This project is looking at algae growth from reading the literature surrounding this topic I have found some really interesting directions that this study could go. Through my readings, I have learnt about the cellular and physiological processes that control algae growth. The literature has helped me realize some factors that may be affecting my study which I previously did not think about for example, the river environment is consistently moving meaning it can be diluting or being in more nutrients simultaneously or at different times making growth more difficult than lake or pond habitats. Also as the study sites are located within industrial regions of Kamloops containments may be present that can be attached to the phospholipid heads in the membrane and cause membrane fouling affecting growth. Before reading the literature I was interested in investigating toxic algae species like blue-green algae and see if this research could aid in the understanding of algae growth and therefore provide some insights into where toxic algae species will increase with climate change, but other studies have found this information to be false and that toxic algae species are not increasing with warmer temperatures as previously assumed.
Keywords for this study are: microalgae, Large rivers, Temperature and photoperiod variations