''Moorea producens'' is a species of

filamentous cyanobacteria Cyanobacterial morphology refers to the form or shape of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are a large and diverse phylum of bacteria defined by their unique combination of pigments and their ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis. Cyanobacter ...

in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

Moorea Moorea ( or ; Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a volcanic island in French Polynesia. It is one of the Windward Islands, a group that is part of the Society Islands, northwest of Tahiti. The name comes from the Tahitian word , meaning " ...

'', including tropical marine strains formerly classified as ''

Lyngbya majuscula ''Lyngbya majuscula'' is a species of filamentous cyanobacteria in the genus '' Lyngbya''. It is named after the Dane Hans Christian Lyngbye. As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from the genus ''Lyngbya' ...

'' due to morphological resemblance but separated based on genetic evidence. ''Moorea producens'' grows on seagrass and is one of the causes of the human skin irritation

seaweed dermatitis ''Lyngbya majuscula'' is a species of filamentous cyanobacteria in the genus '' Lyngbya''. It is named after the Dane Hans Christian Lyngbye. As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from the genus ''Lyngbya'' ...

. It is known as fireweed in Australia and stinging limu in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. The prevalence of this organism appears to be on the increase due to

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

and

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in the ...

. Nutrients such as nitrogen and human waste flow to the ocean due to rain and sewage runoff; these added nutrients increase the population of microbes, which in turn remove

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

from the water. Reduced numbers of fish to eat the microbes further enhances the microbe populations. Cyanobacteria are evolutionarily optimized for environmental conditions of low oxygen. ''M. producta'' is non-diazotrophic. ''M. producens'' is known for its toxicity, producing

Lyngbyatoxin-a Lyngbyatoxin-a is a cyanotoxin produced by certain cyanobacteria species, most notably ''Moorea producens'' (formerly ''Lyngbya majuscula''). It is produced as defense mechanism to ward off any would-be predators of the bacterium, being a potent ...

and other "antifungal and cytotoxic agents, including laxaphycin A and B and

curacin A Curacin A is a hybrid polyketide synthase (PKS)/Nonribosomal peptide, nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) derived natural product produced isolated from the cyanobacterium ''Lyngbya majuscula''. Curacin A belongs to a family of natural products i ...

." A major outbreak occurred in Darwin Harbour in May- June 2010.

References

Further reading