(536c) Identification of Unique Microbiomes Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms in Ohio River

Large area of algal growth and cyanotoxin production in Ohio River poses significant threats to the drinking water, recreational industry, ecosystem, and human health. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur most common in the summer in Ohio River. Over 300 algae species have been identified. Knowledge of unique microbial composition associated with HABs and cyanotoxin production in Ohio River is essential for early detection and forecast HABs occurrence. The goal of this research project is to identify unique microbiomes associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Ohio River to facilitate the forecast of HABs and cyanotoxin production based on early season microbiome analysis. The central hypothesis of this research is that the dynamics of HABs are controlled by unique prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiomes co-habitating in the same surface water, which are further influenced by the environmental factors (temperature, pH, and conductivity) and nutrients levels (such as phosphate and nitrate). Early prediction of HABs and cyanotoxin production in Ohio River is important for developing policy and management strategies. Because the correlations between cyanobacterial community composition, function, toxicity and environmental factors are poorly understood, we seek to elucidate this interdependence by studying the phylogenetics and metabolomics of Ohio River’s microbial communities. In this study, we will use whole genome shotgun (WGS) metagenomics to identify unique microbiomes associated with HABs in Ohio River. We will also use MetaPhlAn software to perform taxonomic profiling to determine the composition of microbial communities based on the shotgun metagenomics sequencing data. Statistical methods will be used to build the potential correlation between harmful algae concentration and the abundance of identified unique microbial species.