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Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a growing concern worldwide. Akashiwo sanguinea is a known bloom-forming dinoflagellate that has recently been observed in the Skidaway River Estuary (SRE) in Savannah, Georgia, however no official blooms have been reported. This thesis presents data from three consecutive summers (2017-2019) monitoring for A. sanguinea abundance in the SRE. In 2017, a large A. sanguinea bloom was observed in early July, followed by enhanced abundance in August. In 2018 peak abundance was significantly lower, and no bloom occurred in 2019. Abiotic and biotic factors were investigated to explore drivers of A. sanguinea accumulation in the SRE, and temperature as well as community composition were found to be important in mediating A. sanguinea abundance. The work presented here highlights the importance of understanding the ecology of harmful algal bloom species in the SRE, in light of the growing oyster aquaculture industry in coastal Georgia.