MAC'Cyano

In partnership with INRAE and USMB, this project aims to address a critical knowledge gap concerning epiphytic cyanobacteria in the lakes Bourget and Léman, using an integrated and multidisciplinary approach. It focuses in particular on the potential transfer of cyanotoxins along food chains, from grazing herbivores to their predators.

The MAC’Cyano project has two objectives:

1. to characterise the diversity of cyanobacteria associated with different species of macrophytes, as well as their toxin-producing potential, in the lakes Bourget and Léman;
2. to experimentally test, using mesocosms, the impact of these biofilms on herbivores in order to assess the risk of trophic transfer.

The results will provide operational indicators that can be directly utilised by managers to improve the monitoring of littoral zones, anticipate health risks and guide strategies for managing macrophytes and water quality.