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 Certain species of toxic algae—in this case, Alexandrium—have a cyst stage in their life cycle that promotes wide dispersal and long-term survival through difficult environmental circumstances. These “seeds” form in the late stages of blooms and fall to the ocean floor where they remain dormant until the next year when they germinate to initiate a new bloom. View this figure in an interactive format (Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) [back] |
Last updated: May 22, 2013