Long-term phytoplankton microscopy record
Sub-samples of the surface water samples collected for physiochemical analysis between 1945 and 2010 were used to monitor the phytoplankton community at weekly to fortnightly intervals. These sub-samples were preserved with Lugol’s iodine, concentrated by sedimentation, and then placed in a counting chamber under a microscope for identification and enumeration. Cells were counted within a sedimentation chamber until 1994, after which a Lund chamber was used for enumeration. Phytoplankton were identified to species level where possible, and quantified as the number of cells, colonies, or filaments per mL of lake water.