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The first published report that blue-green algae or cyanobacteria could have lethal effects appeared in Nature in 1878. George Francis described the algal bloom he observed in the estuary of the Murray River in Australia, as "a thick scum like green oil paint, some two to six inches thick."
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) bloom on Lake Erie (United States) in 2009. These kinds of algae can cause harmful algal bloom. A harmful algal bloom (HAB), or excessive algae growth, is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms by production of natural algae-produced toxins, water deoxygenation, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means.
If you have other health questions or concerns about blue-green algae blooms, please call the Florida Department of Health in Okeechobee County at 772-873-4927.
Blue-green algae can produce toxins that make people and animals sick. It can even cause death in some cases. Four of Lake Geneva's six beaches remain closed due to dangerous blue-green algae
The name "cyanobacteria" (from Ancient Greek κύανος (kúanos) 'blue') refers to their bluish green color, [5] [6] which forms the basis of cyanobacteria's informal common name, blue-green algae, [7] [8] [9] although as prokaryotes they are not scientifically classified as algae.
Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. [2] Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρός (khloros, "pale green") and φύλλον (phyllon, "leaf"). [3] Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy from light.
Chlorophyll and phycocyanine—two pigments contained in cyanobacteria—allow the vegetative cells to absorb light and transform it into nutrients. [ 4 ] The genus Aphanizomenon is defined as a cluster of eight morphospecies, including Aphanizomenon flos-aquae .
The algae of the genus Nannochloropsis differ from other related microalgae in that they have chlorophyll a and completely lack chlorophyll b and chlorophyll c. In addition they are able to build up a high concentrations of a range of pigments such as astaxanthin , zeaxanthin and canthaxanthin . [ 5 ]