Citizen monitoring: Testing hypotheses about the interactive influences of eutrophication and mussel invasion on a cyanobacterial toxin in lakes

An existing volunteer monitoring network in the state of Michigan was exploited to conduct a statewide survey of the cyanobacterial toxin, microcystin, and to test hypotheses about the interactive influences of eutrophication and dreissenid mussel invasion. A total of 77 lakes were sampled by citizen volunteers for microcystin, total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a. Microcystin was measured in depth-integrated samples collected from the euphotic zone as well as in surface-water samples collected along the shoreline. Average microcystin in samples collected by volunteers was not different from samples collected side-by-side by professionals. Euphotic-zone microcystin was positively related to TP in lakes without dreissenids (uninvaded) but not in lakes with dreissenids (invaded). Regression-tree analysis indicated that euphotic-zone microcystin was eight times higher in the presence of dreissenids for lakes with TP between 5 and 10 μg L⁻¹. In contrast, euphotic-zone microcystin was almost identical in invaded and uninvaded lakes with TP between 10 and 26 μg L⁻¹. Across all lakes, microcystin concentrations at the surface were on average more than double, and in some cases an order-of-magnitude greater than, concentrations in the euphotic-zone. Given these results, it seems prudent to include dreissenid invasion status in forecasting models for microcystin, and to include shoreline sampling in monitoring programs aimed at assessing recreational exposure to cyanobacterial toxins.