Temperature control and encystment of the toxin- producing dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catenella, in Puget Sound, Washington

Abstract

Alexandrium catenella is a dinoglagellate which produces a neurotoxin, and is prevalent in Puget Sound. A. catenella represents a serious risk to consumers and farmers of shellfish. This study examines the environmental (temperature) conditions under which A. catenella encysts with a goal of being able to predict the occurence of a harmful algal bloom.