Project Description

Project Context :

Benthic cyanobacteria can form dense mats at the bottom of water bodies. These colonies can detach from the substrate, for example due to physical disturbances or the presence of oxygen bubbles in the mats. These floating mats can then disperse freely in the lake. But this dispersal can be problematic for the environment and for human activities, due to the potential presence of cyanotoxins in the floating mats.

Project Objectives :

Our objectives are (i) to characterise the taxonomic richness and diversity of benthic cyanobacteria in mainland French lakes, and (ii) to evaluate the toxic risk linked to the proliferation of benthic cyanobacteria, especially for potentially toxinogenic taxa.

Project Results

Exploratory analyses done during an internship led to the identification of 28 genera of cyanobacteria in French lakes, with 17 of them being potentially toxinogenic. Cyanobacteria were observed in the majority of the lakes, albeit with low abundances. Continuation of the project in 2026 will allow us to better characterize the species diversity of cyanobacteria, thanks to molecular approaches, and the production of cyanotoxins in the benthic mats.

To go further

Contact : albin.meyer@inrae.fr