Marine Biology

An QUT team of scientists are in search for an explanation to why Iron is cause harmful algal blooms. The mix of the 2 algaes usually balances out one another with the iron and water but in some cases like this one are seeming to have an effect that is causing these blooms… As far as one of the scientists on the job have to say this is what has been said,

PhD student Lin Chaofeng is studying two types of bacteria in water that “feed on” iron.

“One type of bacteria in our waterways changes iron into a dissolved state and another type of bacteria oxidises the iron and turns it back into a insoluble form which can settle on the bottom of a creek ,” Ms Lin said.

“The oxidising type of bacteria possibly makes the iron less available as a contributing factor in algal blooms. It seems that these two bacteria usually balance each other out, but sometimes the balance is upset and so I am investigating how this happens.”

All in all in my opinion I have reason to believe that there is going to be a conclusion to all of this mess.

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