16S Sequencing from Ontario CSMI Cruise 2023
Microbial communities are essential for maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, forming the foundation of the food web, and regulating water quality through nutrient cycling. Large lakes, such as the Laurentian Great Lakes, display considerable intra-lake variability, characterized by nearshore-offshore gradients, point sources like cities and rivers, and spatial heterogeneity driven by seasonal hydrodynamic circulation patterns. However, there is still a gap in understanding how spatial variability impacts microbial abundance and community composition, along with implications for microbial metabolism and nutrient cycling. Using metabarcoding, flow cytometry, and water quality analyses, we mapped microbial biodiversity in Lake Ontario, achieving novel spatial breadth and resolution. Our findings emphasize the critical role that stratification and circulation play in shaping microbial communities and their ability to cycle nutrients