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Biology

Western Washington University

Theses/Dissertations

Phytoplankton

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The Toxicity Of Dopamine On Salish Sea Phytoplankton, Allyson Lombardo Jan 2023

The Toxicity Of Dopamine On Salish Sea Phytoplankton, Allyson Lombardo

WWU Graduate School Collection

In the Salish Sea, blooms of the intertidal macroalgae, Ulvaria obscura, are common and can achieve extraordinarily high biomass. Upon desiccation and subsequent rehydration from incoming tides, U. obscura releases dopamine. Previous studies showed that dopamine negatively affects other macroalgal species and can deter grazers. However, the effects of dopamine on co-occurring phytoplankton remains unknown. This study explored the toxicity of dopamine on four phytoplankton known to inhabit the Salish Sea: the haptophyte, Isochrysis galbana; the chlorophyte, Dunaliella tertiolecta; the dinoflagellate, Heterocapsa triquetra; and the diatom, Thalassiosira sp. Over the course of 8 days, phytoplankton growth …