•  
  •  
 

DOES SALINITY AFFECT THE GROWTH OF TOXIC DINOFLAGELLATE BLOOMS?

Abstract

Dinoflagellates have a significant impact on the ocean and the other organisms that call the ocean home. These blooms produce harmful toxins that can affect all animals that rely on the ocean food web to survive. They produce a neurotoxin that inhibits the ability of other ocean animals to properly function. These dinoflagellates thrive in nutrient dense conditions, reproducing rapidly producing millions of new dinoflagellates creating a harmful algal bloom. One side effect of climate change is increasing ocean salinity levels which have been associated with algal blooms. Therefore, harmful algal blooms are becoming increasingly frequent as the earth warms. Through current research and preventative measures organizations across the world are looking for new and inventive ways to minimize the risks of algal blooms. In this study, we aim to examine the effects of varying salinity on dinoflagellate density. Organisms were placed in beakers with varying salinity levels and maintained in an environmental chamber at constant temperature and light/dark cycle in order to determine if increased or decreased salinity had any effect on dinoflagellate density. We found a significant negative correlation between salinity level and dinoflagellate density between treatment groups.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS