ABSTRACT
Identification and quantification of cyanobacteria in water resources is the principal component of cyanotoxin monitoring programmes and can provide an effective early warning system for the development of potentially toxic blooms. Data on concentrations of total phosphate, nitrate and ammonia are valuable for assessing the potential for cyanobacteria to develop and whether or not nitrogen-fixing species are likely to occur. Whereas methods for these nutrients have been extensively reviewed and internationally harmonised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), approaches to the species determination and quantification of cyanobacteria are very variable and can be undertaken at different levels of sophistication.
