HISTORICAL OCCURRENCES OF CYANOBACTERIA IN SEDIMENTS OF JUGGERNAUT POND IN HANCOCK, NH

The frequency of cyanobacteria and algae blooms increases with rising temperatures and lake eutrophication. In turn, lake eutrophication is influenced by human activities such as agriculture and recreation. We analyze lake sediment samples from a remote watershed, Juggernaut Pond, Hancock, NH, for cyanobacteria signatures to better understand the natural water quality changes through time. This pond serves as Hancock’s primary water supply. In spring and summer 2024, we collected two cores from this watershed to discern past trends and create a baseline for comparing potential algae blooms in natural versus human-influenced watersheds. We measured phycocyanin and total chlorophyll at (0.5cm intervals down the core), and loss of ignition (every 1 cm). Our results indicate little variation in these parameters over time, which supports our hypothesis that Juggernaut’s sediments should show no trend in cyanobacteria concentrations due to a lack of disturbance and development in this area.