Review

Biological control of microcystis dominated harmful algal blooms

R. Jabulani Gumbo^{1, 2}*, Gina Ross¹ and E. Thomas Cloete¹

¹Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Hillcrest, Pretoria, ZA0002, South Africa.

²Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Venda, P/Bag x5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: jabulani.gumbo@univen.ac.za,  jabulani_gumbo@yahoo.co.uk. Tel: +27 15 962 8563. Fax: +27 15 962 4749.

Accepted 24 October, 2008

Freshwater resources are now threatened by the presence and increase of harmful algal blooms (HAB) all over the world. The HABs are sometimes a direct result of anthropogenic pollution entering water bodies, such as partially treated nutrient-rich effluents and the leaching of fertilisers and animal wastes. The impact of HABs on aquatic ecosystems and water resources, as well as their human health implications are well documented. Countermeasures have been proposed and implemented to manage HABs with varying levels of success. The use of copper algicides, though effective in managing HABs, often results in negative impacts such as copper toxicity and release of microcystins into surrounding water after cyanobacterial lysis. Biological control of HABs presents a possible solution. Predatory bacteria that have been isolated as potential biological control agents include members of the Bacteroides-Cytophaga-Flavobacterium, ranging from Bacillus spp. to Flexibacter spp., Cytophaga and Myxobacteria. Various mechanisms of predation have been proposed, including; physical contact between prey and predator, release of extracellular substances, entrapment of prey by the predator followed by antibiosis and endoparasitism or ectoparasitism of the host by the predator. Despite an increasing amount of work being done in this field, research is usually limited to laboratory cultures; assessment of microbial control agents is seldom extrapolated to field conditions.

Key words: Biological control, Microcystis aeruginosa, harmful algal blooms, predatory bacteria.