As part of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, the growth of benthic cyanobacteria-dominated mats in the lakes have been monitored. This dataset shows chlorophyll-a levels associated with the benthic mats. Values are provided for various depths of Lake Hoare during the 1996-97 field season, both with and without correction for phaeopigments.