First harmful Algal Bloom genome sequenced

6:13 AM Sat 26 Feb 2011 GMT

'The brown tides caused by Aureococcus anophagefferens?like the one above in Long Island, NY?do not produce toxins that poison humans, but the long-lasting blooms are toxic to bivalves and have decimated sea grass beds and shellfisheries leading to billions of dollars in economic losses. - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution' Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) &copy

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - The microscopic phytoplankton Aureococcus anophagefferens, which causes devastating brown tides, may be tiny but it?s a fierce competitor. In the first genome sequencing of a harmful algal bloom species, researchers found that Aureococcus? unique gene complement allows it to outcompete other marine phytoplankton and thrive in human-modified ecosystems, which could help explain the global increases in harmful algal blooms (HABs). The research team, led by Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University?s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in collaboration with scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), will publish its findings online in the ...

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by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution