[All-postdocs] Bioseminar- Barry Rosen

[Ana Velez]

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Biology Department Seminar

Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 12:00 pm
Redfield Auditorium

Barry H. Rosen
Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University

Understanding Why Cyanobacteria are Successful: Their Eco-Physiological Strategies, with Emphasis on HABs
Cyanobacteria are a group of prokaryotic organisms that have chlorophyll a, along with other pigments, such as phycocyanin and phycoerythrin, that maximize light capture for photosynthetic activities. Most planktonic forms can regulate their position in the water column using a gas vesicle, a second mechanism for optimizing light capture as well as nutrient enrichment. Massive surface accumulation can create a cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (CyanoHAB) that can deplete enough oxygen and cause fish kills. One Order, the Nostocales, evolved to capture atmospheric nitrogen (N2), giving this group an ecological advantage over most other cyanobacteria (with some exceptions) and eukaryotic algae. This order also produces a thick-walled resting cell, the akinete, that allows the organisms to overwinter or over summer. Several species of cyanobacteria synthesize metabolically important compounds that serve as antioxidants, storage of nitrogen and possibly for allelopathy, etc., however, these compounds are potentially toxic to animal life and are considered cyanotoxins. Examining the physiological and metabolic aspects of cyanobacteria can be used to understand when a bloom might occur and if it possess a threat to ecosystems and human health.

For questions, contact:

Ana Maria Velez
Biology Pre-Award Administrative Associate
Ph: (+1)(508)289-2334
[signature_1005462319]

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