Increased incidence of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in temperate zones – Is climate change responsible?

The bloom-forming, toxic cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii exhibits global distribution. In recent years both the occurrence and dominance of this species, particularly in temperate regions, has increased. Whilst this may be due to increased sensitivity of analytical detection methods or more rigorous sampling routines, it is possible that this expansion has been assisted by a number of changing conditions in these environments. The geographical expansion of both the organism and toxin production can be attributed to phenomena such as eutrophication and climate change. In this review, we discuss the occurrence of C. raciborskii with respect to current literature against the backdrop of increasing global temperatures. Critically, we identify a concerning trend between the geographical spread of this organism and global climate change.

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► Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii expansion into temperate regions is associated with climate change.
► C. raciborskii seems well suited to continue expanding its geographical range.
► Significant knowledge gaps remain in understanding C. raciborskii ecology.