Evidence of microbial CH4 production in surface water and surface sediment during cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Suwa

In this study, we investigated microbial CH4 production in surface water and surface sediment of Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, Japan based on the analyses of genes (16S rRNA genes and mcrA genes) and Coenzyme F430 (a biomarker for methanogenic archaea). Especially, we focused on cyanobacterial bloom and tried to identify a CH4 production process by methanogenic archaea associated with cyanobacteria. Our results suggest the presence of CH4 production processes by methanogenic archaea in surface water as well as surface sediment during cyanobacterial bloom in Lake Suwa.