Keeping Atitlan Blue: Coordination of Future Collaborative Research to Improve Water Quality at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

ABSTRACTOISE-0940796？保持阿蒂特兰湖的蓝色：协调未来合作研究以改善危地马拉阿蒂特兰湖的水质Eliska Rejmankova加州大学环境科学与政策系-戴维斯湖阿蒂特兰，一个位于危地马拉高地的破火山口湖，被许多人描述为世界上最美丽的湖泊之一？S。在经历了1980年的生态灾难后--S，随着阿提特兰灰熊的灭绝(亨特1980)，这个湖现在正面临着日益严重的水污染问题。如果不采取补救措施，这可能会对以祖图吉尔人为主的印第安人社区构成严重威胁，他们的生计依赖于这个湖，并导致失去阿提特兰？S独特的审美地位。不受控制的营养物质输入湖泊导致了高磷水平，引发了蓝藻水华的形成。这些水华能够产生各种毒素，可以通过饮用水和食物链上的生物积累直接影响居民。这笔赠款支持加州大学戴维斯分校的一个研究小组计划访问危地马拉，与危地马拉同事会面，参观该湖，并设计一个旨在保护该湖水质的研究计划。参观者将会见拉斐尔·兰德大学的南希·吉隆博士、克里斯蒂娜·贝利博士和巴勃罗·马约尔加博士；危地马拉山谷大学的玛格丽特·迪克斯博士；自然保护区的阿尔贝托·里维拉·古铁雷斯博士；以及阿蒂兰湖环境保护学会的胡安·斯金纳博士。联合美国的目标是什么？危地马拉的活动如下：(1)评估外部和内部的磷负荷；(2)建立水质监测系统；(3)预测维持湖泊--S-所需磷输入的阈值；(4)评估蓝藻生长的动态；(5)分析蓝藻及其较高营养层中氰基毒素的存在；(6)建立负担得起的氰毒素生物测定法；(7)启动预防和减少未来磷输入的步骤；以及(8)教育当地居民，并让其参与防止湖泊未来恶化的运动。人们认为，阿提特兰湖表明，由于人类活动和全球气候变化，生态系统面临恶化的风险。因此，在这次访问中计划的合作研究是及时的和对环境至关重要的。将要采取的科学方法具有重大的学术价值，对当地社区的潜在后果以及对太浩湖等其他生态系统的影响构成了宝贵的广泛影响。青年研究人员参与规划访问和建立有意义的国际合作也值得注意。

ABSTRACTOISE-0940796 ? Keeping Atitlan Blue: Coordination of Future Collaborative Research to Improve Water Quality at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala Eliska RejmankovaDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy University of California - DavisLake Atitlan, a caldera lake located in the highlands of Guatemala, has been described by many as one of the world?s most beautiful lakes. Having already experienced ecological catastrophe in 1980?s with the extinction of the Atitlan grebe (Hunter 1980), the lake is presently facing problems with increasing water pollution. Without remediation, this may present a serious threat to the predominantly Tzutujil Indian community dependent on the lake for their livelihood as well as lead to the loss of Atitlan?s unique aesthetic status. Uncontrolled nutrient input into the lake has led to high phosphorus levels, initiating the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. These blooms, capable of producing various toxins, can directly impact residents via drinking water and bioaccumulation along the food chain. This grant supports a planning visit for a team of researchers from the University of California-Davis to Guatemala to meet with Guatemalan colleagues, to visit the lake, and to design a research program aimed to protect the water quality in the lake. The visitors are meeting with Drs. Nancy Girón, Cristina Bailey, and Pablo Mayorga of the Universidad Rafael Landívar; Dr. Margaret Dix of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala; Dr. Alberto Rivera Gutiérrez of the Reserva Natural Atitlán; and Dr. Juan Skinner of the Lake Atitlán Environmental Protection Society. The goals of joint US ? Guatemalan activities are to be the following: (1) to evaluate external and internal P loading; (2) to set up a monitoring system for water quality; (3) to predict threshold values for P input that would sustain the lake?s oligotrophic status; (4) to assess the dynamics of cyanobacterial growth; (5) to analyze cyanobacteria and higher trophic levels for presence of cyanotoxins; (6) to develop an affordable bioassay for cyanotoxins; (7) to initiate steps to prevent and reduce future P input; and (8) to educate and involve local residents in a movement to prevent future lake deterioration. It is considered that Lake Atitlan is indicative of ecosystems that are at risk for deterioration as a result of human activity and global climate change. Thus, the collaborative research to be planned in this visit is timely and environmentally critical. The scientific approach to be undertaken carries significant intellectual merit, and the potential consequences for the local communities as well as the implications for other ecosystems, such as Lake Tahoe, constitute valuable broad impact. The involvement of young researchers in the planning visit and the establishment of a meaningful international collaboration are also notable.