Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment

Caroline Björnerås; Martin Škerlep; Raphael Gollnisch; Simon David Herzog; Gustaf Ekelund Ugge; Alexander Hegg; Nan Hu; Emma Johansson; Marcus Lee; Varpu Pärssinen; Yongcui Sha; Jerker Vinterstare; Huan Zhang; Kaj Hulthén; Christer Brönmark; Lars Anders Hansson; P. Anders Nilsson; Karin Rengefors; R. Brian Langerhans

doi:10.1127/fal/2020/1330

Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment

Caroline Björnerås, Martin Škerlep, Raphael Gollnisch, Simon David Herzog, Gustaf Ekelund Ugge, Alexander Hegg, Nan Hu, Emma Johansson, Marcus Lee, Varpu Pärssinen, Yongcui Sha, Jerker Vinterstare, Huan Zhang, Kaj Hulthén, Christer Brönmark, Lars Anders Hansson, P. Anders Nilsson, Karin Rengefors, R. Brian Langerhans

Forskningsoutput: Tidskriftsbidrag › Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift › Peer review

Sammanfattning

While lake systems in temperate regions have been extensively studied, tropical and subtropical systems have received less attention. Here, we describe the water chemistry and biota of ten inland blue holes on Andros Island, The Bahamas, representative of the morphological, abiotic, and biotic variation among Androsian inland blue holes. The majority of the studied blue holes were vertically stratified with oxic freshwater overlying anoxic saline groundwater of marine origin. Water chemistry (e.g. total phosphorus and nitrogen) in shallow waters was similar among blue holes, while turbidity and water color varied. Presence of hydrogen sulfide and reduced iron in and below the halocline indicate reducing conditions in all stratified blue holes. The biota above the halocline was also similar among blue holes with a few taxa dominating the phytoplankton community, and the zooplankton community consisting of copepods and rotifers. The Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) was present in all investigated blue holes, often accompanied by other small planktivorous fish, while the piscivorous bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) was only present in some of the blue holes. Our field study reinforces that inland blue holes are highly interesting for biogeochemical research, and provide naturally replicated systems for evolutionary studies.

Originalspråk	engelska
Sidor (från-till)	95-106
Tidskrift	Fundamental and Applied Limnology
Volym	194
Nummer	2
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1127/fal/2020/1330
Status	Published - 2020 dec.

Bibliografisk information

Funding Information:
We thank the Helge Ax:son Johnsons foundation, The Royal Physiographic Society, and County Governor Per Westling Memorial Fund for financial support. We thank prof. Øjvind Moetrup, Copenhagen University, for identifying Naiadinium polonicum by scanning electron microscopy. Thanks to Sofia Mebrahtu Wisén at the Instrumental Chemistry Facility, Department of Biology, Lund University, for inorganic analyses. We are also grateful to The Bahamas government for permission to conduct the fieldwork and to Wilfred Johnson for support in the field.

Funding Information:
We thank the Helge Ax:son Johnsons foundation, The Royal Physiographic Society, and County Governor Per Westling Memorial Fund for financial support. We thank prof. ?jvind Moetrup, Copenhagen University, for identifying Naiadinium polonicum by scanning electron microscopy. Thanks to Sofia Mebrahtu Wis?n at the Instrumental Chemistry Facility, Department of Biology, Lund University, for inorganic analyses. We are also grateful to The Bahamas government for permission to conduct the fieldwork and to Wilfred Johnson for support in the field.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 E. The authors.

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Björnerås, C., Škerlep, M., Gollnisch, R., Herzog, S. D., Ugge, G. E., Hegg, A., Hu, N., Johansson, E., Lee, M., Pärssinen, V., Sha, Y., Vinterstare, J., Zhang, H., Hulthén, K., Brönmark, C., Hansson, L. A., Anders Nilsson, P., Rengefors, K., & Brian Langerhans, R. (2020). Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment. Fundamental and Applied Limnology, 194(2), 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1127/fal/2020/1330

@article{28eff9badc244de4af74012c9877b684,

title = "Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment",

abstract = "While lake systems in temperate regions have been extensively studied, tropical and subtropical systems have received less attention. Here, we describe the water chemistry and biota of ten inland blue holes on Andros Island, The Bahamas, representative of the morphological, abiotic, and biotic variation among Androsian inland blue holes. The majority of the studied blue holes were vertically stratified with oxic freshwater overlying anoxic saline groundwater of marine origin. Water chemistry (e.g. total phosphorus and nitrogen) in shallow waters was similar among blue holes, while turbidity and water color varied. Presence of hydrogen sulfide and reduced iron in and below the halocline indicate reducing conditions in all stratified blue holes. The biota above the halocline was also similar among blue holes with a few taxa dominating the phytoplankton community, and the zooplankton community consisting of copepods and rotifers. The Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) was present in all investigated blue holes, often accompanied by other small planktivorous fish, while the piscivorous bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) was only present in some of the blue holes. Our field study reinforces that inland blue holes are highly interesting for biogeochemical research, and provide naturally replicated systems for evolutionary studies.",

keywords = "Anchialine caves, Andros Island, Aquatic ecosystems, Halocline, sub-tropical, Redox biogeochemistry",

author = "Caroline Bj{\"o}rner{\aa}s and Martin {\v S}kerlep and Raphael Gollnisch and Herzog, {Simon David} and Ugge, {Gustaf Ekelund} and Alexander Hegg and Nan Hu and Emma Johansson and Marcus Lee and Varpu P{\"a}rssinen and Yongcui Sha and Jerker Vinterstare and Huan Zhang and Kaj Hulth{\'e}n and Christer Br{\"o}nmark and Hansson, {Lars Anders} and {Anders Nilsson}, P. and Karin Rengefors and {Brian Langerhans}, R.",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 E. The authors.",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1127/fal/2020/1330",

language = "English",

volume = "194",

pages = "95--106",

journal = "Fundamental and Applied Limnology",

issn = "1863-9135",

publisher = "E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung",

number = "2",

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Björnerås, C, Škerlep, M, Gollnisch, R , Herzog, SD , Ugge, GE, Hegg, A, Hu, N , Johansson, E , Lee, M, Pärssinen, V, Sha, Y, Vinterstare, J, Zhang, H, Hulthén, K , Brönmark, C , Hansson, LA , Anders Nilsson, P , Rengefors, K & Brian Langerhans, R 2020, 'Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment', Fundamental and Applied Limnology, vol. 194, nr. 2, s. 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1127/fal/2020/1330

TY - JOUR

T1 - Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment

AU - Björnerås, Caroline

AU - Škerlep, Martin

AU - Gollnisch, Raphael

AU - Herzog, Simon David

AU - Ugge, Gustaf Ekelund

AU - Hegg, Alexander

AU - Hu, Nan

AU - Johansson, Emma

AU - Lee, Marcus

AU - Pärssinen, Varpu

AU - Sha, Yongcui

AU - Vinterstare, Jerker

AU - Zhang, Huan

AU - Hulthén, Kaj

AU - Brönmark, Christer

AU - Hansson, Lars Anders

AU - Anders Nilsson, P.

AU - Rengefors, Karin

AU - Brian Langerhans, R.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - While lake systems in temperate regions have been extensively studied, tropical and subtropical systems have received less attention. Here, we describe the water chemistry and biota of ten inland blue holes on Andros Island, The Bahamas, representative of the morphological, abiotic, and biotic variation among Androsian inland blue holes. The majority of the studied blue holes were vertically stratified with oxic freshwater overlying anoxic saline groundwater of marine origin. Water chemistry (e.g. total phosphorus and nitrogen) in shallow waters was similar among blue holes, while turbidity and water color varied. Presence of hydrogen sulfide and reduced iron in and below the halocline indicate reducing conditions in all stratified blue holes. The biota above the halocline was also similar among blue holes with a few taxa dominating the phytoplankton community, and the zooplankton community consisting of copepods and rotifers. The Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) was present in all investigated blue holes, often accompanied by other small planktivorous fish, while the piscivorous bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) was only present in some of the blue holes. Our field study reinforces that inland blue holes are highly interesting for biogeochemical research, and provide naturally replicated systems for evolutionary studies.

AB - While lake systems in temperate regions have been extensively studied, tropical and subtropical systems have received less attention. Here, we describe the water chemistry and biota of ten inland blue holes on Andros Island, The Bahamas, representative of the morphological, abiotic, and biotic variation among Androsian inland blue holes. The majority of the studied blue holes were vertically stratified with oxic freshwater overlying anoxic saline groundwater of marine origin. Water chemistry (e.g. total phosphorus and nitrogen) in shallow waters was similar among blue holes, while turbidity and water color varied. Presence of hydrogen sulfide and reduced iron in and below the halocline indicate reducing conditions in all stratified blue holes. The biota above the halocline was also similar among blue holes with a few taxa dominating the phytoplankton community, and the zooplankton community consisting of copepods and rotifers. The Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) was present in all investigated blue holes, often accompanied by other small planktivorous fish, while the piscivorous bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) was only present in some of the blue holes. Our field study reinforces that inland blue holes are highly interesting for biogeochemical research, and provide naturally replicated systems for evolutionary studies.

KW - Anchialine caves

KW - Andros Island

KW - Aquatic ecosystems

KW - Halocline, sub-tropical

KW - Redox biogeochemistry

U2 - 10.1127/fal/2020/1330

DO - 10.1127/fal/2020/1330

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85094855103

SN - 1863-9135

VL - 194

SP - 95

EP - 106

JO - Fundamental and Applied Limnology

JF - Fundamental and Applied Limnology

IS - 2

ER -

Inland blue holes of the bahamas – chemistry and biology in a unique aquatic environment

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