[7] It is a photoautotroph, containing Chlorophyll a and c-phycocyanin, but can perform anoxygenic photosynthesis by reducing sulfur.

[5] O. brevis has also been shown to be tolerant of some heavy metal ions, namely copper, silver, zinc, and cadmium.

[4] Oscillatoria brevis is identified as an cyanobacteria that produces Geosmin, a compound with a heavy earthy smell, which correlates with chlorophyll production.

[11] Like many cyanobacteria, O. brevis have lipopolysaccharides which can cause illness in humans and animals through ingestion or through an open wound.

[12] Other species in the Oscillatoria genus have been identified to have genes for producing cytotoxin, cylindrospermopsin, along with two neurotoxins, anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a.