Identifying the cause of toxic algal blooms

Drs. Theo Dreher and Ryan Mueller have identified the precise forms of toxin producing cyanobacteria from Detroit Lake, the source of drinking water for Salem, Oregon. Dreher said knowing which organisms to study will be key to learning how to prevent harmful algal blooms in the future. Once you identify the harmful organism you can study it in isolation and look at the factors that lead to its massive growth in a bloom, Dreher said. The study found two types of cyanobacteria in Oregon’s Detroit Lake that were producing two different toxins. One of the toxins is known as cylindrospermopsin and the other is an uncommon form of microcystin, a recognized liver toxin.