Erika's research project seeks to understand the effects of El Niño events on toxin-producing phytoplankton. The IRL harbors a species of phytoplankton named Pyrodinium, which only recently has been shown to have significant toxic impacts on the marine food web in this region. Her project will investigate potential changes in growth rate and toxicity of Pyrodinium under experimentally controlled conditions representing an El Niño event.
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