Lyngbya majuscula
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| Lyngbya majuscula | ||||||||||||
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| Lyngbya majuscula Harvey in Hooker ex Gomont, 1892 [1] |
Lyngbya majuscula is a species of seaweed in the genus Lyngbya. It is a species of cyanobacteria that is one of the causes of the human skin irritation seaweed dermatitis.[2] It is also known as fireweed.[3]
This organism appears to be on the increase due to pollution and overfishing. Nutrients such as nitrogen and human waste flow to the ocean due to rain runoff and sewers. These nutrients increase the population of microbes, which in turn remove oxygen from the water. Lack of fish to eat the microbes furthers the microbe populations. Low oxygen is the environment that cyanobacteria evolved for.[4] This organism can also fix its own nitrogen from atmospheric nitrogen dissolved in the seawater. This implies that pollution with phosphorous and iron may be more important than nitrogen pollution. [5]
The microbe is known for its toxicity. Lyngbya majuscula produces "antifungal and cytotoxic agents, including laxaphycin A and B and curacin A."[6]
[edit] Sources
- ^ Espinel Nadjejda (2005-07-26). Lyngbya majuscula Harvey in Hooker ex Gomont, 1892. MarineSpecies.org.
- ^ Seaweed dermatitis. New Zealand Dermatological Society (2007-02-24).
- ^ "Fireweed Fears Hosed Down", University of Queensland. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ Kenneth R. Weiss. "A Primeval Tide of Toxins", Los Angeles Times, 2006-07-30.
- ^ Lundgren, P., et al. (2003). (2003) Reevaluation of the nitrogen fixation behavior in the marine non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. Journal of Phycology 39(2), 310–314.
- ^ A. M. Burja, E. Abou-Mansour, B. Banaigs, C. Payri, J. G. Burgess & P. C. Wright (2002). Culture of the marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula (Oscillatoriaceae), for bioprocess intensified production of cyclic and linear lipopeptides. Journal of Microbiological Methods 48 (2–3): 207–219. doi:.
[edit] Further reading
- Lyngbya. Protist Information Server. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- Nicholas John Osborne (2004). Investigation of the toxicology and public health aspects of the marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula. Ph.D. thesis, University of Queensland, 246 pp.
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