大亚湾近代沉积物中甲藻孢囊的垂直分布

用TFO采泥器于 2 0 0 1年 8月采集了大亚湾大鹏澳海域 6个采样点 8— 18cm柱状沉积物样品 ,分层研究了甲藻孢囊在该海域表层沉积物中的垂直分布。在 35个沉积物样品中共分析鉴定出甲藻孢囊 4 8种 ,其中自养型 2 0种 ,异养型 2 8种 ,优势种类为锥状斯氏藻。每个样品中所分析鉴定的孢囊种类数为 12— 2 9种 ,孢囊的香农—威弗种类多样性指数 (Shannon WeaverDiversityIndex,H′)为 0 6 1— 4 13,并且在 2— 4cm层次处 ,随深度的增加 ,两者均有一个明显上升趋势。除鱼类养殖区的上表层较高外 ,孢囊丰度大多为 10 0 0— 2 0 0 0cysts/gDWt,最高为 2 38× 10 4cysts/gDWt。亚历山大藻孢囊分布广泛且密度较高 ,最高丰度为 5 0 3cysts/gDWt,同时表层沉积物中高密度的亚历山大藻孢囊为该藻赤潮的发生提供了丰富的种源 ,而且也是该海域贝类体内冬季PSP毒素积累及高含量的重要原因。     

三峡库区藻类水华调查及其毒理学研究

三峡水库一期工程蓄水近两年(2003年7月—2005年4月)期间,库区发生过多次藻类“水华”,尤其在阳光充足、气温回升的春季。经鉴定形成水华的藻类主要有拟多甲藻(Peridiniopsissp1,sp2),新星形冠盘藻(Stephanodiscusneoastraea),里海小环藻(Cyclotella caspia),湖沼红胞藻(Rhodomonas lacustris),实球藻(Pandorina morum)和空球藻(Eudorina elegans);其中以拟多甲藻水华涉及面积最大,持续时间最久,污染程度最为严重。通过对拟多甲藻水华水及其藻细胞提取液的生物毒性测试,表明其对其他水生生物和小白鼠没有明显的生物毒性。     

有害甲藻孢囊的分类鉴定研究进展

有害甲藻孢囊主要是指能产生毒素和(或)能引起有害藻华发生并对水生态系统产生各种危害效应的甲藻孢囊。我国沿海共记录了10属18种,占全球有害甲藻孢囊的3/4。这些有害甲藻孢囊广泛分布于我国沿海,会对水产养殖业造成严重的经济损失,甚至会威胁人类的身体健康。因此,有害甲藻孢囊的多样性及分布越来越受到人们的关注。对有害甲藻孢囊的准确判断不仅对研究其多样性及分布至关重要,而且有助于水产品的安全检验和有害藻华的早期预警。对有害甲藻孢囊的分类主要存在鉴定困难、鉴定不准确等问题。本文综述了有害甲藻孢囊的危害、中国沿海有害甲藻孢囊的种类和分布,以及有害甲藻孢囊的鉴定等3个方面的研究进展,并提出利用孢囊及营养细胞的形态学特征、分子生物学、毒理学等多学科研究手段准确鉴定有害甲藻孢囊的建议。     

三峡水库支流拟多甲藻水华的形成机制

三峡水库支流的拟多甲藻水华发生已成为近年的常态,但是其发生机制依然不清楚。2009年到2011年期间,对拟多甲藻水华频发的童庄河回水区进行重点监测,并扩展到三峡水库长江干流及26条支流未淹没区和回水区浮游植物的四季调查。结果表明,四季调查中,拟多甲藻出现率、平均密度、最大密度和最大优势度,4月最高,相同季节,回水区最高。2—4月,童庄河回水区各点拟多甲藻密度均为升高到下降变化,最高密度自上游至下游大幅下降。2010年,拟多甲藻水华于2月最先在童庄河回水区上游出现,逐步向中下游发展,维持一定规模和时间后消退。与此同时,长江干流拟多甲藻出现率、密度和最大优势度大幅低于童庄河回水区。童庄河回水区发生(2005年、2007年和2010年)比不发生(2009年)拟多甲藻水华年份,三峡水库1—3月日出库流量(平均值4489.9—5623.3 m3/s)较小、1—2月水位日变幅(平均值0.148 m、0.246 m)和2月水位日升降(平均值-0.223 m)较大。研究认为,藻类在适宜水温时形成水华,2—4月支流回水区水温适宜、氮磷含量满足甲藻营养能力和生活习性需要。拟多甲藻能否形成水华,首先取决于回水区上游是否存在满足要求的水动力条件。其次,三峡水库出库流量、水位波动等水文条件,通过改变回水区上游水动力条件和回水区流速,影响水华能否形成及形成时间、程度、范围和维持时间。由于尺度效应不同,三峡水库相同水文条件对不同位置支流拟多甲藻水华形成的影响不一样。     

中国渤海海域甲藻孢囊的种类多样性和生态地理分布

在渤海湾24个站位采集0–10 cm表层沉积物144份样品, 进行甲藻孢囊的种类多样性和生态地理分布研究, 并分析渤海海域水体的富营养化趋势。在渤海海域共采集鉴定出6类32种甲藻孢囊, 包括原多甲藻类孢囊11种、裸甲藻类孢囊6种、膝沟藻类孢囊7种、钙质类孢囊5种、翼藻类孢囊2种及Tuberculodinioid类孢囊1种。其中, 自养型甲藻孢囊17种, 优势种为锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)孢囊, 丰富的孢囊库为锥状斯氏藻赤潮提供种源, 可作为该海域发生锥状斯氏藻赤潮的参考依据; 异养型甲藻孢囊15种, 优势种为无纹多沟藻(Polykrikos schwartzii)和锥形原多甲藻(Protoperidinium conicum)孢囊; 发现1种产麻痹性贝类毒素的孢囊--塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandrium tamarense)孢囊, 但是仅在S6、S8和S14三个站位发现, 且孢囊数量较少。渤海甲藻孢囊组成与世界其它海域相似, 异养型甲藻孢囊种类丰富, 提示渤海海域富营养化程度较高。每个站位沉积物样品分为3层(每层约3 cm), 春夏两季表层、中层和底层之间孢囊组成差异不大, 平均种类数为5.58–7.29, 孢囊的平均密度范围在58.82–103.57 cysts·g^–1 DW之间; 孢囊种类丰富的站点, 孢囊密度也较高, 如S9、S14站位。对渤海海区表层沉积物中甲藻孢囊的生物多样性进行了统计分析, 发现表、中、底3层甲藻孢囊的平均种类多样性指数在春季(5月)分别为1.69、1.61和1.52; 略低于夏季(8月)的1.83、1.89和1.60。     

中国淡水拟多甲藻属研究

拟多甲藻属Peridiniopsis Lemmermann是重要的淡水有壳甲藻,是形成淡水甲藻水华的主要类群之一。该属被定义为不具或仅有一块前间插板的多甲藻类群,其板片格式为3–5′,0–1a,6–7(8)″,5″′,2″″。迄今,全球范围内报道的拟多甲藻属约有20种。通过对所采集国内甲藻标本的整理和鉴定,描述了8种及1变种,并对其形态特征、板片排列、生境和分布进行了简述。其中有3个是中国新纪录,它们是柏林拟多甲藻P.berolinensis(Lemmermann)Bourrelly、波吉拟多甲藻P.borgei Lemmermann和柯维拟多甲藻P.kevei Grig-orszky et Vasas。     

大窑湾养殖区赤潮甲藻孢囊种类组成及分布的研究

2006—2007年对大窑湾养殖区的甲藻孢囊进行了研究,结果检出10种甲藻孢囊,分属于4大类9种甲藻孢囊,其中原多甲藻类孢囊2种,膝沟藻类孢囊5种,钙质类孢囊1种,裸甲藻类孢囊1种,一种艉杆藻(Ensiculifera Balech)和一种易碎藻(Fragilidium mexicanum)是中国沿海新记录的两个种类,此外还有一种无法鉴定到种的一种原多甲藻孢囊。膝沟藻类孢囊的种类数占绝对优势,占50%,其次是原多甲藻类孢囊占30%,钙质类孢囊和裸甲藻类孢囊各占10%。10种孢囊中有3种异养型孢囊和7种自养型孢囊。并发现两种产麻痹性贝毒(PSP)的孢囊—塔玛亚历山大藻/链状亚历山大藻复合体(Alexandrium tamarense/A.catenella)和链状裸甲藻(Gymnodinium catenatum)。孢囊密度的季节分布呈现明显的双峰型,在2007年1月份和2007年的8月份出现了两个高峰。2007年的1月份达到了调查全年的孢囊密度最高值,达到了1.09×103 cysts/g湿重,2007年的8月份出现的第二次高峰期孢囊密度达到了0.86×103 cysts/g湿重。孢囊密度最低值出现在2007年的10月,只有280 cysts/g湿重。全年孢囊平均密度为695.5 cysts/g湿重。甲藻孢囊的多样性指数除了2007年的9月和10月以外,相差不大,变化范围为0.17—0.55,全年的平均值为0.46。     

甲藻孢囊在长山群岛海域表层沉积物中的分布

2007年10月,在大连长山群岛海域采集了25个站点的表层沉积物,研究了甲藻孢囊的水平分布。在沉积物样品中共检测出甲藻孢囊46种,其中Pentaphasodinium dalei和Warowia rosea,在我国是首次报道。各站位孢囊种类数在7-20之间,平均14种;丰度在182-2960 个/g干重之间,平均为1201 个/g干重。香农-威纳指数(H')的变化范围为2.4-3.4。麻痹性贝毒藻--亚历山大藻的孢囊在调查海域分布广泛,最高密度达829个/g干重,可能是造成该海域虾夷扇贝贝毒超标的原因之一。     

中国海梨甲藻科几种甲藻的分类与形态鉴定

由于生活史特殊以及分类学历史复杂, 国内外有关梨甲藻科物种的分类学研究比较少。本研究通过形态分类学方法, 详细阐述了梨甲藻物种的分类学历史沿革, 对我国海域的11种梨甲藻科物种的孢囊进行了分类学研究。我们认为其中的1种应隶属于球甲藻属(Dissodinium), 其余10种可归为梨甲藻属(Pyrocystis)(包括2个变种, 2个变型), 对每个物种都进行了详细的形态学描述, 认为拟新月球甲藻(Dissodinium pseudolunula)与新月梨甲藻(Pyrocystis lunula)、优美梨甲藻(Pyrocystis elegans)与粗梨甲藻(Pyrocystis robusta)的分类学关系还需要进一步研究。     

三峡水库香溪河库湾拟多甲藻昼夜垂直分布初步研究

具鞭毛的拟多甲藻（Peridiniopsis）是三峡水库多数支流库湾春季甲藻水华的优势种类。研究表明,昼夜垂直迁移是鞭毛藻重要的生态学特征。拟多甲藻形态学特征虽然也有鞭毛和自由游泳能力,但至今仍没有关于该种类昼夜垂直迁移的描述。定点昼夜垂直分层研究结果表明,三峡水库甲藻水华暴发的优势种之一拟多甲藻种3（Peridiniopsis sp．3）是绝对优势种,相对丰度达到45％;该物种与其它鞭毛藻相似,有昼夜垂直迁移的生态学特征,白天趋于在水体上层聚集分布,晚上趋于在水柱中随机分布;太阳光的昼夜交替是影响拟多甲藻昼夜垂直迁移的重要环境因素。     

Dinoflagellate resting cysts as factors in phytoplankton ecology of the North Sea

The occurrence and distribution of dinoflagellate resting cysts were investigated at 11 locations in the south-eastern part of the North Sea. Twenty-six known cyst species and 7 unknown cyst types, which may act as seed population for planktonic dinoflagellate blooms, have been recorded for the first time in the area. The most common cysts in recent sediments were those ofScrippsiella trochoidea, Zygabikodinium lenticulatum, Peridinium dalei, Scrippsiella lachrymosa, Protoceratium reticulatum, Protoperidinium denticulatum, andP. conicum. At all stations,S. trochoidea dominated the cyst assemblages with a maximal abundance of 1303 living cysts/cm³ in the uppermost half centimetre. Cysts of the potentially toxic dinoflagellatesAlexandrium cf.excavatum andA. cf.tamarense were scarce. In the upper 2-cm layer of sediment, dinoflagellate cysts were found in concentrations of 1.8 up to 682 living cysts/cm³. Empty cysts constituted 22–56% of total cyst abundance. The comparative distribution of the cysts showed a general increase in abundance from inshore sites to the offshore area, whereby sandy stations exhibited the lowest cyst abundance and diversity. The wide distribution of living and empty cysts ofScrippsiella lachrymosa suggests that its motile form, which has not been officially recorded in the area until now, is a common plankton organism in German coastal waters. The relatively high abundance of cysts in recent sediments demonstrates the potential importance of benthic resting stages for the initiation of dinoflagellate blooms in the study area.     

Species diversity and abundance of dinoflagellate resting cysts seven months after a bloom of Alexandrium catenella in two contrasting coastal systems of the Chilean Inland Sea

In Chile, 90% of the fish farms and major natural shellfish beds are located in the region surrounding the Inland Sea, where over the last few decades harmful phytoplankton blooms have often been observed. The onset and recurrence of bloom events are often related to the resuspension and germination of resting cysts that have accumulated in the sediments. The degree of cyst settling, accumulation and germination is highly variable between areas and depends on physical and environmental factors. To learn how differences in oceanographic exposure, amount of river runoff and bathymetry affect dinoflagellate cyst deposition, we examined the diversity and abundance of dinoflagellate resting cysts from two hydrographically contrasting coastal areas (oceanic Guaitecas Archipelago and estuarine Pitipalena Fjord) of the Chilean Inland Sea in September 2006, seven months after a bloom of Alexandrium catenella, a producer of paralytic shellfish toxin. Cyst species diversity consisted of 18 taxa, including A. catenella and the noxious species Protoceratium reticulatum, both of which have caused blooms in the study area. Our results revealed significant differences between the two study sites in terms of the abundance and diversity of resting cysts, suggesting that in the specific case of A. catenella, only Guaitecas stations have potential for cyst accumulation and successful growth of cells. However, there was no evidence of long-term resting cyst beds of A. catenella at either study site.     

Evidence for Production of Sexual Resting Cysts by the Toxic Dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi in Clonal Cultures and Marine Sediments

The toxic dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi has been well-known for causing large-scale and dense harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal waters worldwide and serious economic loss in aquaculture and fisheries and other adverse effects on marine ecosystems. Whether K. mikimotoi forms resting cysts has been a puzzling issue regarding to the mechanisms of bloom initiation and geographic expansion of this species. We provide morphological and molecular confirmation of sexually produced thin-walled resting cysts by K. mikimotoi based on observations of laboratory cultures and their direct detection in marine sediments. Light and scanning electron microscopy evidences for sexual reproduction include attraction and pairing of gametes, gamete fusion, formation of planozygote and thin-walled cyst, and the documentation of the thin-walled cyst germination processes. Evidence for cysts in marine sediments was in three aspects: positive PCR detection of cysts using species-specific primers in the DNA extracted from whole sediments; fluorescence in situ hybridization detection of cysts using FISH probes; and single-cell PCR sequencing for cysts positively labeled with FISH probes. The existence of sexually produced, thin-walled resting cysts by K. mikimotoi provides a possible mechanism accounting for the initiation of annually recurring blooms at certain regions and global expansion of the species during the past decades.     

Alexandrium and Scrippsiella cyst viability and cytoplasmic fullness in a 60-cm sediment core from Sequim Bay,WA

Many marine protists produce a benthic resting stage during their life history. This non-motile cyst stage can either germinate near the sediment surface to provide the inoculum for subsequent blooms or, be buried by sediment deposits over time and entrained into the sedimentary record. Buried cysts can be resuspended into the water column by mixing events (e.g., storms) or other disturbances (e.g., dredging). It is not clear how long cysts can survive while buried in the sediments and still be capable of germinating given favorable conditions. Here, the germination success of cysts produced by the potentially toxic dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium and the non-toxic dinoflagellate genus Scrippsiella is reported from a 60-cm sediment core collected in Sequim Bay, WA, in December 2011. Cysts of Alexandrium spp. and Scrippsiella spp. were isolated from 2-cm sections of the core, placed in individual wells of a 96-well plate with growth medium, imaged, incubated at favorable conditions and monitored for germination. An image analysis program, DinoCyst, was used to quantitatively measure the amount of granular storage products, presumed energy stores, inside the cytoplasm to test the hypothesis that older cysts located deeper in the sediment core will have fewer energy stores available and will be less likely to germinate. An index of the area of the cytoplasm occupied with granular storage products relative to cyst size, termed ‘cytoplasmic fullness’, and age, based on ²¹⁰Pb dating of surrounding sediments, was compared with germination success or failure. This research indicates that cysts of Alexandrium spp. and Scrippsiella spp. can remain viable in sediments for 60 years or longer, show little visual evidence of cytoplasmic deterioration over this timescale (as measured by cytoplasmic fullness), and that germination success is statistically similar for cysts isolated from 0–60 cm deep in the sediment core. These results suggest that a cyst's cytoplasmic fullness is not indicative of viability and that cysts located as deep as 60 cm in the sediments are as likely to germinate as surface cysts given favorable conditions.     

Dinoflagellate cysts from surface sediments of Saldanha Bay, South Africa: an indication of the potential risk of harmful algal blooms

The distribution and abundance of dinoflagellate cysts from recent coastal sediments in Saldanha Bay, was investigated, and compared to the cyst assemblages of the adjacent coastal upwelling system as reflected in the sediments off Lambert's Bay on the southern Namaqua shelf. Twenty-two cyst types were identified from three sample sites off Lambert's Bay with recorded abundances between 1726 and 1863 cysts ml⁻¹ wet sediment. At least 21 distinctive cyst types were identified from 32 sample sites within Saldanha Bay. Cyst abundance in Saldanha Bay was relatively low, averaging 116 cysts ml⁻¹ wet sediment. The region off Lambert's Bay is especially susceptible to the formation of harmful algal blooms attributed to high biomass dinoflagellate blooms. Owing to these blooms and the retentive circulation characteristics of this area, cyst formation and deposition is high. Blooms can be advected into Saldanha Bay, but their development and duration in the Bay is restricted by the system of exchange that operates between the Bay and the coastal upwelling system, in that there is a net export of surface waters from the Bay. Consequently, fewer cysts are formed and deposited within the Bay thereby reducing the likelihood of in situ bloom development initiated from the excystment of cysts.     

Temperature mediates secondary dormancy in resting cysts of Pyrodinium bahamense (Dinophyceae)

High‐biomass blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense occur most summers in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, posing a recurring threat to ecosystem health. Like many dinoflagellates, P. bahamense forms immobile resting cysts that can be deposited on the seafloor—creating a seed bank that can retain the organism within the ecosystem and initiate future blooms when cysts germinate. In this study, we examined changes in the dormancy status of cysts collected from Tampa Bay and applied lessons from plant ecology to explore dormancy controls. Pyrodinium bahamense cysts incubated immediately after field collection displayed a seasonal pattern in dormancy and germination that matched the pattern of cell abundance in the water column. Newly deposited (surface) cysts and older (buried) cysts exhibited similar germination patterns, suggesting that a common mechanism regulates dormancy expression in new and mature cysts. Extended cool‐ and warm‐temperature conditioning of field‐collected cysts altered the cycle of dormancy compared with that of cysts in nature, with the duration of cool temperature exposure being the best predictor of when cysts emerged from dormancy. Extended warm conditioning, on the other hand, elicited a return to dormancy, or secondary dormancy, in nondormant cysts. These results directly demonstrate environmental induction of secondary dormancy in dinoflagellates—a mechanism common and thoroughly documented in higher plants with seasonal growth cycles. Our findings support the hypothesis that a seasonal cycle in cyst germination drives P. bahamense bloom periodicity in Tampa Bay and point to environmentally induced secondary dormancy as an important regulatory factor of that cycle.     

Dinoflagellate cyst records in recent sediments from Daya Bay, South China Sea

Nine sediment cores of 8–26 cm in length were collected from two basins of Daya Bay, the South China Sea, by Tokyo University Fisheries Oceanography Laboratory core sampler in August 2001 to investigate the distribution of dinoflagellate resting cysts. In the present study, 51 different cyst morphotypes representing 22 genera were identified from 65 sediment samples. Among them, there were 21 autotrophic species and 30 heterotrophic ones. Cyst species richness in each sample varied from 12 to 29, while the values of Shannon‐Weaver diversity index (H′) were between 0.15 and 4.13. There were an obvious increase in both species richness and values of H′in 2–6 cm sediments. Cyst concentrations varied from 154 to 113 483 cysts per gram dry weight sediment, and were much higher in upper sediments. Scrippsiella trochoidea was the most dominant cyst type, which took up over 90% of cyst assemblages in the upper sediments. The abrupt increase of S. trochoidea cysts in the surface sediments reflected the bloom of this species in Daya Bay in 2000. The results from cyst assemblages showed some trend of changes in water quality in this area, and indicated a typical type of pollution caused by cultural eutrophication, which started in the 1980s and greatly accelerated in the middle of 1990s. Cysts of Alexandrium, mainly those of Alexandrium catenella and Alexandrium tamarense complex, occurred frequently and abundantly in this area, with the highest concentration and relative frequency of 503 cysts per gram dry weight sediment and 22.3%, respectively. The high abundance of Alexandrium cysts provided rich ‘seed bed’ for Alexandrium blooms and was also an important source of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins, especially in winter.     

Dinoflagellate cyst distribution along a shelf to slope transect of an oligotrophic tropical sea (Sunda Shelf, South China Sea)

From 51 surface samples collected along a shelf to slope transect of the Sunda Shelf, South China Sea, 36 taxa of organic‐walled dinoflagellate cysts are identified. Oligotrophic tropical shelf assemblages on the Sunda Shelf are dominated by gonyaulacoids such as Spiniferites species, Operculodinium centmcarpum and Operculodinium israelianum. Concentrations of dinoflagellate cysts in the shelf sediments are generally low and correlate well with the content of fine‐grained (clay and silt fraction) sediments. Detailed comparisons of sediment grain‐size distributions to concentrations of dominant dinoflagellate taxa (Spiniferites species, 0. centmcarpum and 0. israelianum) in the shelf sediments indicate that these taxa behave in water like sediment particles with size range φ 5.75–6.25 (13–18 μm). In contrast, slope assemblages in fine‐grained sediments are dominated by protoperidinioids. This may reflect higher nutrient availability as a result of weak winter upwelling. The concentrations of dinoflagellate cysts in the shelf sediments are mainly controlled by transport and winnowing processes and are probably not representative of surface water conditions.     

Coupling planktonic and benthic shifts during a bloom of Alexandrium catenella in southern Chile: Implications for bloom dynamics and recurrence

Cell abundances and distributions of Alexandrium catenella resting cysts in recent sediments were studied along time at two locations in the Chilean Inland Sea exposed to different oceanographic conditions: Low Bay, which is much more open to the ocean than the more interior and protected Ovalada Island. The bloom began in interior areas but maximum cyst concentrations were recorded in locations more open to the ocean, at the end of the Moraleda channel. Our results showed a time lapse of around 3 months from the bloom peak (planktonic population) until the number of resting cysts in the sediments reached a maximum. Three months later, less than 10% of the A. catenella cysts remained in the sediments. Maximum cyst numbers in the water column occurred one month after the planktonic peak, when no cells were present. The dinoflagellate assemblage at both study sites was dominated by heterotrophic cysts, except during the A. catenella bloom. CCA analyses of species composition and environmental factors indicated that the frequency of A. catenella blooms was associated with low temperatures, but not with salinity, chlorophyll a concentration, and predator presence (measured as clam biomass). However, resting cyst distribution was only related to cell abundance and location. The occurrence of A. catenella cysts was also associated with that of cysts from the toxic species Protoceratium reticulatum. By shedding light on the ecological requirements of A. catenella blooms, our observations support the relevance of encystment as a mechanism of bloom termination and show a very fast depletion of cysts from the sediments (<3 months), which suggest a small role for resting cyst deposits in the recurrence of A. catenella blooms in this area.     

Encystment of Peridinium gatunense: occurrence, favourable environmental conditions and its role in the dinoflagellate life cycle in a subtropical lake

1. The abundance of cysts of the bloom‐forming dinoflagellate Peridinium gatunense in the sediments of Lake Kinneret and the effects of environmental conditions on encystment were studied in relation to bloom dynamics. Peak cyst formation coincided with the highest growth rate of the population, prior to bloom peak. 2. Peridinium cysts were counted in water and sediment corer samples from 2000 to 2003 and in archived sediment trap samples collected during 1993–94. The cyst data were examined in relation to ambient temperature and nutrient records, and revealed no direct correlation. 3. In laboratory encystment experiments with Peridinium cells collected from the lake, 0.2–3% of the vegetative cells encysted. Temperature, light and cell density had no significant effect on the percentage of encystment. 4. Cysts were always present in the lake sediments but their abundance in ‘non Peridinium’ years was much lower than after a massive bloom. Vegetative cells were always present in the water column after the collapse of the annual dinoflagellate bloom, potentially serving as the inoculum for the next bloom. We propose that the hardy cysts serve as an emergency ‘gene bank’ to initiate population build up following catastrophic die outs.