Microbial diversity of whole water, colony-attached and free living bacteria associated with Microcystis blooms

The toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis is one of the most pervasive harmful algal bloom (HAB) genera and naturally occurs in colonies held together by a mucilage known to harbor diverse heterotrophic bacterial assemblages that may influence Microcystis proliferation and toxicity. Still, there remains a limited understanding of the structural and functional potential of the colony-associated microbiomes and how they may be shaped by environmental conditions. This study used next-generation amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the community dynamics of bacterial assemblages during Microcystis blooms in two North American lakes, Lake Erie (LE) and Lake Agawam (LA; Long Island, NY).