Environmental Health Commons^™

The Role Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus In The Growth, Toxicity, And Distribution Of The Toxic Cyanobacteria, Microcystis Aeruginosa, James Parrish

Master's Projects and Capstones

Microcystis aeruginosa is among the most common harmful algal-blooming species in the world. Potent microcystins released by M. aeruginosa have been linked to liver failure and death in aquatic mammals, like the endangered California sea otter, and provide a serious public health risk to humans. Once characterized as a freshwater problem, M. aeruginosa is expanding on a global scale, making persistent returns in freshwater, brackish, and coastal marine ecosystems. Though commonly observed dominating aquatic ecosystems in low N:P atomic ratios less than 44:1, the reliability of N:P ratios as a tool for managing and predicting M. aeruginosa blooms is explored …