Principles of toxicity testing with marine unicellular algae

Toxicity testing with unicellular algae requires application of the principles of phycology and microbiology to culturing, handling and exposing the organisms. This brief review describes major aspects of algal toxicity testing, including growth curves, factors that influence population growth in culture (light, temperature, medium composition, pH and salinity), choice of test species, measurement of population density, enumeration of living and dead cells, numerical expression of toxic effects and bioaccumulation.