Speaker: Felicia Osburn, PhD Candidate; Biology
Advisor: Dr. Thad Scott
Summary: Harmful algal blooms have become a growing concern to the health of freshwater systems, in large part due to the toxins some species of cyanobacteria (commonly referred to as blue-green algae) are capable of producing. These bloom events are typically driven by an increase in available nutrients, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which can commonly be found in runoff of agricultural watersheds. These nutrients not only play a role in the size of the bloom, but increases in environmental N has been found to increase cyanotoxin production, as the molecular structure of many cyanotoxins are rich in N. Many other environmental variables can contribute to bloom and toxin dynamics, such as changes in salinity. In our study, we examine how the growth and toxin production of two physiologically different species of cyanobacteria respond to various N:P and salt environments.
Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Zoom meeting ID: 275 100 2349
Password: 145977
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