Diel and spatial variability in cyanobacterial composition, gene abundance, and toxin concentration: A pilot study

Victoria Christensen; Leon R. Katona; Jaime F. LeDuc; Ryan P. Maki; Hayley Olds; James C. Smith; Hailey Elizabeth Trompeter

doi:10.1038/s41598-025-18453-5

Diel and spatial variability in cyanobacterial composition, gene abundance, and toxin concentration: A pilot study

Scientific Reports

By: Victoria Christensen, Leon R. Katona, Jaime F. LeDuc, Ryan P. Maki, Hayley Olds, James C. Smith, and Hailey Elizabeth Trompeter

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18453-5

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Abstract

We designed a pilot field study to assess relations between sunlight, cyanobacteria, and cyanotoxins. In 2021, we collected day (07:00 h, 10:00 h, 13:00 h, 16:00 h) and night samples (19:00 h, 22:00 h, 01:00 h, 04:00 h) at two locations in Kabetogama Lake, MN, USA. One sample set was collected from the lakeward end of a boat dock and the other on the nearby shoreline. Cyanobacterial phylogenetic eDNA differences over 24 h (pseudo F = 2.0938, p = 0.127) were not significant. Copies of anatoxin (anaC) and microcystin (mcyE) synthetase genes varied significantly over the sampling times at the dock (Friedman Χ² = 15.01, df = 7, p = 0.036; Friedman Χ² = 19.22, df = 7, p = 0.008) and the shoreline (Friedman Χ² = 19.33, df = 7, p = 0.007; Friedman Χ² = 20.56, df = 7, p = 0.005), with the highest anaC counts occurring during the night for both sites. Additionally, the highest total and dissolved microcystin concentrations occurred at night. Despite the proximity of the sampling locations, cyanobacterial phylogenetic eDNA results indicate that the variability between sites (pseudo-F = 27.547, p = 0.001) were greater than temporal differences over 24 h (pseudo F = 2.0938, p = 0.127). Understanding the effect of diel and spatial variability may help researchers and resource managers make informed decisions about sampling and potential exposure.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Diel and spatial variability in cyanobacterial composition, gene abundance, and toxin concentration: A pilot study
Series title	Scientific Reports
DOI	10.1038/s41598-025-18453-5
Volume	15
Publication Date	October 06, 2025
Year Published	2025
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Nature
Contributing office(s)	Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Description	34734, 15 p.
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Other Geospatial	Kabetogama Lake