Diversity and toxin production of cyanobacteria on Nantucket island

This report was submitted in fulfillment of a 2011 Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative grant. The main goal of this project was to investigate diversity of potentially toxic cyanobacteria on Nantucket Island. Previous studies have reported a range of cyanobacteria in blooms from the island, and some of these have been confirmed to be toxic (Microcystis aeruginosa). The goal of this study was to obtain information for other potential toxic species among the bloom formers, investigate the distribution of these species, and obtain phylogenetic information for these taxa. The study employed microscopic observations combined with toxin analyses and molecular investigations, with a specific focus on potential influence of elevated salinity on toxic blooms in the ponds on the island, some of which experience periodic flushing by ocean water. These results will be used as background information for future potential studies on cyanobacterial ecology on the island