Unveiling the Role of Plankton Super Swimmers in the 2020 Red Tide Event

A study led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Jacobs School of Engineering has revealed how the historic red tide event of 2020 off Southern California was fueled by the exceptional swimming ability of a plankton species called Lingulodinium polyedra. These dinoflagellates were able to create an exceptionally dense bloom due to their vertical migration, swimming upward during the day to photosynthesize and downward at night to access nutrients. The study validates a 50-year-old hypothesis and highlights the importance of understanding phytoplankton behavior and changes in the coastal environment to predict and mitigate harmful algal blooms.