Blooms bite the hand that feeds them

2013

Authors

• Hans Paerl The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences
• Timothy G. Otten The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences , Oregon State University Department of Microbiology

Description

In recent decades, nutrient over-enrichment (eutrophication) and climate-change effects have led to a rise in toxin-producing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) in freshwater systems worldwide (1). Microcystin, the most ubiquitous cyanotoxin, is a serious drinking water threat due to its potent liver toxicity and carcinogenic potential (2). The distribution of microcystin synthetase (mcy) genes across many genera suggests that production of this metabolite was a widely shared trait early in cyanobacterial evolution (3). However, not all cyanobacterial strains have retained this pathway. There is growing evidence that oxidative stressors in high-irradiance surface waters, where blooms accumulate, select for toxigenic strains over their nontoxic counterparts

Science volume 342 pages 433-434

DOI : 10.1126/science.1245276

Cited by chapter 6, and usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016. (reference: 58f71b66)