We study lakes, reservoirs and ponds at various spacial and temporal scales (e.g., lab microcosms to regional and global analysis of multiple water bodies) with specific interest in phytoplankton dynamics (including harmful algal blooms or HABs), biogeochemical cycling (nutrient cycling) and foodweb structure in our changing environment. We aim to apply our data and results to sustainable management of lakes and reservoirs at the global scale. Our activities are split between the main campus of SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station (BFS) in Cooperstown.

Our high-frequency (every 15 minutes 24/7) data collection effort on Otsego Lake started in 2016 with temperature and light loggers ("pendants"). With funding from the National Science Foundation, we acquired and deployed an automated lake monitoring buoy on Otsego Lake in Otsego County, NY in summer 2017.  During open water season this buoy collects 46 weather and water quality parameters every 15 minutes, down to the depth of 48 meters. The data are transmitted to a data center via mobile phone signal.

Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) site profile

The automated buoy is moved to a lakeshore during winter months to avoid damage by shifting ice, and aside from downtime for annual maintenance, weather data are still collected and transmitted every 15 minutes, 24/7.

The Continuous Lake Monitoring Buoy (CLMB) on Otsego Lake was re-deployed on May 4, 2025. This deployment was made possible by 14 dedicated volunteers of the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Volunteer Dive Team and Otsego Lake Association, Cooperstown, NY (OLA). This annual work was especially challenging this year. The details, if you are interested, are posted on the OLA website . The general operation of the CLMB is financially supported by OLA; Biological Field Station, School of Sciences, and Biology Department of SUNY Oneonta; Clark Foundation; Towns of Middlefield, Otsego, and Springfield; and Village of Cooperstown. If you are enjoying the real-time Otsego Lake data applet below, please consider supporting the operation and maintenance of the buoy for the 2025 season and beyond through Otsego Lake Association, Cooperstown, NY. A $1500/year data subscription is needed to keep this buoy data applet (here and also on the OLA website) available to the public.      

Disclaimer: Yokota Lab at SUNY Oneonta/Biological Field Station is providing this data "as is," and Yokota Lab and its affiliates cannot be held responsible nor assume any liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in these data or documentation or as a result of the failure of the data or software to function in a particular manner. Yokota Lab and its affiliates make no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty. Real-time data have not been subjected to quality control or quality assurance procedures. Timely delivery of data and products through the Internet is not guaranteed. Before using information obtained from this applet, special attention should be given to the date and time of the data and products being displayed.

 

Principal investigator

Kiyoko Yokota, Ph.D., CLM (Certified Lake Manager, North American Lake Management Society)

Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota; thesis title: Kairomone-induced colony formation in freshwater phytoplankton: algal population dynamics and physiological cost of coloniality

(Major results - Yokota & Sterner 2010)

BS Biology with ecology emphasis, environmental studies minor, Saint Cloud State University

 

Associate Professor of Biology and Biological Field Station (BFS) Researcher, State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oneonta

Email: Kiyoko.Yokota "at" oneonta.edu

Ph. +1-607-436-3742

Main campus:

112 Science 1 Building, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, New York 13820, USA

SUNY Oneonta Biological Field station (BFS):

5838 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, New York 13326, USA

 

Special volunteer collaborator for Otsego Lake Data Buoy work

Sarah Coney, BS Biology. MS Biology in progress. Studies American eels (Lord/Stich Lab). Trusted assistant for all underwater buoy work since the start of the buoy project!

Student researchers

Erica Liguori, BS Biology in progress. Studying population dynamics of invasive mussels.

Kari Minissale, BS Biology in progress. Studying population dynamics of invasive mussels.

Rylie Smith, BS Adolescent Education: Biology in progress.  Studying population dynamics of invasive mussels.

Sierra Stickney, BS Biology (2021) and volunteer researcher (2022). Studied the effects of deicing devices on lake thermal structure and population dynamics of invasive mussels.

Cole Beale, MS Biology (2022). Studied recreational exposure to harmful cyanobacterial bloom exposure.   

Colleen Parker, MS Biology, Dec. 2017; thesis title: Mercury models for fishes in the Catskill Region, Millard et al. (2020); 2015 BFS report (undergrad research on Goodyear Lake fish mercury)

Claire Garfield: BFS reports - 2015 on Otsego Lake phytoplankton, 2017 on comparison of algal community determination methods (pigment vs. microscopy), Lewis et al. (2020) on lake nutrient limitation

Connor Murch: assisted with temperature sensor array and data buoy

Sarah Coney: MS Biology in Lord lab, Student Director for Otsego Lake Association, volunteer SCUBA diver & operation assistant for data buoy (2017-)

Kayla Johnson: assisted with temperature array

Ed Kwietniewski: Yokota et al. (2017) on microplastics

Marissa Mehlrose: 2016 BFS report* (see the notes below) on chlorophyll a extraction and Yokota and Mehlrose (2020) on microplastics

*The 2016 report resulted from a short-term summer undergraduate research project, which included a limited number of local samples with no known standards or dilution series. The applicability of the findings in this report to samples beyond those used in the original study has not been systematically evaluated nor peer-reviewed. KY has since found that the abbreviated (no grinding, 3-hour steep) chlorophyll extraction protocol can result in insufficient pigment extraction in some samples when compared to the USEPA Methods 445.0 and 446.0. Care should be taken if you consider adopting this abbreviated method in your study. 

Britney Wells: Yokota et al. (2017) on microplastics

David Snyder: 2015 BFS report on Goodyear Lake fish mercury

Cody Hastings: 2014 BFS report on microplastics from personal care products and Yokota et al. (2017) on microplastics

Emily Davidson: 2014 BFS report on microplastics from personal care products and Yokota et al. (2017) on microplastics

Biogeochemical cycling and climate change

Prevalence of phytoplankton limitation by both nitrogen and phosphorus related to nutrient stoichiometry, land use, and primary producer biomass across the northeastern United States

Lewis et al. (2020)

Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

Jane et al. (2021)

Earlier winter/spring runoff and snowmelt during warmer winters lead to lower summer chlorophyll‐a in north temperate lakes

Hrycik et al. (2021)

Cyanobacterial blooms in oligotrophic lakes: Shifting the high-nutrient paradigm

Reinl et al. (2021)

Microplastics & phytoplankton

Yokota et al. (2017) 

Student co-authors: Hastings, Davidson, Kwietniewski, Wells

Yokota and Mehlrose (2020)

Student co-author: Mehlrose

 

 

 

SUNY Oneonta BFS Voluntreer Dive Team

The BFS Volunteer Dive Team has been instrumental in deployment and maintenanice of the Otsego Lake data buoys. Paul H. Lord (Dive Master), advanced divers and tenders from the community, and graduates and current students from BIOL 3804 (Underwater Research Methods) and BIOL 3806 (Extended Research Diving) make the buoy project possible.

Pedagogical interests

International travel courses, COIL (collaborative online international learning), sustainability, interdisciplinary learning, Professional Science Master (PSM)

 

Fall 2018 & Winter 2019: study abroad course to Ogasawara Islands, Japan (flyer; PowerPoint slides with links to student videos from 2016-7 trip; draft syllabi for BIOL 294 (campus component, Fall 2018); BIOL 271 (travel component, Winter intersession 2019)

Exchange program w/ Tokyo Metropolitan Univ (Biology students from SUNY Oneonta can enroll in upper level biology courses taught in English)

 

Helpful resources for current and prospective graduate students compiled by Dr. Bob Sterner (University of Minnesota Duluth)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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