Fifty years of limnology (1969-2019) at Mahoney Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Mahoney Lake is a small, meromictic saline lake in south-central British Columbia noted for its unique layer of purple sulfur bacteria. First examined in 1969, this lake has undergone physical, chemical, biological, and pre-historical research to generate an understanding of how the lake and its biota function have developed through time. Advances in understanding the sulfur transformations and bacterial nutrient cycling over the last fifty years have been prolific, resulting in the description of several new taxa. Mahoney Lake is exceptional in its limnological characteristics and is an ideal site for training future limnologists.

Keywords

• purple sulphur bacteria
• meromictic
• redox