Prymnesium parvum

Prymnesium parvum

News: Recently, it was confirmed that the destruction of fish in the River Oder in Poland was caused by the toxic algal bloom Prymnesium parvum made possible by anthropogenic factors.

About:
 It is a microscopic, single-celled alga with four morphologically distinct forms.
 It inhabits a variety of water bodies including rivers, lakes, estuaries, fjords, coastal oceans, and ponds, including eutrophic, alkaline, and brackish waters.
 It can reproduce rapidly and form a nearly monocultural bloom by releasing toxins into the water that immobilize or kill zooplankton and other phytoplankton to increase available food sources.
 It is mixotrophic, supporting its growth with autotrophy (photosynthesis) or heterotrophy if nutrients are scarce.

About River Oder:
 It originates in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland.
 It constitutes the boundary between Poland and Germany before reaching the Baltic Sea via a lagoon north of the Polish city of Szczecin.