Toxigenic phytoplankton and concomitant toxicity in the mussel Choromytilus meridionalis off the west coast of South Africa in the autumn of 2007

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-80). === Harmful algal blooms are prevalent off the west coast of South Africa in the summer and autumn months, and have a detrimental impact on human activities along the coast. Some harmful algal blooms are dominated by phytoplankto...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hubbart, Bernadette
Other Authors: Pitcher, Grant C
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: University of Cape Town 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11405
Description
Summary:Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-80). === Harmful algal blooms are prevalent off the west coast of South Africa in the summer and autumn months, and have a detrimental impact on human activities along the coast. Some harmful algal blooms are dominated by phytoplankton which produce toxins that can cause shellfish poisoning syndromes. The relationship between the abundance and toxicity of toxigenic phytoplankton, and the concentrations and composition of toxins in the filter-feeding mussel Choromytilus meridionalis, was investigated. Several different methods were used to determine toxin concentations in the mussel.