction was 35% for cyanobacteria, 39% for diatoms, and 26% for other algae.
The institute believes that this new estimation formula is significant as it can add carbon biomass information tailored to South Korea's freshwater environment to existing algal bloom observation data.
Kim Kyung-hyun, head of the institute's Water Environment Research Division, stated, "This research is a successful case of developing technology to quantify domestic freshwater algal blooms in terms of carbon biomass. We will conduct field verification and integrate carbon content information into existing algal bloom observation data to enhance a monitoring and prediction system that assures the public regarding algal blooms."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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