Microbial communities in three urban eutrophic lakes in Pensacola, FL

The three Jackson Lakes within the Bayou Chico Watershed in NW FL, USA were formed from abandoned sand pits. The lakes experienced inundation with marine water during Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and, despite their proximity and similar dimensions, have developed different biogeochemical profiles over time. All the lakes are stratified, and while the NE lake is fully freshwater, the SE and SW lakes have freshwater above the oxycline with salinities below the oxycline ranging between 2.3 and 4.5. This study was undertaken to investigate the microbial communities of the lakes and how microbial communities are shaped over season and depth