The data set contains the raw data used for the analysis in a study where cyanotoxins concentrations were measured in water and animal tissue samples collected in the Prespa Lake area in Greece during 2012-2014. 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). In Vromolimni pond the MC concentrations were on average 26.6 (±6.4) µg MC L−1 in 2012, 2.1 (±0.3) µg MC L−1 in 2013 and 12.7 (±12.5) µg MC L−1 in 2014. In 2013, no anatoxins, saxitoxins, nor cyl-indrospermopsins were detected in Lesser Prespa and Vromolimni waters. Tissue samples from carps, an otter and Dalmatian Pelicans contained 0.4–1.9 µg MC g−1 dry weight. These results in-dicate that cyanotoxins could be a threat to the ecosystem functions of particularly Lesser Prespa and Vromolimni.

Date Submitted: 2021-01-30