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The Bioaccumulation Of Cyanotoxins In Aquatic Food Webs, Amanda Lee Murby Mcquaid

Doctoral Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are naturally occurring photosynthetic bacteria, ubiquitous in nature. Increases in temperature and nutrients have supported the proliferation of cyanobacterial growth globally, especially in freshwater systems. Many taxa can produce biotoxins referred to as “cyanotoxins”. While toxic cyanobacteria are a growing public health concern, little is known about the accumulation of cyanotoxins in lake food webs. This research investigates the seasonal occurrence and the potential role of toxic cyanobacteria in two lakes of contrasting water qualities and food web structures. Objectives of this study were to test the bioaccumulation of microcystins (MCs) and beta-methyl-alanine-amino acid (BMAA) in zooplankton. I further …