Predator-induced defense reduces growth rate and carrying capacity in a toxic diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia seriata
Phytoplankton employ a wide variety of defenses to reduce mortality from zooplankton grazing. Many such defenses are inducible, that is, they are upregulated in the event of increased predation. Thus, theory predicts that they should come at a cost to the organism. When exposed to predatory cues from a copepod predator, the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia seriata upregulates the production of the neurotox
