Sequence data are used for cyanobacterial community and toxic species analysis. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Linz, D., N. Sienkiewicz, I. Struewing, E.A. Stelzer, J.L. Graham, and J. Lu. Metagenomic mapping of cyanobacteria and potential cyanotoxin producing taxa in large rivers of the United States. Scientific Reports. Nature Publishing Group, London, UK, 13: 2806, (2023).

Sequence data are used for cyanobacterial community and toxic species analysis. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Linz, D., N. Sienkiewicz, I. Struewing, E.A. Stelzer, J.L. Graham, and J. Lu. Metagenomic mapping of cyanobacteria and potential cyanotoxin producing taxa in large rivers of the United States. Scientific Reports. Nature Publishing Group, London, UK, 13: 2806, (2023).

With increasing concerns about freshwater cyanobacteria blooms, there is a need to identify which waterbodies are at risk for developing these blooms, especially those that produce cyanotoxins. To address this concern, we developed spatial statistical models using the US National Lakes Assessment, a survey with over 3,000 spring and summer observations of cyanobacteria abundance and microcystin concentration in lakes across the conterminous US. We combined these observations with other nationally available data to model which lake and watershed factors best explain the presence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. We then used these models to estimate the cyanobacteria abundance and probability of microcystin detection in 124,500 lakes across the CONUS. This dataset includes the compiled data used to generate the models and the dataset used to generate prediction for a much larger population of lakes. The data package includes two tabular data files, two tabular metadata files, and one methods document.

From 2017-2019, the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) analyzed microcystin concentrations in samples collected from three different studies. The first study was on the movement and distribution of invasive carp (Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp) in the upper Mississippi River between lock and dam 16 and lock and dam 19. Samples were collected from May through October of 2017 and 2018 from backwaters, impounded areas and main channel areas in this reach of the Mississippi River. The second study was a nutrient and metal amendment study performed on natural phytoplankton communities from Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. This was a laboratory study where natural phytoplankton communities were incubated for 72 hours with amendments of ammonium, phosphate and metals (iron, zinc, molybdenum, nickel and manganese). After 72 hours, communities were sampled for microcystin concentration (among other metrics not reported here). The third study was a nutrient diffusing substrate study, where periphyton were grown on suspended substrates that leached nutrients or metals. After two weeks of deployment periphyton was collected from the substrates, diluted in purified water and then analyzed for microcystin concentration. Microcystin concentrations for all experiments were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits. We used a Bayesian method to calibrate the absorbance data from the kit and report here on both the microcystin concentrations of the samples analyzed, but also report the raw absorbance data from both samples and calibration standards so that others could recreate the microcystin analysis using other methods if they so choose.

From 2017-2019, the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) analyzed microcystin concentrations in samples collected from three different studies. The first study was on the movement and distribution of invasive carp (Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp) in the upper Mississippi River between lock and dam 16 and lock and dam 19. Samples were collected from May through October of 2017 and 2018 from backwaters, impounded areas and main channel areas in this reach of the Mississippi River. The second study was a nutrient and metal amendment study performed on natural phytoplankton communities from Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. This was a laboratory study where natural phytoplankton communities were incubated for 72 hours with amendments of ammonium, phosphate and metals (iron, zinc, molybdenum, nickel and manganese). After 72 hours, communities were sampled for microcystin concentration (among other metrics not reported here). The third study was a nutrient diffusing substrate study, where periphyton were grown on suspended substrates that leached nutrients or metals. After two weeks of deployment periphyton was collected from the substrates, diluted in purified water and then analyzed for microcystin concentration. Microcystin concentrations for all experiments were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits. We used a Bayesian method to calibrate the absorbance data from the kit and report here on both the microcystin concentrations of the samples analyzed, but also report the raw absorbance data from both samples and calibration standards so that others could recreate the microcystin analysis using other methods if they so choose.

qPCR and RT-qPCR. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Lu, J., I. Struewing, L. Wymer, D. Tettenhorst, J. Shoemaker, and J. Allen. Use of qPCR and RT-qPCR for monitoring variations of microcystin producers and as an early warning system to predict toxin production in an Ohio inland lake. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 170: 115262, (2020).

qPCR and RT-qPCR. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Lu, J., I. Struewing, L. Wymer, D. Tettenhorst, J. Shoemaker, and J. Allen. Use of qPCR and RT-qPCR for monitoring variations of microcystin producers and as an early warning system to predict toxin production in an Ohio inland lake. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 170: 115262, (2020).

Data from NLA 2012 was used to assess biovolume results for cyanobacteria (phytoplankton) in relation to both landscape and in lake factors. Citation information for this dataset can be found in the EDG's Metadata Reference Information section and Data.gov's References section.

Data from NLA 2012 was used to assess biovolume results for cyanobacteria (phytoplankton) in relation to both landscape and in lake factors. Citation information for this dataset can be found in the EDG's Metadata Reference Information section and Data.gov's References section.

The data include the abundance and community compositions characterized using qPCR and metagenomic sequences. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Jeon, Y., I. Struewing, K. Clauson, N. Reetz, N. Fairchild, L. Goeres-Priest, T. Dreher, R. Labiosa, K. Carpenter, B. Rosen, E. Villegas, and J. Lu. Dominant Dolichospermum and microcystin production in Detroit Lake (Oregon, USA). Harmful Algae. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS, 142: 102802, (2025).