Metatranscriptome of Microcystis bloom in Lake Erie 2014

Annual cyanobacterial blooms dominated by Microcystis have occurred in the western basin of Lake Erie (USA/Canada) during summer months since 1995. The production of toxins by bloom-forming cyanobacteria can lead to public health crises, such as the one experienced by the city of Toledo in August of 2014, when the city was rendered without drinking water for ~ 96 h. To define conditions that were driving this specific bloom and subsequently provide a scientific framework for management of such bloom events, samples were collected to resolve the environmental cues to which Microcystis populations were responding. Metatranscriptomes were generated in concert with the collection of environmental metrics for eight sites located in the western basin of Lake Erie, including a station at the water intake for the city of Toledo. Together, these data were used to generate a basin-wide ecophysiological fingerprint of Lake Erie Microcystis populations in August of 2014 for comparison to previous bloom communities. When combined with physiochemical observations, the data suggest that the conditions necessary to support a bloom occur regularly within the western basin of Lake Erie. Our observations and analyses indicate that, independent of better nutrient and system management, bloom events will remain a common occurrence in Lake Erie and conditions may indeed continue to deteriorate.