Many states have been plagued with the problem of Pfiesteria, and until recently the cause was unknown. As the climates andecosystems change some organisms favor the change and others donot. One organism that favors the changes is the dinoflagellates.This organism creates a toxin that causes deep bleeding soars infish. Then the dinoflagellates eat the fishs exposed flesh and blood.Pfiesteria also has an effect on humans. It has been found to causesevere headaches, blurred vision, nausea, difficulty breathing, short-term memory loss, and cognitive impairment.In 1991 in North Carolina in the Neuse Rivr there were found tobe nearly one billion fish dead due to Pfiesteria. A mass death of fishlike this one is called a fish kill. The fish die when the Pfiesteriathrives, and the Pfiesteria thrives on an increase of nitrogen andphosphorous in the water. Animal waste from livestock, fertilizers fromfarms, and wastewater from mining sites are three primary cause forthe increase in nitrogen and phosphorous.Pfiesteria has also taken its toll on fishermen. Being near thepolluted sites has caused burning of the eyes and the throat. Arecreational fisherman was given a memory test in which he was giventen items to memorizes, and he could only remember three.The dinoflagellates have at least twenty-four different lookingphases. The dinoflagellates look just like other dinoflagellates whenthey are in the fish attacking stage. If it is faced with a predator itbecomes an amoeba and can consume the predator. Thedinoflagellates also has a cyst phase where it can lay dormant andprotected for years at a time until the conditions are optimal again.This makes Pfiesteria a level three biohazard....
