Ecology

During the summer months rivers and lakes are often effected by so called algal blooms, which in fact are mass populations of cyanobacteria, favoured by an increasing eutrophication of water. Among the bloom-forming cyanobacteria those species that produce toxic compounds pose a growing health threat to animals as well as humans. A well-known cyanobacterial toxin is the heptapeptide microcystin. Its increasing occurrence underlines the importance of a continuous monitoring of water bodies during summer months with respect to cyanobacterial species and their toxins.