Microalgae growth dynamics and physical-biochemical coupled effects versus aquatic biomass productivity

研究将通过藻类生长动力学的关键方面进行，以突出光合培养物生物量生产力的控制参数。微藻生长与营养物质或光照资源的相互作用随时间和空间的变化而变化，在一定条件下可能导致有害藻华（HAB）等不稳定情况。技术的进步扩大了我们观察和可视化分水岭的能力，不仅为发现水华提供了前所未有的机会，而且为引发水华发生、发展、扩散和最终消亡的物理、化学和生物因素提供了前所未有的机会。然而，尽管这些能力迅速扩大，但由于与这些复杂现象相关的时空尺度范围广泛，微藻模式在分析和预防方面仍将继续取样不足。因此，我们必须依靠数学模型来帮助解释我们的观察结果。这种模型可以采取多种形式，从概念框架到简单的分析公式和能够吸收数据的复杂数值模型。本研究旨在为微藻繁殖过程中光照、气候因子和营养资源对其时空行为的影响提供独特的预测情景。着眼于一个完全集成的建模框架的概念，研究计划将通过三个有凝聚力的主题来发展：1)大规模自然界中的藻类动力学；2)实验室规模藻类行为；3)藻类研究在复杂水体监测与分配系统中的应用。这些将基于互惠的方法，通过实验和现场测量以及数学模型来开发数据集，然后使用这些数据集来相互验证。该研究将通过观察藻类在吸水、光照强度、温度变化和主要由细菌活动介导的养分循环等各种情况下的集体行为，提高对不同营养水平下藻类生长动态的认识。长期建模目标是制定更定量的模型，并与数据进行严格比较；发展数据同化技术，提高模型的预测能力；并将模型开发与现场和抽样设计联系起来。建模的结果将为使用水处理技术的利益相关者带来清晰的解释。它们还将能够为加拿大许多工业和农业省份以及世界各国普遍存在的有害藻华问题的风险水平设立警报系统。

Research will be carried out through key aspects of algae growth dynamics in order to highlight the controlling parameters for biomass productivity of photosynthetic cultures. The interactions between microalgae growth and nutrients or light resources vary with time and space, and under certain conditions, can lead to unstable situations such as harmful algal blooms (HAB). Technological advances have expanded our capabilities for observing and visualizing the watershed, providing unprecedented opportunities not only for the detection of blooms, but also for the physical, chemical, and biological factors that trigger their onset, development, proliferation, and ultimate demise. However, despite these rapidly expanding capabilities, microalgae patterns will continue to be undersampled for the analyses and preventing perspective, because of the wide range of spatial-temporal scales relevant to these complex phenomena. Therefore, we must rely on mathematical models to help interpret our observations. Such models can take many forms, ranging from conceptual frameworks, to simple analytic formulation and complex numerical models that can assimilate data. This proposal aims to provide unique predictive scenarios for the spatial-temporal behavior of microalgae within their reproduction processes as a function of light, climate factors and nutrient resources. Focusing on the conception of a fully integrated modelling framework, the research program will be developed through three cohesive themes: 1) algae dynamics in large scale of the nature; 2) algae behaviours at laboratory scale; 3) applications of algae studies within the complex water monitoring and distribution system. These will be based on the reciprocal approach to develop both the datasets through both experimental and field measurements and mathematical models, and then use these to validate each other. The research will advance the knowledge on algae growth dynamics under different nutrient levels by looking at their collective behaviour, under various scenarios of water absorption and light intensity, temperature variations and nutrient recycling which is mediated primarily by bacterial activity. The long term modelling goal is to formulate models more quantitative and which critically compare to data; to develop data assimilation techniques to improve the predictive power of models; and to connect model development to the field and sampling design. Results from the modelling will bring a clear explanation to stakeholders using water treatment techniques. They will also enable to setup the alarm system for risk levels for HAB problems which are common in many industrial and agricultural provinces of Canada, and countries around the world.