Microbes Cyanotoxin Project: What are the correlates of cyanotoxin concentrations?

Many eutrophic lakes experience frequent accumulations of both toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria. While these organisms play a crucial role in many lake processes including nitrogen/carbon fixation, and nutrient cycling, their decaying biomass contributes to bottom water anoxia/hypoxia and produces noxious odors. In addition, some cyanobacteria produce hepatotoxins (e.g. microcystins, cylindrospermopsin) and neurotoxins (e.g. anatoxins and saxitoxins) that are harmful to aquatic biota, humans, and other animals (e.g. dogs and cattle). Decades of research on model cultures and in lake ecosystems suggests that warm water temperatures, a stable water column, low N:P ratios, and high pH among other variables favors cyanobacterial growth. In addition, toxin production has been linked to growth rate and nitrogen availability in cultures and in some lake studies. However, there are few examples of studies that compare toxin concentrations across lakes distributed globally.
We seek to identify drivers of cyanobacterial toxin production in lakes on a global scale. We invite GLEON members interested in cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin production in their lakes to submit samples to the Miller Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee for cyanotoxin analysis. Data will be returned to contributors for their own use and collectively used by the “Microbes-Cyanotoxin Project” team (which you are welcome to join!) to test a range of specific hypotheses about the scales of variability in cyanotoxin production. Below we provide requirements for sampling, sample handling/shipping, and the types of contextual/metadata requested.