What do percentages of golden alga in the phytoplankton (algal) community tell us?
As the percentage of golden alga increases in the community, there is an increased tendency for a bloom to cause a fish kill. When the percentage of P. parvum is greater than 50% of the algal community (termed “dominant” in our reports), a golden alga bloom is possible, and a fish kill may result. However, depending upon a variety of factors including water quality conditions, a fish kill may not result even when golden alga dominates the phytoplankton community.
