A novel method for tracking western Lake Erie Microcystis blooms, 2002-2011

► A method for using plankton tows to quantify Microcystis blooms is described. ► The floatation separation method compares well with traditional methods. ► Microcystis blooms in Lake Erie varied greatly between 2002 and 2011. ► The 2011 Microcystis bloom was 2.4 times greater than the previous largest bloom.