The importance of shallow sediments in the recruitment of Anabaena and Aphanizomenon (Cyanophyceae)

Recruitment of Anabaena and Aphanizomenon from the sediments to the water column was investigated in shallow (1-2 m) and deep (6-7 m) areas of Lake Limmaren, central Sweden. Recruitment traps attached to the bottom were sampled weekly throughout the summer season (June through September). A comparison between the two sites shows that the largest part of the recruited cells originated from the shallow site, although recruitment occurred at all depths in the lake. There were also differences between the species, regarding the site as well as the timing of the recruitment. The contribution of the inoculum to the pelagic population was calculated to vary between 0.003% and 0.05% for the different species. From these results we conclude that shallow sediments are more important than deep ones for the recruitment and that the inoculum in Lake Limmaren is small but may still be an important factor in the population dynamics.