Blooms of an algophorous amoeba associated with anabaena in a fresh water lake

Blooms of the blue-green alga Anabaena planctonica in a fresh water lake in northern Georgia were followed by the massive development of a large algophorous, mayorellid-like amoeba. The algal-amoeba blooms were associated with waters enriched with sewage effluents. The trophozoite and cyst-like stages of the amoeba were examined with phase and light-field microscopy. The use of algophorous amoebae for the natural control of nuisance algal blooms is suggested.