A paleolimnological approach to understand the history of cyanobacterial occurrence in oligotrophic Adirondack Lakes

The objective of this study was to use paleolimnological approaches to reconstruct the history of cyanobacterial occurrence in Moreau Lake and other oligotrophic Adirondack lakes. Sediment cores were collected from Moreau Lake and 1-2 other comparable oligotrophic Adirondack lakes (New York, USA). Including multiple lakes allowed comparisons among lakes to determine if the patterns observed in Moreau were unique or were more inherent to the character of Adirondack Lakes. The ultimate goal of this effort was to better understand the occurrence of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in oligotrophic lakes. Study outcomes indicated whether cyanobacteria were a naturally recurring, occasional phenomenon in these systems or if they had increased in recent years.