Ecophysiological studies on freshwater microalgae: Implications for life in a high CO2 world

This thesis examines aspects of inorganic carbon acquisition in freshwater algae. Algae are responsible for half the planet’s annual primary productivity and in some cases cause toxic blooms. Understanding their underlying physiological processes helps us understand how algae populations change over time. This thesis demonstrated that as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, photosynthesis and carbon uptake of a number of different freshwater algae, including a toxic blue-green algal species, responded in different ways and influenced their competitive ability. This information will help improve understanding of how phytoplankton population structure is currently maintained, and may change into the future.