Interannual and Spatial Variability of Cyanotoxins in the Prespa Lake Area, Greece

Cyanobacteria blooms have been recorded regularly in the Prespa Lakes area in Greece—comprised partly of lake Great and lake Lesser Prespa and the Vromolimni pond - which has a global importance for biodiversity.

Samples collected in 2012 revealed scattered and low microcystin (MC) concentrations in Great Prespa (<0.2 μg MC L−1) whereas considerable spatial heterogeneity in both total chlorophyll (2.4–93 µg L−1) and MC concentrations (0.04–52.4 µg MC L−1) was detected in Lesser Prespa. In 2013, there was far less spatial variability of MC concentrations in Lesser Prespa (0.4–1.53 µg L−1), however in 2014, increased concentrations were detected near the lakeshore (25–861 µg MC L−1).