YSI EXO Total Algae Sensor
Features
- Dual channel sensor
- Measures and outputs both chlorophyll & blue-green algae
- Options for ug/L and RFU outputs
- Expedited repair and warranty service
- Lifetime technical support
- More
The Total Algae (TAL) sensors are dual-channel fluorescence sensors. The “channels” are for chlorophyll and phycocyanin (TAL-PC), or chlorophyll and phycoerythrin (TAL-PE), which are measured in the water. Each sensor thus yields two data sets: for TAL-PC, one results from a blue-emitting LED that excites the chlorophyll a (chl) molecule and the second results from an orange excitation beam that excites the phycocyanin (PC) accessory pigment. The TAL-PE sensor is similar, also having the chlorophyll channel, but rather than an orange-emitting LED there is a slightly blue-shifted beam that excites phycoerythrin (PE).
The TAL sensors generate data in RFU or μg/L of pigment (chl, PC or PE) units, with RFU as the default. When using either RFU or μg/L, the sensor’s response is highly linear: a reading of 50 of either unit represents twice as much fluorescence detected as a reading of 25, for example, if the temperature is constant.
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In The News
Lake Superior Algal Blooms Surprise, Highlight Need for More Monitoring
In 2012, for maybe the first time, Lake Superior got scummy. Visitors to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore reported algae washing up on shore around the park. It was a marked shift for the park, made up of a portion of the Lake Superior lakeshore and nearby islands. The water surrounding the park is cold, clear and typically low in nutrients: a combination unlikely to result in algal blooms. But, in 2012 and again in 2018 after violent storms, major algal blooms—ones observed over multiple days—washed ashore and clogged the beaches with unsightly, scummy algae. Not the usual suspects The algal blooms of Lake Superior are not the algal blooms of warmer, more nutrient-rich lakes like Lake Erie.
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Dissecting the Algae Blooms of Montana’s “Unique Gem” the Smith River
An unusual nuisance is slowly growing into an inexplicable problem for researchers at Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality . For the last five years, a native species of algae called Cladophora has covered large portions of the Smith River, one of the state’s most popular waterways for boating, fishing and recreating. And scientists don’t know why. “It’s just unusual. I don’t know if it’s extreme for the state of Montana as other systems have had Cladophora problems as well. But it’s most unusual due to the lack of land use changes,” said Chace Bell, a water quality assessment specialist with the Montana DEQ.
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A Lesson in Persistence: Taking On Cyanobacteria in Florida
As we hear more and more about algal blooms of different kinds across the United States, teams of scientists are working hard to ensure that they don't become our new normal. One project in Florida is taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the problem—including genetic analysis. The team's work is part of a full-court press in Florida recently, making a serious push to understand what is triggering more frequent blooms. Jose Lopez, Ph.D. , of Nova Southeastern University , the primary investigator on the genetic analysis portion of the project, spoke to EM about the project and his work on it. “This is a very good project,” explains Dr. Lopez. “We're excited about it, and it's a lesson in persistence.” Dr.
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