Spatiotemporal diversity and community structure of cyanobacteria and associated bacteria in the large shallow subtropical Lake Okeechobee (Florida, United States).

ABSTRACT: Lake Okeechobee is a large eutrophic, shallow, subtropical lake in south Florida, United States. Due to decades of nutrient loading and phosphorus rich sediments, the lake is eutrophic and frequently experiences cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). In the past, surveys of the phytoplankton community structure in the lake have been conducted by morphological studies, whereas molecular based studies have been seldom employed. With increased frequency of cyanoHABs in Lake Okeechobee (e.g., 2016 and 2018 Microcystis-dominated blooms), it is imperative to determine the diversity of cyanobacterial taxa that exist within the lake and the limnological parameters that drive bloom-forming genera. A spatiotemporal study of the lake was conducted over the course of 1 year to charact

SUBMITTER: Lefler FW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10499181 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature