This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides phytoplankton data for samples collected from eleven large river sites throughout the United States, from June through October 2018. All data are reported as raw calculated values and are not rounded to USGS significant figures. The dataset includes all routine and quality assurance/quality control samples collected as part of a National Water Quality Assessment Project pilot study to describe cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin occurrence in the Nation's large rivers. Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundance (reported as both natural units and cells) is reported.

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides the phytoplankton tally sheet, including photomicrographs, for samples collected from eleven large river sites throughout the United States, from June through September 2017. All data are raw tallies, not calculated abundances or concentrations. The dataset includes all routine and quality assurance/quality control samples collected as part of a National Water Quality Assessment Project pilot study to describe the potential for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin ocurrence in the Nation's large rivers. Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundances (density reported as natural units) are reported.

This dataset contains algal identification and enumeration data for phytoplankton samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) between July 2019 and November 2019 at seven reservoirs across the United States. Reservoirs sampled included Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin, Pelican Lake, Minnesota, Lake Ida, Minnesota, Pomme de Terre, Minnesota, Lake Emily, Minnesota, Milford Lake, Kansas, and Jordan Lake, North Carolina. The samples were analyzed at the Caribbean - Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC) Phycology Laboratory using morphology-based microscopy methods. This data is part of a larger multi-agency project between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and USGS called the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN). The goal of the CyAN project is to develop a satellite-based, early warning system to detect harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater systems.

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides phytoplankton data collected from the Kansas River and tributaries, during July 2012 through February 2017. All data are reported as raw calculated values and are not rounded to USGS significant figures. This data release was produced in compliance with the open data requirements as a way to make scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset includes all routine and quality assurance/quality control samples collected at two locations along the Kansas River (USGS station numbers 06887500, 06892350) and three tributary sites (USGS station numbers 06857100, 06887000, 06890900). Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundance (density) and biovolume are reported.

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release provides phytoplankton data collected from the Kansas River and tributaries, during July 2012 through June 2023. All data are reported as raw calculated values and are not rounded to USGS significant figures. This data release was produced in compliance with the open data requirements as a way to make scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset includes all routine and replicate samples collected at five locations along the Kansas River (USGS station numbers 06887500, 06888990, 06892350, 06892518, and 390515094393500) and three tributary sites (USGS station numbers 06857100, 06887000, 06890900). Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundance (density) and biovolume are reported. First release: June 2018 (https://doi.org/10.5066/P9EVITTP). Revised: 2025 (ver. 2.0; https://doi.org/10.5066/10.5066/P1RVWQ5P)

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides phytoplankton data collected from Milford Lake, Kansas, during July 27 and August 31, 2015. This data release was produced in compliance with the federal open-data requirements as a way to make scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset includes all samples collected at three long-term U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) sites on Milford Lake. Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundance (density) and biovolume are reported.

This dataset contains taxonomy, density (cells/mL), and biovolume (μm3/mL) data for phytoplankton sampled across the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta) beginning in 2016. Whole water phytoplankton samples were collected intermittently during special projects and during routine visits to service continuous monitoring stations. Samples were preserved with Lugol’s iodine solution (2-5 %) immediately after collection and stored in a cool, dark environment until analysis. Preserved whole water samples are sent to BSA Environmental Services (BSA) in Beachwood, Ohio for microscopic identification and enumeration. A Leica DMLB compound microscope is used for enumerating filtered phytoplankton samples. The magnification used (100X, 200X, 400X, 630X, 1000X) depends upon the size of dominant taxa and presence of particulates. Samples are analyzed at multiple magnifications to ensure enumeration and identification of taxa which vary over several orders of magnitude in size. If a sample is dominated by cells or natural units below 10-20 µm, or when cells are fragile and difficult to identify, most counting is completed at 630X. For enumeration, phytoplankton cells are concentrated onto a filter (McNabb 1960, Standard Methods 2012) and then counted. The abundance of common taxa is estimated by random field counts (Lund 1958). At least 400 natural units (colonies, filaments, unicells) or a minimum of 50 fields are enumerated to the lowest possible taxonomic level from each sample. Additionally, an entire strip of the filter is counted at 630X and half of the filter is counted at 400X for any organisms missed during the random fields count to further ensure complete species detection. The density of cells per milliliter is calculated from the tally of cells counted, number of fields counted, and subsampling volumes. Note that density and biovolume calculations are both based on cell count, not natural unit count. Cell biovolumes of all identified phytoplankton taxa are also calculated. Biovolumes per cell are estimated using formulae for solid geometric shapes that most closely match the cell shape (Hillebrand et al., 1999). Biovolume calculations are based on measurements of 10 organisms per taxon for each sample where possible. The total biovolume of each taxa is reported as cubic micrometers per milliliter. Beginning in 2021, additional columns were added to the reports from BSA, including tally of natural units and measurements that are used in calculating biovolume (all formulas can be found in Hillebrand et al., 1999). These fields include: average length, width and depth of cells, and biovolume factor, and additionally average measurements e and f used to calculate the biovolume of gomphonemoid shaped organisms and average cymbelloid measurement used to calculate the biovolume for cymbelloid shaped organisms. In addition to phytoplankton data reported by BSA, spatial attributes are also included in this dataset. These attributes include spatial information describing the location of samples (collected at stations that can be found at the USGS water Natioansl Water Information System; U.S. Geological Survey, 2023) using across a range of nested descriptions from fine to broad resolution (e.g. Delta region, river, slough, etc.) and are intended to aid data aggregation and integration. For additional spatial analyses, the USGS has created a series of Bay-Delta shapefiles which have been split into multiple polygons defining 0.1, 1, and 5 river-mile segments. These Polygon IDs are assigned using the Python programming language’s ‘geopandas’ (Jordahl, 2020) package. Polygon IDs of each river-mile resolution corresponding to each sampling location are also included in these data to aid data aggregation efforts. American Public Health Association, 2012. Standard Methods For the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 22nd Edition. APHA, Washington, DC. ISBN 978-087553-013-0. Hillebrand, H., C.D. Durselen, D.

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides phytoplankton data collected from Milford Lake, Kansas, during June through October 2018. All data are reported as raw calculated values and are not rounded to USGS significant figures. This data release was produced in compliance with the federal open-data requirements as a way to make scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset includes all routine and quality assurance/quality control samples collected at eight USGS sample locations at Milford Lake. Phytoplankton were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and abundance (density) and biovolume are reported.