Oscillatoria
Oscillatoria inhabits diverse environments, including hot springs, marine habitats, temperate, tropical, and polar lakes, nutrient-rich wetlands, and moist terrestrial environments. About 70 species are known. The filaments may be solitary and epiphytic, but most form dense, slimy, benthic mats on substrates such as mud, plants, stones, or sand. Parts of large mats may dislodge and float to the surface. Oscillatoria sometimes uses bouyancy control mechanisms to regulate its position in the water column.
Some species can adjust their levels of chlorophyll-a and use accessory pigments to compensate for low light levels. In anaerobic environments with abundant hydrogen sulfide and light, Oscillatoria limnetica can undergo anoxygenic photosynthesis to excrete elemental sulfur rather than oxygen gas.