Benthic algae in the littoral region of Lake Tanganyika serve as chemical modulators transforming inorganic chemicals into organic forms, represent habitats for other organisms, provide food for snails and cichlid fish and are important in stabilizing the substrata of community existence. These algae represent an evolutionary diverse group of photoautotrophic organisms that contain chlorophyll ...

A microplate technique was developed to determine the conditions under which pure cultures of algae removed heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Variables investigated included algal species and strain, culture age (11 and 44 days), metal (mercury, lead, cadmium, and zinc), pH, effects of different buffer solutions, and time of exposure. Plastic, U-bottomed microtiter plates were used in conjun...

Genetically engineered (GE) microalgae are nearing commercial release for biofuels production without sufficient public information or ecological studies to investigate their possible risks. Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) and eukaryotic green algae are likely to disperse widely from open ponds and, on a smaller scale with lower probability, from enclosed photobioreactors. With powerful molecu...

The removal of Methylene Blue dye from aqueous solution using a biowaste, dried Blue Green Algae was investigated in terms of variation of initial concentration of the dye solution, adsorbent dosage and pH. The optimum pH for the removal of dye by adsorption was found to be pH 7. The data obtained in this study fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The experimental data conf...

Many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, animal, plants and algae, utilize blue light to adapt to a fluctuating light environment. Plants and algae, and photosynthetic stramenopiles in particular, require light energy for photosynthesis and have thus evolved a range of sophisticated light-sensing systems to utilize light information efficiently for growth, development and physiological respon...

The bloom dynamics of two planktonic, nitrogen-fixing species of blue-green algae Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs and Nodularia spumigenaMertens in the Gulf of Gdańsk were studied. The Gulf of Gdańsk is a shallow part of the Baltic Sea where the water has a mean salinity of ca 8 PSU. Increased riverine nutrient input and/or changes in the N:P ratio are indicated as factors causing blue-gree...

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) has been partially purified from Anacystis nidulans and Anabaena flos-aquae by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation and exclusion gel chromatography and the kinetic properties determined.Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from these blue-green algae exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics at pH 6.7. At this pH, Km values of 0.37 mm for glucose 6-phos...

First records of peracarid crustaceans obtained from the Cayo Matías Ocean Blue Hole, southwestern Cuba, are documented. In addition, two new species of isopod and amphipod are herein described. Gnathia micheli n. sp. (Isopoda, Gnathiidae) and Boca normae n. sp. (Amphipoda, Aristiidae) were associated with filamentous algae at a depth of 20 m. Both represent the first report for a blue hole and...