Diel vertical migration rates of the dinoflagellate species in a lower Chesapeake Bay tributary.

is a mixotrophic dinoflagellate harmful algal bloom (HAB) species that blooms annually in the lower Chesapeake Bay. undertakes a diel vertical migration (DVM) which may give it a competitive advantage over purely phototrophic organisms who cannot access deeper nutrient pools and allow it to form large toxic blooms. Laboratory-based estimates of DVM rates suggest that it is one of the fastest known dinoflagellate swimmers and understanding this behavior is likely important for modeling and predicting blooms.