Just be sure you know what you are researching and the potential exposure hazards, and future health issues. Use appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment). I learned in some a sanitary engineering microbiology course that blue green algae sometimes are in conditions of low CO2 in the water, as it can actually fix its own CO2 from the atmosphere. I would not know if methane conversion or decomposition might be involved.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanotoxin

Thx a lot for the advice William! Luckily i just write a book on the changes in the Earth system and i would not even like to go close to a cyanobacteria infested lake/coastal system as even the health hazard through the air seems to be impressive. While i researched most what there is on these mats and where they spread i realized that they will conquer all coastal systems eventually. So they will likely contribute to declining coastal oxygen levels thus contributing to methane emissions. But i wondered if they would produce methane as all other cyanobacteria do... so i wondered if there exist maybe some observations. I only found a study on the methane production in hypersaline environments by these mats - here it was quite low.

I don't know, but methane is produced in an anaerobic environment. In dystrophic water, marsh water, so much methane is formed that it bubbles up. The gas can be collected and ignited. See foto

Thx a lot for this nice photo Arne - and it fits perfectly into the puzzle. Heat, water and organic matter in shallow systems is all that is needed to ignite the methane torch! That is the reason i'm quite sure that microbial mats with cyanobacteria produce in some instances lots of methane es they can be up to 30cm thick. But as large scale spreading of these mats is quite a "new" phenomenon it will take some time for the first observations to be made i guess.

The reason i'm interested in this subject is the scale of the new problem - here my link list of the chapter i'm writing - tried to get everything ;)

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60: "Impacts of seasonality and nutrients on microbial mat community structure and function"; Pinckney, H. W. Paerl, M. Fitzpatrick; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 123, 1995; online: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/123/m123p207.pdf(09.10.2019)

61: "Comparison of Planktonic and Benthic Bacterial Communities Associated with a Mediterranean Posidonia Seagrass System"; D. Delille, C. Canon, F. Windeshausen; Botanica Marina, vol. 39, 1996; DOI: 10.1515/botm.1996.39.1-6.239; online: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/botm.1996.39.issue-1-6/botm.1996.39.1-6.239/botm.1996.39.1-6.239.xml(09.10.2019)

62: "Seasonal nitrogen fixation dynamics in a marine microbial mat: Potential roles of cyanobacteria and microheterotrophs"; Hans W. Paerl, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Brad M. Bebout; Limnology and oceanography, vol. 41, 1996; online: https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.4319/lo.1996.41.3.0419(10.10.2019)

63: "A Comparison of Cyanobacterial Bloom Dynamics in Freshwater, Estuarine and Marine Environments"; Hans Paerl; Phycologia, vol. 35, 1996; DOI: 10.2216/i0031-8884-35-6S-25.1; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250149794_A_Comparison_of_Cyanobacterial_Bloom_Dynamics_in_Freshwater_Estuarine_and_Marine_Environments(10.10.2019)

64: "N2 fixation by non-heterocystous cyanobacteria"; B. Bergman, J. R. Gallon, A. N. Rai, L. J. Stal; FEMS Microbiology Reviews, vol. 19, 1997; DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1997.tb00296.x; online: https://academic.oup.com/femsre/article/19/3/139/609865(10.10.2019)

65: "The role of benthic microalgae in neritic ecosystems"; Lawrence Cahoon; Oceanography and marine biology, vol. 1999; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296824195_The_role_of_benthic_microalgae_in_neritic_ecosystems(10.10.2019)

66: "Marine cyanobacteria in tropical regions: diversity and ecology"; Lucien Hoffman; European Journal of Phycology, vol. 34, 1999; DOI: 10.1080/09670269910001736432; online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09670269910001736432(10.10.2019)

67: "Bloonls of the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula in coastal waters of Queensland, Australia"; William C. DENNISON, Judith M. O'NEIL, Elisabeth J. DUFFY, Peter E. OLIVER, Olendon R. SHAW; chapter in: Marine Cyanobacteria, Bulletin de l'Institut océanographique, Monaco, Numéro spécial 19, 1999; ISSN 0304-5722; online: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/39848157.pdf#page=513(10.11.2019)

68: "Seasonal variation in denitrification and dissolved nitrogen fluxes in intertidal sediments of the Tagus estuary, Portugal"; Maria Teresa Cabrita, Vanda Brotas; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 202, 2000; DOI: 10.3354/meps202051; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250215889_Seasonal_variation_in_denitrification_and_dissolved_nitrogen_fluxes_in_intertidal_sediments_of_the_Tagus_estuary_Portugal(10.10.2019)

69: "Benthic exchange of nutrients in Galveston Bay, Texas"; Kent W. Warnken, Gary A. Gill, Peter H. Santschi, Lawrence L. Griffin; Estuaries, vol. 23, 2000; DOI: 10.2307/1352891; abstract online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.2307/1352891(10.10.2019)

70: "The toxins of Lyngbya majuscula and their human and ecological health effects"; Nicholas J. T. Osborne, Penny M. Webb, Glen R. Shawa; Environment International, vol 27, 2001; DOI: 10.1016/S0160-4120(01)00098-8; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412001000988(10.11.2019)

71: "Benthic cyanobacterial, Microcoleus lyngbyaceus, blooms in shallow, inshore Puerto Rican Seagrass habitats, Caribbean sea"; Stefanie Stielow, David L. Ballantine; Harmful Algae, vol. 2, 2003; DOI: 10.1016/S1568-9883(03)00007-6; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988303000076(09.10.2019)

72: "Cyanobacteria Associated with Coral Black Band Disease in Caribbean and Indo-Pacific Reefs"; James S. Klaus, Ingmar Janse, Bruce W. Fouke; Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 69, 2003; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.4.2409-2413.2003; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10820632_Cyanobacteria_Associated_with_Coral_Black_Band_Disease_in_Caribbean_and_Indo-Pacific_Reefs(10.11.2019)

73: "Upward cascading effects of nutrients: Shifts in a benthic microalgal community and a negative herbivore response"; Anna R. Armitage, Peggy Fong; Oecologia, vol. 139, 2004; DOI: 10.1007/s00442-004-1530-6; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5432265_Upward_cascading_effects_of_nutrients_Shifts_in_a_benthic_microalgal_community_and_a_negative_herbivore_response(10.10.2019)

74: "Cyanobacterial Occurrence and Diversity in Seagrass Meadows in Coastal Tanzania"; Mariam Issa Hamisi, Thomas J. Lyimo, Masoud Muruke; Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, vol. 3, 2004; DOI: 10.4314/wiojms.v3i2.28455; online: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/28455(09.10.2019)

75: "Benthic microbial mats: Important sources of fixed nitrogen and carbon to the Twin Cays, Belize ecosystem"; Samantha B Joye, Rosalynn Y. Lee; Atoll research bulletin, vol. 528, 2004; DOI: 10.5479/si.00775630.528.1; online https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40661731_Benthic_microbial_mats_Important_sources_of_fixed_nitrogen_and_carbon_to_the_Twin_Cays_Belize_ecosystem(10.10.2019)

76: "Blooms of the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula in coastal Queensland, Australia: disparate sites, common factors"; Simon Albert, Judith M. O’Neil, James W. Udy, Kathleen S. Ahern, Cherie M. O’Sullivan, William C. Dennison; Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 51, 2005; DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2004.10.016; online: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Judith_ONeil/publication/43463889_Lyngbya_majuscula_blooms_in_coastal_Australian_waters_Upstream_causes_and_downstream_effects/links/0c960521ce3c845873000000.pdf(10.11.2019)

77: "Benthic cyanobacterial bloom impacts the reefs of South Florida (Broward County, USA)"; Valerie J. Paul, Robert W. Thacker, Kenneth Banks, Stjepko Golubic; Coral Reefs, vol. 24, 2005; DOI: 10.1007/s00338-005-0061-x; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225779404_Paul_VJ_Thacker_RW_Banks_K_Golubic_S_Benthic_cyanobacterial_bloom_impacts_the_reefs_of_South_Florida_Broward_County_USA_Coral_Reefs_24_693-697(10.11.2019)

78: "Nitrogen budget in a microbial mat in the Camargue (southern France)"; Patricia Bonin, Valerie Michotey; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 322, 2006; DOI: 10.3354/meps322075; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271250801_Nitrogen_budget_in_a_microbial_mat_in_the_Camargue_southern_France(09.10.2019)

79: "CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPARISON OF PROKARYOTIC EPIPHYTES ASSOCIATED WITH THREE EAST AFRICAN SEAGRASSES"; Jacqueline Uku, Mats Björk, Birgitta Bergman, Beatriz Díez; Journal of Phytocology, vol. 43, 2007; DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2007.00371.x; abstract online: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1529-8817.2007.00371.x(09.10.2019)

80: "Health effects of recreational exposure to Moreton Bay, Australia waters during a Lyngbya majuscula bloom"; N. J. Osborne, G. R. Shaw, P. M. Webb; Environment International, vol. 33, 2007; DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2006.10.011; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412006001796(10.11.2019)

81: "Reversal of the net dinitrogen gas flux in coastal marine sediments"; R. W. Fulweiler, S. W. Nixon, B. A. Buckley, S. L. Granger; Nature, vol. 448, 2007; DOI: 10.1038/nature05963; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6211734_Reversal_of_the_net_dinitrogen_gas_flux_in_coastal_marine_sediments(11.11.2019)

82: "Effects of filamentous algal mats on sulfide invasion in eelgrass (Zostera marina)"; Marianne Holmer, Rikke Maria Nielsen; Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 353, 2007; DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2007.09.010; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098107004546(11.11.2019)

83: "Co-occurrence of dinoflagellate and cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in Florida coastal waters: A case for dual nutrient (N and P) input controls"; J. M. O’Neil, T. W. Davis, M. A. Burford, C.J. Gobler; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 371, 2008; DOI: ; online: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2008/371/m371p143.pdf(09.10.2019)

84: "Dermal toxicology of Lyngbya majuscula, from Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia"; Nick Osborne, Alan Seawright, Glen Shaw; Harmful Algae, vol. 7, 2008; DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2007.12.022; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988308000048(10.11.2019)

85: "Grazer interactions with four species of Lyngbya in southeast Florida"; Angela Capper, Valerie J. Paul; Harmful Algae, vol. 7, 2008; DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2008.02.004; online: https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/6566/Capper_and_Paul_HAB.pdf(10.11.2019)

86: "Dermatitis associated with exposure to a marine cyanobacterium during recreational water exposure"; Nicholas J. Osborne, Glen R. Shaw; BMC Dermatology, vol. 8, 2008; DOI: 10.1186/1471-5945-8-5; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/215784834_Dermatitis_associated_with_exposure_to_a_marine_cyanobacterium_during_recreational_water_exposure(10.11.2019)

87: „Cyanobacteria Occurrence and Nitrogen Fixation Rates in the Seagrass Meadows of the East Coast of Zanzibar: Comparisons of Sites With and Without Seaweed Farms"; Thomas J. Lyimo, Mariam Issa Hamisi; Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, vol. 7, 2008; DOI: 10.4314/wiojms.v7i1.48253; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266618059_CyanobaCteria_oCCurrenCe_nitrogen_fixation_rates_in_the_seagrass_meadows_of_zanzibar_45_Cyanobacteria_Occurrence_and_Nitrogen_Fixation_Rates_in_the_Seagrass_Meadows_of_the_East_Coast_of_Zanzibar_Compa(10.11.2019)

88: "Nitrogen fixation by epiphytic and epibenthic diazotrophs associated with seagrass meadows along the Tanzanian coast, Western Indian Ocean"; Mariam Issa Hamisi, Thomas J. Lyimo, MHS Muruke, Birgitta Bergman; Aquatic Microbial Ecology, vol. 57, 2009; DOI: 10.3354/ame01323; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250220519_Nitrogen_fixation_by_epiphytic_and_epibenthic_diazotrophs_associated_with_seagrass_meadows_along_the_Tanzanian_coast_Western_Indian_Ocean(10.10.2019)

89: "Diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in cyanobacterial mats"; Ina Severin, Silvia G. Acinas, Lucas J. Stal; FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol. 73, 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00925.x; online: https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/73/3/514/530067(10.10.2019)

90: "Spatial and temporal variability in nitrogenase activity and diazotrophic community composition in coastal microbial mats Spatial and temporal variability in nitrogenase activity and diazotrophic community composition in coastal microbial mats"; Ina Severin, Lucas J. Stal; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 417, 2010; DOI: 10.3354/meps08759; online: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2010/417/m417p013.pdf(10.10.2019)

91: "Cyanobacteria in Coral Reef Ecosystems: A Review"; Loic Charpy, Beatriz Estela Casareto, Marie José Langlade, Suzuki Yoshimi; Journal of Marine Biology, 2012; DOI: 10.1155/2012/259571; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280638741_Cyanobacteria_in_Coral_Reef_Ecosystems_A_Review(09.07.2019)

92: "Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania"; Lillian Nduku Daudi, Charles Lugomela, Jacqueline Nduku Uku, Marleen De Troch; Marine Environmental Research, vol. 82, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.09.005; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141113612001651(10.10.2019)

93: "Effect of salinity on nitrogenase activity and composition of the active diazotrophic community in intertidal microbial mats"; Ina Severin, Veronique Confurius-Guns Lucas J. Stal; Archives of Microbiology, 194, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s00203-011-0787-5; online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00203-011-0787-5(09.10.2019)

94: "Moorea producens gen. nov., sp. nov. and Moorea bouillonii comb. nov., tropical marine cyanobacteria rich in bioactive secondary metabolites"; Niclas Engene, Erin C. Rottacker, Jan Kaštovský, Tara Byrum, Hyukjae Choi, Mark H. Ellisman, Jiří Komárek, William H. Gerwick; International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, vol. 62, 2012; DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.033761-0; online: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.033761-0(10.11.2019)

95: "The rise of harmful cyanobacteria blooms: The potential roles of eutrophication and climate change"; J. M. O’Neil, T. W. Davis, M. A. Burford, C. J. Gobler; Harmful Algae, vol. 14, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2011.10.027; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988311001557 (10.10.2019)

96: "N2 fixation rates and associated diversity (nifH) of microbialite and mat-forming consortia from different aquatic environments in Mexico"; Yislem Beltrán, Carla M. Centeno, Felipe García-Oliva, Pierre Legendre, Luisa I. Falcón; Aquatic Microbial Ecology, vol. 67, 2012; DOI: 10.3354/ame01572; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232251112_N2_fixation_rates_and_associated_diversity_nifH_ofmicrobialite_and_mat-forming_consortia_fromdifferent_aquatic_environments_in_Mexico(09.10.2019)

97: "Short-term measurements of exposure and inundation of sediment areas in a tide-less wind flat system at the Southern Baltic Sea coast"; U. Karsten, H. Baudler, B. Himmel, R. Jaskulke, H. Ewald, R. Schumann; Journal of Marine Systems, vol. 105, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2012.08.004; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258665502_Short-term_measurements_of_exposure_and_inundation_of_sediment_areas_in_a_tide-less_wind_flat_system_at_the_Southern_Baltic_Sea_coast(09.10.2019)

97.1: "Benthic bloom of cyanobacteria associated with fish mortality in Alexandria waters"; Amany A.Ismael; The Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research, vol. 38, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejar.2013.01.001; online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687428513000046(11.11.2019)

97.2: "Ecological distribution of harmful epiphytic Oscillatoriales in Alexandria coast, Egypt, with special reference to DNA identification"; Amany Abdel Hamid Ismael, Eman Abdel Razak Mohamed, Mostafa Mohamed El-Sheikh, Wafaa Hassan Hegazy; Journal of Coastal Life Medicine, 2014; DOI: 10.12980/JCLM.2.2014J51; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269518387_Ecological_distribution_of_harmful_epiphytic_Oscillatoriales_in_Alexandria_coast_Egypt_with_special_reference_to_DNA_identification(11.11.2019)

98: "Evidence and a conceptual model for the co-occurrence of nitrogen fixation and denitrification in heterotrophic marine sediments"; R. W. Fulweiler, S. M. Brown, S. W. Nixon, B. D. Jenkins; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 2013; DOI: 10.3354/meps10240; online: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2013/482/m482p057.pdf(09.10.2019)

99: "Microphytobenthos along the Louisiana continental shelf during mid-summer hypoxia"; Melissa M Baustian, N. N. Rabalais, Wendy L. Morrison, Robert Eugene Turner; Continental Shelf Research, vol. 52, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.csr.2012.10.014; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257118512_Microphytobenthos_along_the_Louisiana_continental_shelf_during_mid-summer_hypoxia(10.10.2019)

100: "Epiphytic cyanobacteria of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata: diversity, diel nifH expression and nitrogenase activity"; Mariam Hamisi, Beatriz Díez, Thomas Lyimo, Karolina Ininbergs, Birgitta Bergman; Environmental Microbiology Reports, vol. 5, 2013; DOI: :10.1111/1758-2229.12031; online: https://repositorio.uc.cl/bitstream/handle/11534/12614/Epiphytic%20cyanobacteria%20of%20the%20seagrass%20Cymodocea%20rotundata%20diversity,%20diel%20nifH%20expression%20and%20nitrogenase%20activity.pdf?sequence=1(10.10.2019)

100.1: "Overgrowth of reef organisms by benthic cyanobacteria in the Colombian Caribbean"; Mónica Puyana, Julián Prato; Revista Mutis, vol. 3, 2013; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319306292_Overgrowth_of_reef_organisms_by_benthic_cyanobacteria_in_the_Colombian_Caribbean (11.11.2019)

101: "Bloom of the cyanobacterium Moorea bouillonii on the gorgonian coral Annella reticulata in Japan"; Hideyuki Yamashiro, Naoko Isomura, Kazuhiko Sakai; Scientific Reports volume, vol. 4, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/srep06032; online: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep06032(11.11.2019)

102: "Bacterioplankton, Picoeukaryotes and Synechococcus Distribution Associated with Seagrass in South Coast of Hainan Island, China"; Dingtian Yang, Xiujuan Shan, Sumin Liu; Natural Resources, vol. 5, 2014; DOI: 10.4236/nr.2014.59042; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276048752_Bacterioplankton_Picoeukaryotes_and_Synechococcus_Distribution_Associated_with_Seagrass_in_South_Coast_of_Hainan_Island_China(09.10.2019)

103: "Predicting the potential habitat of the harmful cyanobacteria Lyngbya majuscula in the Canary Islands (Spain)"; Laura Martín-García, Rogelio Herrera, Leopoldo Moro-Abad, Carlos Sangil, Jacinto Barquín-Diez; Harmful Algae, vol. 34, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2014.02.008; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988314000298(09.10.2019)

104: "Multi-temporal mapping of seagrass cover, species and biomass: A semi-automated object based image analysis approach"; Chris M. Roelfsema, Mitchell Lyons, Eva M. Kovacs,Paul Maxwell, Megan I. Saunders, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Stuart R. Phinn; Remote Sensing of Environment, vol. 150, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2014.05.001; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262768432_Multi-temporal_mapping_of_seagrass_cover_species_and_biomass_A_semi-automated_object_based_image_analysis_approach(10.11.2019)

105: "Changes in Sediment Bacterial Community in Response to Long-Term Nutrient Enrichment in a Subtropical Seagrass-Dominated Estuary"; Rafael Guevara, Makoto Ikenaga, Amanda L. Dean, Cristina Pisani, Joseph N. Boyer; Microbial Ecology, vol. 68, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0418-1; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261838808_Changes_in_Sediment_Bacterial_Community_in_Response_to_Long-Term_Nutrient_Enrichment_in_a_Subtropical_Seagrass-Dominated_Estuary(09.10.2019)

106: "Spatial scale of cyanobacterial blooms in Old Providence Island, Colombian Caribbean"; Alberto Acosta; Universitas Scientiarum, vol. 20, 2014; DOI: 10.11144/Javeriana.SC20-1.sscb; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267749054_Spatial_scale_of_cyanobacterial_blooms_in_Old_Providence_Island_Colombian_Caribbean(10.10.2019)

107: "A Comparison of Abundance and Diversity of Epiphytic Microalgal Assemblages on the Leaves of the Seagrasses Posidonia oceanica (L.) and Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch in Eastern Tunisia"; Lotfi Mabrouk, Mounir Ben Brahim, Asma Hamza, Mabrouka Mahfoudhi, Med Najmeddine Bradai; Journal of Marine Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1155/2014/275305; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287247573_A_Comparison_of_Abundance_and_Diversity_of_Epiphytic_Microalgal_Assemblages_on_the_Leaves_of_the_Seagrasses_Posidonia_oceanica_L_and_Cymodocea_nodosa_Ucria_Asch_in_Eastern_Tunisia(10.10.2019)

108: "Influence of local and global environmental parameters on the composition of cyanobacterial mats in a tropical lagoon"; Isidora Echenique-Subiabre, Aurélie Villeneuve, Stjepko Golubic, Jean Turquet, Jean-François Humbert, Muriel Gugger; Microbial Ecology, vol. 69, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0496-0; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266252657_Influence_of_local_and_global_environmental_parameters_on_the_composition_of_cyanobacterial_mats_in_a_tropical_lagoon(09.10.2019)

109: "Biodiversity and toxin production of cyanobacteria in mangrove swamps in the Red Sea off the southern coast of Saudi Arabia"; Zakaria Mohamed, Abdulrahman Alshehri; Botanica Marina, vol. 58, 2015; DOI: 10.1515/bot-2014-0055; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276310216_Biodiversity_and_toxin_production_of_cyanobacteria_in_mangrove_swamps_in_the_Red_Sea_off_the_southern_coast_of_Saudi_Arabia(09.10.2019)

110: "Revisiting N2 fixation in Guerrero Negro intertidal microbial mats with a functional single-cell approach"; Dagmar Woebken, Luke C Burow, Faris Behnam, Xavier Mayali, Arno Schintlmeister, Erich D Fleming, Leslie Prufert-Bebout, Steven W Singer, Alejandro López Cortés, Tori M Hoehler, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Alfred M Spormann, Michael Wagner, Peter K Weber, Brad M Bebout; The ISME Journal, vol. 9, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.144; online: https://www.nature.com/articles/ismej2014144(10.10.2019)

111: „Denitrification and the denitrifier community in coastal microbial mats“; Haoxin Fan, Henk Bolhuis, Lucas J. Stal; FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol. 91, 2015; DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiu033; online: https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/91/3/fiu033/432689(10.10.2019)

111.1: "High dissolved organic carbon release by benthic cyanobacterial mats in a Caribbean reef ecosystem"; Hannah J. Brocke, Frank Wenzhoefer, Dirk de Beer, Benjamin Mueller, Fleur C. van Duyl, Maggy M. Nugues; Scientific Reports, vol. 5, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/srep08852; online: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep08852(11.11.2019)

112: "Significant nitrogen fixation activity associated with the phyllosphere of Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica: first report"; Nona S. R. Agawin, Pere Ferriol, Callum Cryer, Elena Alcon, Antonio Busquets, Eva Sintes, Constanza Vidal, Gabriel Moyà; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 551, 2016; DOI: 10.3354/meps11755; abstract online: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v551/p53-62/ (09.10.2019)

113: "The Community Structure of Phytoplankton in Seagrass Ecosystem and its Relationship with Environmental Characterstics"; Gede Iwan Setiabudi, Dietriech G. Bengen, Hefni Effendi, Ocky Karna Radjasa; Biosaintifika, vol.8, 2016; DOI: 10.15294/biosaintifika.v8i3.6549; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311891794_The_Community_Structure_of_Phytoplankton_in_Seagrass_Ecosystem_and_its_Relationship_with_Environmental_Characterstics(09.10.2019)

114: "Benthic cyanobacterial diversity of Iles Eparses (Scattered Islands) in the Mozambique Channel"; Mayalen Zubia, Jean Turquet, Stjepko Golubic; Acta Oecologica, vol. 72, 2016; DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2015.09.004; abstract online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1146609X15300199(10.10.2019)

115: "Cyanobacterial Diversity in Microbial Mats from the Hypersaline Lagoon System of Araruama, Brazil: An In-depth Polyphasic Study"; Vitor M. C. Ramos, Raquel Castelo-Branco, Pedro N. Leão, Joana Martins, Sinda Carvalhal-Gomes, Frederico Sobrinho da Silva, João G. Mendonça Filho, Vitor M. Vasconcelos; frontiers in Microbiology, 2017; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01233; online: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01233/full(10.10.2019)

116: "40 Years of benthic community change on the Caribbean reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire: the rise of slimy cyanobacterial mats"; Didier M. de Bakker, Fleur C. van Duyl, Rolf P. M. Bak, Maggy M. Nugues, Gerard Nieuwland, Erik H. Meesters; Coral Reefs, vol. 36, 2017; DOI: 10.1007/s00338-016-1534-9; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312108016_40_Years_of_benthic_community_change_on_the_Caribbean_reefs_of_Curacao_and_Bonaire_the_rise_of_slimy_cyanobacterial_mats(09.07.2019)

117: "N2 fixation and primary productivity in a red sea Halophila stipulacea meadow exposed to seasonality"; U. Cardini, N. van Hoytema, V. N. Bednarz, M. M. D. Al-Rshaidat, C. Wild; Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 63, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/lno.10669; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319876620_N2_fixation_and_primary_productivity_in_a_red_sea_Halophila_stipulacea_meadow_exposed_to_seasonality(10.10.2019)

118: "Temporal and spatial variability of in situ nitrogen fixation activities associated with the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows"; Nona Sheila Romualdo Agawin, Pere Ferriol, Eva Sintes, Gabriel Moyà; Limnology and Oceanography, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/lno.10591; abstract online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317184162_Temporal_and_spatial_variability_of_in_situ_nitrogen_fixation_activities_associated_with_the_Mediterranean_seagrass_Posidonia_oceanica_meadows(09.10.2019)

119: "Reefs under Siege—the Rise, Putative Drivers, and Consequences of Benthic Cyanobacterial Mats"; Amanda K. Ford, Sonia Bejarano, Maggy M. Nugues, Petra M. Visser, Simon Albert, Sebastian C. A. Ferse; Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 5, 2018; DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00018; online unter: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00018/full(09.07.2019)

120: "Nitrogen fixation and diversity of benthic cyanobacterial mats on coral reefs in Curaçao"; Hannah J. Brocke, Bastian Piltz, Nicole Herz, Raeid M. M. Abed, Katarzyna A. Palinska, Uwe John, Joost den Haan, Dirk de Beer, Maggy M. Nugues; Coral Reefs, vol. 37, 2018; DOI: 10.1007/s00338-018-1713-y; online: https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3031381_1/component/file_3035565/content (10.10.2019)

121: "Effects of nutrient loading on sediment bacterial and pathogen communities within seagrass meadows"; Songlin Liu, Zhijian Jiang, Yiqin Deng, Yunchao Wu, Jingping Zhang, Chunyu Zhao, Delian Huang, Xiaoping Huang, Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett; Microbiology Open, vol. 7, 2018; DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.600; online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323661863_Effects_of_nutrient_loading_on_sediment_bacterial_and_pathogen_communities_within_seagrass_meadows(09.10.2019)

122: "Effects of flask configuration on biofilm growth and metabolites of intertidal Cyanobacteria isolated from a mangrove forest"; M. Veerabadhran, S. Chakraborty, S. Mitra, S. Karmakar, J. Mukherjee; Journal of Applied Microbiology, vol 125, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/jam.13761; https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jam.13761(10.10.2019)

123: "Diazotroph activity in surface Narragansett Baysediments in summer is stimulated by hypoxia andorganic matter delivery"; R. F. Spinette, S. M. Brown, A. L. Ehrlich, G. Puggioni, C. Deacutis, B. D. Jenkins; Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 614, 2019; DOI: 10.3354/meps12901; online: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps_oa/m614p035.pdf(11.11.2019)

124: "Examination of Ulva bloom species richness and relative abundance reveals two cryptically co-occurring bloom species in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island"; Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber; Harmful Algae, vol. 24, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2012.12.007; online: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=bio_facpubs(11.11.2019)

125: "Differential Mortality of North Atlantic Bivalve Molluscs During Harmful Algal Blooms Caused by the Dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium (a.k.a. Margalefidinium) polykrikoides"; Andrew W. Griffith, Sandra E. Shumway, Christopher J. Gobler; Estuaries and Coasts, vol. 42, 2019; DOI: 10.1007/s12237-018-0445-0; online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-018-0445-0(10.11.2019)

126: "Rhode Island’s October 2016 Pseudo-nitzschia Bloom"; Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, October 2016; online: http://www.dem.ri.gov/shellfishclosure/algae-bloom-10-2016.php# (11.11.2019)

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Many researchers suggest that the formation of methane by cyanobacteria contributes to methane accumulation in oxygen-saturated marine and limnic surface waters. In these environments, frequent cyanobacterial blooms are predicted to further increase because of global warming potentially having a direct positive feedback on climate change.

Thx Abhijit for your answer, and yes that's the reason i asked, as cyanobacteria are maybe producing in any environment methane. But these mats could be especially effective methane producers. In the research list, there are some examples where an investigation on the matter would be highly interesting.

I agree with Abhijit Mitra that Cyanobacteria living in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments produce methane at substantial rates under light, dark, oxic, and anoxic conditions, linking methane production with light-driven primary productivity in a globally relevant and ancient group of photoautotrophs. Methane-producing microorganisms are named methanogenic archaea or simply methanogens. Methanogens have a complex metabolism that allows them to create methane as they produce the energy they need to survive. Cyanobacteria still play an essential role in modern coral reef ecosystems by forming a major component of epiphytic, epilithic, and endolithic communities as well as of microbial mats. Cyanobacteria are grazed by reef organisms and also provide nitrogen to the coral reef ecosystems through nitrogen fixation. Microbial mats function as a consortium where biogeochemical cycles and biochemical processes are coupled and this close interaction allows the products of the metabolism of one group to be available and used by other microorganisms.Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic byproduct in anoxic conditions. They are classified as Archaea, a domain distinct from bacteria. They are common in wetlands, where they are responsible for marsh gas. Cyanobacteria are often called as blue-green algae.

Thx Naresh for your kind answer.

What would interest me most would be measurements of the methane production of cyanomats, as they belong to the most productive systems we know of in the range of rainforest.

We observe now how they start to take over many systems from rivers to lakes up to whole coastal areas where they are spreading now.

Just some examples - as it is becoming a global problem...

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00018/full

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84016-z

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-019-0374-3

Thus their methane emissions could become substantial on a global scale.

All the best

Jan