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Life Sciences

Western University

Theses/Dissertations

2018

Heterosigma akashiwo

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The Effect Of Multiple Environmental Stressors On The Growth And Toxicity Of The Red Tide Alga Heterosigma Akashiwo, Malihe Mehdizadeh Allaf Nov 2018

The Effect Of Multiple Environmental Stressors On The Growth And Toxicity Of The Red Tide Alga Heterosigma Akashiwo, Malihe Mehdizadeh Allaf

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Heterosigma akashiwo (Y.Hada) Y.Hada ex Y.Hara & M.Chihara is a golden-brown phytoflagellate with high potential to kill fish. These cells create large, nearly mono-specific blooms that persist from weeks to months. Although bloom persistence and frequency remain a mystery, environmental factors such as light, temperature, salinity and CO2 level are proposed as drivers for both bloom initiation and toxicity. As timing and locations of nature blooms are difficult to predict, most of the information on this species comes from laboratory experiments on isolated cells. In this age, when multiple stressors occur simultaneously the traditional “One-factor-at-a-time” (OFAT) approach limits our …


Growth And Toxicity Of Geographically-Distinct Isolates Of The Fish-Killing Phytoflagellate, Heterosigma Akashiwo, Veerta Singh Nov 2018

Growth And Toxicity Of Geographically-Distinct Isolates Of The Fish-Killing Phytoflagellate, Heterosigma Akashiwo, Veerta Singh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)—an accumulation of toxic phytoplankton—often result from environmental changes reflecting the increasing global human footprint and climate change. One HAB species drawing attention is Heterosigma akashiwo, a fish-killing flagellate that can cause extensive fish loss or be benign, depending on location or environmental conditions. Here, I investigate if this difference in toxicity is regulated by environmental conditions or differences in cellular physiology. Six strains were examined. Three originate from the Salish Sea, where fish-kills are common, and three from Japan, where blooms of Heterosigma are common but fish-kills are rare. By measuring growth and toxicity of cells …