This data set includes information on benthic algae community composition collected during the growing seasons of 2018-2023 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Benthic algal community observations were taken by scuba divers in the field and by personnel in the lab during sample processing with the goal to determine primary and secondary dominance of five major algae groups: Cladophora spp., Chara spp., diatoms, non-branching filamentous green algae, and other algae. While in early years of the project (2018-2020) the dominance was qualitatively assessed based on field and lab observations. From 2021 to 2023, a progressively more detailed microscopic examination was added for quantitative assessments of relative percent cover of algal groups. This dataset is part of a larger data set that includes algal and dreissenid mussel biomass; water quality assessments; and diver observations of dreissenid mussels, round gobies, benthic substrate, and benthic algal cover. We refer to the benthic algal community also as the Cladophora community and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in other published project data, which were collected starting in 2018 (Great Lakes Science Center, 2018).

This data set includes information on benthic algae community composition collected during the growing seasons of 2018-2023 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Benthic algal community observations were taken by scuba divers in the field and by personnel in the lab during sample processing with the goal to determine primary and secondary dominance of five major algae groups: Cladophora spp., Chara spp., diatoms, non-branching filamentous green algae, and other algae. While in early years of the project (2018-2020) the dominance was qualitatively assessed based on field and lab observations. From 2021 to 2023, a progressively more detailed microscopic examination was added for quantitative assessments of relative percent cover of algal groups. This dataset is part of a larger data set that includes algal and dreissenid mussel biomass; water quality assessments; and diver observations of dreissenid mussels, round gobies, benthic substrate, and benthic algal cover. We refer to the benthic algal community also as the Cladophora community and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in other published project data, which were collected starting in 2018 (Great Lakes Science Center, 2018).

This data set includes information on algae community composition and metadata for fish environmental DNA (eDNA) samples collected along the shoreline of southern Lake Michigan in late August 2024. Washed up, floating, and attached algae were collected along shore and in wadable water. Algal community observations were performed by microscopy to determine primary and secondary dominance levels of five major algae groups: (1) Cladophora spp., (2) Chara spp., (3) diatoms, (4) non-branching filamentous green algae, and (5) other algae. Microscopic examination provided quantitative assessments of relative percent cover of algal groups. Algal and water subsamples were simultaneously collected for eDNA analysis, and sample metadata for DNA extracts are included in this data release. DNA extracts were used for MiFish metabarcoding, which is a DNA-based, sequencing technique that uses a set of universal primers to identify fish communities in fresh and marine waters. Associated sequences are available in NCBI Bioproject: PRJNA1216981.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data from three sites in the upper White River Basin, Colorado, in 2022. Benthic algae were identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa.U.S. Geological Survey completed data collection in upper White River Basin in cooperation with the White River Conservation District. Data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data from three sites in the upper White River Basin, Colorado, in 2022. Benthic algae were identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa.U.S. Geological Survey completed data collection in upper White River Basin in cooperation with the White River Conservation District. Data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data in the Colorado River near Cameo, Colorado, from 2022-23. Benthic algae were identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa. Data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data in the Colorado River near Cameo, Colorado, from 2022-23. Benthic algae were identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa. Data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.

This dataset records Cladophora and associated benthic algae, collectively the Cladophora community or submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), biomass collected during the growing season of 2024 at stations located along the U.S. shoreline of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. It also records a variety of supporting data collected at Cladophora measurement stations. These supporting data include: - seasonal time series of photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), currents, wave action, temperature, specific conductivity, turbidity, pH, phycocyanin, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen from moored sensors at a subset of stations; - measurements of Secchi disk depth and water chemistry; - water column profiles of PAR, temperature, specific conductivity, turbidity, pH, phycocyanin, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen; - diver observations of SAV, dreissenid mussels, round goby abundance, and substrate properties; - measurements of dreissenid mussel abundance and size class distribution coincident with SAV biomass; - nutrient content of SAV, dreissenid mussels, and sediments (to be added in a version-controlled data release); - and information about sampling locations and operations. Similar data were collected at several of the same Sentinel transects within four Great Lakes in 2018- 2023 are available at (2018) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9E570JS, (2019) https://doi.org/10.5066/P99O4QXB, (2020) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9O9FSTT, (2021) https://doi:10.5066/P9449EUF, and (2022) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9449EUF, (2023) https://doi.org/10.5066/P13AENJS. This 2024 data release includes new stations sampled for the Spawning Whitefish and Invasive Mussels (SWIM, www.glc.org/work/swim ) project in Lakes Michigan and Huron as well as the Sentinel transects.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data in the Colorado River near Cameo, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) site number 09095500, from 2022 to 2023, and from three sites in the upper White River Basin, Colorado, in 2022. Taxonomic classification of algae species is not known well in theses rivers, and this study was conducted to record different algae species present in each river system. Benthic algae were typically identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa. The U.S. Geological Survey completed data collection in upper White River Basin in cooperation with the White River Conservation District, and the Colorado River data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.

This dataset includes benthic algae community composition data in the Colorado River near Cameo, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) site number 09095500, from 2022 to 2023, and from three sites in the upper White River Basin, Colorado, in 2022. Taxonomic classification of algae species is not known well in theses rivers, and this study was conducted to record different algae species present in each river system. Benthic algae were typically identified as genus or species, and biomass and biovolume were provided for taxa. The U.S. Geological Survey completed data collection in upper White River Basin in cooperation with the White River Conservation District, and the Colorado River data collection was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Mission Area as part of the Next Generation Water Observing System Upper Colorado River project.