Harmful Algae Stun Prey

Toxins produced by algal blooms have evolved special toxins that help them capture prey. Knowing how algal blooms use toxins could help scientists who are trying to predict when harmful blooms will strike. Single celled algae called dinoflagellates are the organisms responsible for killing fish and shellfish. Dinoflagellates usually grow twice as fast by preying on other types of algae, and this is thought to be the source of the production of the toxins. Whiles some scientists say there is circumstantial evidence that dinoflagellates use their toxins to capture prey but recently studies show it is very possible. According to marine ecologist Daniel Kamykowski says that "we don't know what triggers the toxin in some strains and not in others, once that's better known-and if there is anything that can be controlled-then it may be possible to diminish the frequency of blooms in the future."