cHABs are unsightly and potentially dangerous events that are becoming more common in New Jersey, so we have initiated local studies in the hope of learning more about the causes and ecological consequences of these events.

Some cyanobacteria manage their buoyancy to achieve a vertical position in the water column that balances access to nutrients (at depth) with access to light (near the surface). We provide evidence that interflows during flooding events can destabilize the stratification regime and displace metalimentic cyanobacteria to the surface, giving the appearance of a cHAB.

*Indicates Rowan University Undergraduate Student

Ruhl N and *Sullivan N. 2017. Disturbance-mediated cHAB formation in a small Ohio reservoir. Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management, 22:2, 161-167. Publisher Website