From Ecosystem to Cell: Assessment of a brackish lake system and key environmental drivers of algal autecology

This thesis examined the effects of key environmental drivers on growth, physiology, behavioural and cellular strategies of microalgae from the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria. Microalgae are universally present in almost all aquatic environments, playing pivotal roles at the base of most aquatic food webs. However, a rise in algal blooms in recent decades has highlighted the need to understand key drivers behind bloom proliferation. The results of this thesis will help with environmental management and modelling of future algal blooms.