In this study, we filled that information gap with a comprehensive analysis of plankton responses to three successive hurricanes experienced by Lake Okeechobee over a short period of time. Phlips et al. (Phlips et al., 1995) previously examined seasonal and spatial variation in light availability and phytoplankton biomass (measured as chlorophyll a) in Lake Okeechobee based on sampling bimonthly at 84 locations over a 4-year period when there was no hurricane activity in the vicinity of the lake. They found that the biomass of phytoplankton was consistently higher at near-shore sites than pelagic sites, and that the latter regions displayed a more pronounced reduction in phytoplankton during the winter.