Mixing is an integral environmental factor that affects lake ecosystems. For the cyanobacteriumMicrocystis, colony size is important with respects to migration velocity, how cells respond to grazing pressure, light attenuation, nutrient uptake and growth. To understand how mixing shapes colony size and the growth ofMicrocystis, we measured the effects of different current velocities (0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64, and 1.28 m s⁻¹) onM. aeruginosain Lake Taihu. After 24 h of continuous mixing, the mean colony sizes ofM. aeruginosain the controls, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64, and 1.28 m s⁻¹groups were 23.6, 50.1, 92.9, 67.8, and 37.3 μm, respectively. Colony sizes ofM. aeruginosain all treatment groups were significantly larger than those in controls. As well, the concentration of soluble extracellular polysaccharide and bound extracellular polysaccharides ofM. aeruginosain all treatment groups were significantly higher than those in controls. Except for the highest level of mixing (1.28 m s⁻¹), the growth rate ofM. aeruginosawas significantly higher than that in controls. This study suggested that mixing intensity over short time periods can significantly influence colony size and the growth ofM. aeruginosa.

To improve the quality of natural seawater to meet the needs of aquaculture production, a large-scale subsurface-flow constructed wetland (HSFCW) was constructed and operated stably for 2 years to understand the reasons for its purification effect on natural seawater. The results of the study showed that the system could maintain a high purification effect on natural seawater during aquaculture; the average removal rates of COD, TSS, TN, NH₄⁺-N, and DON (organic nitrogen) were 22.29%, 49.33%, 36.94%, 10.88%, and 44.08%, respectively. Additionally, the HSFCW could effectively remove harmful algae such as Cyanobacteria; the removal rate of dominant algae species in Cyanobacteria was 90.33–97.93%. The pyrosequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA revealed that Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Chloroflexi were the main and key bacterial phyla in the system. Members of these key gates are regarded as playing important roles in resisting water purification. The study results suggest that the subsurface-flow wetland system can effectively improve seawater quality and reduce the density of harmful algae cells.