ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pseudo-nitzschia

Okay little one, so pseudo-nitzschia is a type of teeny tiny plant that lives in the ocean. It's so small that you can't even see it without a microscope!

Now, even though it's small, it can cause some big problems. See, sometimes these plants release a toxin (which is like a really bad chemical) into the water around them. This toxin can be really dangerous to other animals that live in the ocean, like fish and even big whales!

Scientists are studying these tiny plants to try and figure out how to stop them from releasing the toxin. They also want to figure out how to protect other animals from getting sick because of it.

So, in short, pseudo-nitzschia is a tiny plant in the ocean that can release a bad chemical that can hurt other animals. Scientists are trying to figure out how to stop that from happening.