Enhancing Causal Assessment of Estuarine Fishkills Using Graphical Models

It is not possible to determine the causal relationship between fishkills and the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, using observational data on these two variables alone. However, consideration of a third variable, indicating the presence of a broader class of more easily measured Pfiesteria-like organisms (PLOs), leads to causal model structures from which the nature of this relationship can be distinguished. We use reported field data to evaluate alternative models and find that the suggestion that toxic Pfiesteria cause fishkills is inconsistent with observation. The data are more indicative of a model in which PLOs (including potentially toxic Pfiesteria) are stimulated to become actively toxic by the presence of already dead or dying fish. Laboratory experiments performed to date do not provide evidence contradictory to this finding. However, neither can the existence of a common cause of both Pfiesteria toxicity and fishkills be ruled out. The differing implications for ecosystem management suggest that these causal associations should be further investigated through additional modeling and data collection efforts. Graphical methods of model construction and evaluation can assist in this process. Received 22 May 2002; accepted 3 October 2002.     

Characterization of Ichthyocidal Activity of Pfiesteria piscicida: Dependence on the Dinospore Cell Density

The ichthyocidal activity of Pfiesteria piscicida dinospores was examined in an aquarium bioassay format by exposing fish to either Pfiesteria-containing environmental sediments or clonal P. piscicida. The presence of Pfiesteria spp. and the complexity of the microbial assemblage in the bioassay were assessed by molecular approaches. Cell-free water from bioassays that yielded significant fish mortality failed to show ichthyocidal activity. Histopathological examination of moribund and dead fish failed to reveal the skin lesions reported elsewhere. Fish larvae within “cages” of variable mesh sizes were killed in those where the pore size exceeded that of Pfiesteria dinospores. In vitro exposure of fish larvae to clonal P. piscicida indicated that fish mortality was directly proportional to the dinospore cell density. Dinospores clustered around the mouth, eyes, and operculi, suggesting that fish health may be affected by their direct interaction with skin, gill epithelia, or mucous surfaces. Molecular fingerprinting revealed the presence of a very diverse microbial community of bacteria, protists, and fungi within bioassay aquaria containing environmental sediments. Some components of the microbial community were identified as potential fish pathogens, preventing the rigorous identification of Pfiesteria spp. as the only cause of fish death. In summary, our results strongly suggest (i) that this aquarium bioassay format, which has been extensively reported in the literature, is unsuitable to accurately assess the ichthyocidal activity of Pfiesteria spp. and (ii) that the ichthyocidal activity of Pfiesteria spp. is mostly due to direct interactions of the zoospores with fish skin and gill epithelia rather than to soluble factors.     

Associations between fish health and Pfiesteria spp. in Chesapeake Bay and mid-Atlantic estuaries

In response to concerns that there may be an association between harmful algal bloom (HAB) species and fish health, including the widespread use of fish health as one indicator of a possible HAB warranting further investigation, evidence for such an association was evaluated in Chesapeake Bay and other mid-Atlantic estuaries (1999–2001). A statistical approach was used, without invoking causality, to test whether there is an association between the prevalence of externally-visible lesions in fish populations above background levels and the presence of Pfiesteria spp. in co-located water and fish samples. Externally visible anomalies (e.g. ulcers, necrosis, parasites, etc.) were recorded for Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and all other fish collected. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were used to test for the presence of Pfiesteria spp. in water samples collected at routine and rapid response sampling events. No actively toxic Pfiesteria was found during this study. Fine-scale (within a given sample site) and broad-scale (estuary-wide sampling) comparisons showed positive associations between externally-visible fish lesions in menhaden populations and the presence of Pfiesteria spp. in co-located samples. Logistic regression modeling of Pfiesteria detection probabilities as a function of prevalence of menhaden with lesions was significant (P = 0.0096). Reductions in the false positive (tests indicating Pfiesteria presence when its absent) and false negative (tests indicating Pfiesteria is absent when it is actually present) rates occurred when the minimum sample size threshold increased from 1 to 30 fish (P = 0.003–0.001). This association served as a useful field indicator of potential HAB activity that could warrant further field investigation and testing.     

Effect of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on In Vitro Proliferation, Encystment, and Excystment of Pfiesteria piscicida

Pfiesteria spp. are mixotrophic armored dinoflagellates populating the Atlantic coastal waters of the United States. They have been a focus of intense research due to their reported association with several fish mortality events. We have now used a clonal culture of Pfiesteria piscicida and several new environmental isolates to describe growth characteristics, feeding, and factors contributing to the encystment and germination of the organism in both laboratory and environmental samples. We also discuss applied methods of detection of the different morphological forms of Pfiesteria in environmental samples. In summary, Pfiesteria, when grown with its algal prey, Rhodomonas sp., presents a typical growth curve with lag, exponential, and stationary phases, followed by encystment. The doubling time in exponential phase is about 12 h. The profiles of proliferation under a standard light cycle and in the dark were similar, although the peak cell densities were markedly lower when cells were grown in the dark. The addition of urea, chicken manure, and soil extracts did not enhance Pfiesteria proliferation, but crude unfiltered spent aquarium water did. Under conditions of food deprivation or cold (4°C), Pfiesteria readily formed harvestable cysts that were further analyzed by PCR and scanning electron microscopy. The germination of Pfiesteria cysts in environmental sediment was enhanced by the presence of live fish: dinospores could be detected 13 to 15 days earlier and reached 5- to 10-times-higher peak cell densities with live fish than with artificial seawater or f/2 medium alone. The addition of ammonia, urea, nitrate, phosphate, or surprisingly, spent fish aquarium water had no effect.     

Modeling the influence of nutrients, turbulence and grazing on Pfiesteria population dynamics

A semi-idealized marine ecosystem model, designed as a heuristic tool for exploring the population dynamics of non-inducible versus toxic forms of Pfiesteria is described. The model is based on empirical evidence suggesting that these differing functional types of Pfiesteria also differ substantially in terms of what they eat and how they utilize it to optimize their growth. Non-inducible strains are similar to other mixotrophic dinoflagellates, whereas toxic strains may consume organic matter and detritus, produce toxins and attack fish. In our model formulation we represent these differences in a simplified way: the non-inducible strain is kleptochloroplastidic and it can take up DIN, but it cannot utilize DON, whereas the toxic strain is heterotrophic, it cannot utilize DIN, but it can utilize DON directly. These differences give rise to very different impacts on prey and nutrient concentrations in our model. Under high DIN/DON ratio conditions, the non-inducible cells grew much faster and were therefore more likely to bloom, but this advantage is substantially mitigated when the DIN/DON ratio is low. A turbulence parameterization was also incorporated into our model. The effect of this was to reduce the grazing rate of Pfiesteria when turbulence levels are high. According to our model, increased turbulence is more detrimental to the toxic functional type because it grows more slowly. The further imposition of microzooplankton grazing in the model showed that top-down control effects can be very significant, which is consistent with both laboratory and field studies and the general idea that plankton blooms can only happen in the absence of substantial grazing control. In general, our model results suggest that non-toxic blooms are more likely to occur in more turbulent inorganic-nutrient rich conditions, which are often found in more open coastal and estuarine waters that are subject to high inorganic loading. In contrast, toxic blooms are more likely to occur in calm, organic-nutrient rich conditions, which are often found in shallow, protected tributaries that are subject to high organic nutrient loading. Our model results also support the idea that the absence of strong grazing pressure is a prerequisite to bloom formation for both non-inducible and toxic strains of Pfiesteria. These results are generally consistent with observed patterns of toxic Pfiesteria blooms in Chesapeake Bay, the Neuse River of North Carolina and many other coastal and estuarine environments.     

Toxigenic Pfiesteria species—Updates on biology,ecology, toxins,and impacts

The genus Pfiesteria includes two toxigenic species, Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae, that are thinly thecate dinoflagellates with apparently cosmopolitan distribution, especially in shallow, poorly flushed, eutrophic estuaries. They are heterotrophic prey generalists that typically feed via phagotrophy and prefer live fish or their fresh tissues as food. They can also engage in limited mixotrophy through temporary retention of kleptochloroplasts from algal prey. Toxicity is highly variable among strains, ranging from apparently nontoxic to highly toxic. Some strains produce a group of hydrophilic toxins with metal-mediated free radical production. Various metals can be involved in the toxin congeners, and the purified toxins are highly labile. These toxins can adversely affect mammalian cells as well as fish. Toxic strains are capable of killing fish by both toxins and physical attack from feeding upon epidermis and other tissues. Non-inducible strains do not produce sufficient toxin to kill fish, but some are capable of causing larval fish death by physical attack. From 1991 to 1998, Pfiesteria spp. were linked to major kills of juvenile Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), mostly at densities of ≥4(3) × 10² to 10³ (rarely, 10⁴) flagellate cells mL⁻¹. These kills mainly occurred in the second largest and largest estuaries on the U.S. mainland, especially two main tributaries of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, following decades of hurricane-free conditions. Between kills, Pfiesteria abundance was low in surface waters (<10 cells mL⁻¹), and the available evidence suggests that the populations were mostly in the lower water column and within surficial sediments. Apparently highly sensitive to scouring effects from major storms, Pfiesteria populations have been sparse in the affected estuaries since several hurricanes struck the Albemarle-Pamlico in the late 1990s. Recent research highlights include characterization of a novel group of Pfiesteria toxins, culture of a toxigenic strain on a sterile fish cell line, axenic culture on a semi-defined medium, the discovery of a new mode of heterotrophic feeding in dinoflagellates as manifested by Pfiesteria, and other advances in understanding the nutritional ecology and prey acquisition of these harmful dinoflagellates.     

Effect of small-scale shear on grazing and growth of the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida

Low turbulence environments have been hypothesized to be necessary for toxic outbreaks of the heterotrophic/mixotrophic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida. A toxic Pfiesteria outbreak occurred in the shallow waters (the flats) of the lower Pocomoke River, MD, USA, in 1997. During August 1999 and May and August 2000, data were collected with a Shallow Water ADV Turbulence Tripod (SWATT) to estimate turbulent shear at a location monitored for Pfiesteria on the flats. Approximately 78% of the observed shears were ≤1 s⁻¹ and 98% were ≤2 s⁻¹. Densities of Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates were low in the Pocomoke River during 1999 and 2000 and no toxic outbreaks occurred. In the laboratory, Couette cylinders were used to determine the effect of small-scale shear on feeding and growth of cultured P. piscicida growing on cryptophyte prey. Shear of 1 s⁻¹ had little or no effect on feeding or growth but 3 s⁻¹ reduced feeding and survival/growth of Pfiesteria zoospores. Small, rapidly dividing Pfiesteria cells were most susceptible to negative effects of shear. Pfiesteria appears to be more sensitive to small-scale shear than are most autotrophic dinoflagellates. However, in the lower Pocomoke River, turbulent shear is rarely high enough to inhibit the growth of non-toxic Pfiesteria zoospores. Toxic functional types (TOX-A and TOX-B) may be more sensitive to small-scale shear; it will be important to determine the responses of these types of Pfiesteria in order to predict the affects of wind and tidal mixing on toxic outbreaks.     

Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae in coastal waters of Long Island, New York, USA

Water and sediment samples were collected during summer and early fall 1999–2004 from coastal waters of New York State, USA, to test for the presence of Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae. Physical and chemical conditions were characterized, and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were conducted. Both species were relatively common and found at most sites at least once, and the frequency of positive assays was higher in sediments than in the water column. In a subset of the data from Suffolk County, Long Island, the presence of Pfiesteria was related to high chlorophyll a and relatively high nutrient concentrations. Partial SSU rDNA sequences of four PCR amplicons generated using P. shumwayae primers indicated two sequences: three were identical to GenBank P. shumwayae entries, but one showed enough sequence difference (15 positions in a 454 bp amplicon) to suggest a possible new species. Three isolates were tested for toxicity, and one was found to kill fish in bioassays. Despite the widespread presence of both Pfiesteria species and demonstration of potential to harm fish, no blooms of these dinoflagellates have been observed, nor has there been evidence of Pfiesteria-related fish or human health problems in these waters, likely related to colder temperatures than optimal for Pfiesteria species.     

Grazing activity of Pfiesteria piscicida (Dinophyceae) and susceptibility to ciliate predation vary with toxicity status

Variability has been reported in the toxicity potential of Pfiesteria piscicida that is partly a function of the history of exposure to live fish. Grazing properties of P. piscicida and its susceptibility to ciliate predation were compared in three functional types or toxicity states of this species: actively toxic cultures, cultures with temporary loss of demonstrable toxicity, and cultures with no demonstrable toxicity. Pronounced differences in predator–prey interactions were found between actively toxic cultures and cultures with reduced toxicity. When grown with Rhodomonas sp. (Cryptophyceae) prey, specific growth rates were relatively low in actively toxic cultures under both relatively high and low irradiances. In the cultures with reduced toxicity, prey chloroplast material was apparent in nearly 100% of dinoflagellate cells 3 h after feeding, while chloroplast inclusions were found in <40% of actively toxic cells for ≤16 h (high light) and ≤23 h (low light). These results suggest a relatively high reliance on phagotrophic carbon assimilation and more rapid response to algal prey availability in Pfiesteria cells with lower toxicity. Grazing by two euplotid benthic ciliates (Euplotes vannus and E. woodruffi) on P. piscicida also varied among functional types. Grazing on actively toxic P. piscicida cells did not occur, whereas net positive ingestion rates were calculated for the other prey cultures. These results support concurrent experimental findings that a natural assemblage of microzooplankton displayed lower grazing potential on actively toxic P. piscicida than on cultures with reduced toxicity. In summary, pronounced differences in trophic interactions were found between actively toxic cultures and those with reduced or undetectable toxicity, providing additional evidence of the importance of cellular toxicity in the trophic ecology of Pfiesteria.     

Detoxification of furfural in Corynebacterium glutamicum under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

The toxic fermentation inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates raise serious problems for the microbial production of fuels and chemicals. Furfural is considered to be one of the most toxic compounds among these inhibitors. Here, we describe the detoxification of furfural in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Under aerobic culture conditions, furfuryl alcohol and 2-furoic acid were produced as detoxification products of furfural. The ratio of the products varied depending on the initial furfural concentration. Neither furfuryl alcohol nor 2-furoic acid showed any toxic effect on cell growth, and both compounds were determined to be the end products of furfural degradation. Interestingly, unlike under aerobic conditions, most of the furfural was converted to furfuryl alcohol under anaerobic conditions, without affecting the glucose consumption rate. Both the NADH/NAD⁺ and NADPH/NADP⁺ ratio decreased in the accordance with furfural concentration under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. These results indicate the presence of a single or multiple endogenous enzymes with broad and high affinity for furfural and co-factors in C. glutamicum ATCC13032.     

Molecular mechanisms of α-synuclein neurodegeneration

α-Synuclein is an abundant highly charged protein that is normally predominantly localized around synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals. Although the function of this protein is still ill-defined, genetic studies have demonstrated that point mutations or genetic alteration (duplications or triplications) that increase the number of copies of the α-synuclein (SCNA) gene can cause Parkinson's disease or the related disorder dementia with Lewy bodies. α-Synuclein can aberrantly polymerize into fibrils with typical amyloid properties, and these fibrils are the major component of many types of pathological inclusions, including Lewy bodies, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Although there is substantial evidence supporting the toxic nature of α-synuclein inclusions, other modes of toxicity such as oligomers have been proposed. In this review, some of the evidence for the different mechanisms of α-synuclein toxicity is presented and discussed.     

On the probable composition of ‘Jamaican stone’ aphrodisiac

A dangerous aphrodisiac, commonly known as ‘Jamaican stone’, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been studied by vibrational spectroscopy in order to solve the controversy on its composition. The results of the ATR-FTIR analysis revealed the presence of the α-pyrone ring, which is characteristic of bufadienolides from toad venom and bulbs of squill (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn). This conclusion was reached after a comparative study with the spectra for phytochemicals derived from gambir and cat’s claw, two Uncaria species also preconized as aphrodisiacs and deemed as possible constituents of the ‘stone’. Owing to their physiologic similarities to digoxin, bufadienolides have been shown to produce a toxic profile similar to that of digoxin, although the lack one of the side chains found on digoxin should allow the use of hemodialysis to treat ‘Jamaican stone’ overdose.     

Investigation of a toxic water-bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanophyceae) in Lake Akersvatn,Norway

During the summer and fall of 1984 and 1985, the eutrophic Lake Akersvatn in south-eastern Norway, used as reserve drinking water reservoir, was found to produce heavy water-blooms of the colonial blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa. Samples of the water-bloom were found to be toxic using the mouse bioassay. No toxin was found free in the water as detected by HPLC and mouse bioassay. The toxic cells (minimum lethal dose 8–15 mg/kg body weight in mice) and purified toxin (minimum lethal dose 50 μg/kg body weight in mice) showed signs of poisoning in laboratory rats and mice identical to that of other hepatotoxin-producing M. aeruginosa blooms and strains reported from other parts of the world. The toxin has chemical properties similar to the cyclic heptapeptide reported for a South African M. aeruginosa toxin. The toxin from Lake Akersvatn bloom material has a molecular weight of 994. The toxic bloom of M. aeruginosa persisted from August to November in 1984 and reappeared in July of 1985. While water from Lake Akersvatn was not used for municipal water supply during this period, the presence of toxic blue-green algae in a drinking water reservoir indicates the need to develop monitoring and detection methods for toxic cells and toxin(s).     

The potential hazards of Aspergillus sp. in foods and feeds,and the role of biological treatment: A review

The contamination of food and feed by Aspergillus has become a global issue with a significant worldwide economic impact. The growth of Aspergillus is unfavourable to the development of food and feed industries, where the problems happen mostly due to the presence of mycotoxins, which is a toxic metabolite secreted by most Aspergillus groups. Moreover, fungi can produce spores that cause diseases, such as allergies and asthma, especially to human beings. High temperature, high moisture, retarded crops, and poor food storage conditions encourage the growth of mold, as well as the development of mycotoxins. A variety of chemical, biological, and physical strategies have been developed to control the production of mycotoxins. A biological approach, using a mixed culture comprised of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus rhamnosus resulted in the inhibition of the growth of fungi when inoculated into fermented food. The results reveal that the mixed culture has a higher potential (37.08%) to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus (producer of Aflatoxin) compared to either single culture, L. rhamnosus NRRL B-442 and S. cerevisiae, which inhibit the growth by 63.07% and 64.24%, respectively.     

Using Bayes' Rule to Define the Value of Evidence from Syndromic Surveillance

In this work we propose the adoption of a statistical framework used in the evaluation of forensic evidence as a tool for evaluating and presenting circumstantial “evidence” of a disease outbreak from syndromic surveillance. The basic idea is to exploit the predicted distributions of reported cases to calculate the ratio of the likelihood of observing n cases given an ongoing outbreak over the likelihood of observing n cases given no outbreak. The likelihood ratio defines the Value of Evidence (V). Using Bayes'' rule, the prior odds for an ongoing outbreak are multiplied by V to obtain the posterior odds. This approach was applied to time series on the number of horses showing clinical respiratory symptoms or neurological symptoms. The separation between prior beliefs about the probability of an outbreak and the strength of evidence from syndromic surveillance offers a transparent reasoning process suitable for supporting decision makers. The value of evidence can be translated into a verbal statement, as often done in forensics or used for the production of risk maps. Furthermore, a Bayesian approach offers seamless integration of data from syndromic surveillance with results from predictive modeling and with information from other sources such as disease introduction risk assessments.     

Proton translation in submitochondrial vesicles

An investigation of proton translocation in submitochondrial vesicles from rat liver has been made under simple experimental conditions. Choline chloride was used both as the oxidizable substrate and the ionic medium for the measurement of activity during oxygen pulse experiments:

1. The passive permeability measured from the decay of proton efflux after an oxygen pulse could be described by a first-order equation. An H⁺/O ratio of 2·5 was obtained for choline oxidation in the presence of oligomycin and/or MgCl₂. Oligomycin decreased the passive proton permeability and respiration, concomitant with an increase in proton uptake. Respiratory control was directly related to the passive proton permeability and inversely related to the magnitude of the proton gradient. The decreased respiration and passive permeability reflecting respiratory control is most evident in the pH rang 5·8–7·5.
2. Preparation of submitochondrial vesicles in the presence of EDTA resulted in proton production during an oxygen pulse given at alkaline pH. Cytochromec enhanced proton uptake by approximately 1 H⁺/cytochromec, but only in the presence of Triton X-100. These results are indicative of the asymmetric behavior of the coupling membrane and provide direct evidence of the participation of electron transport components in proton translocation.

     

Onchocerca volvulus and epilepsy: A comprehensive review using the Bradford Hill criteria for causation

BackgroundThe possibility that onchocerciasis may cause epilepsy has been suggested for a long time, but thus far, an etiological link has not been universally accepted. The objective of this review is to critically appraise the relationship between Onchocerca volvulus and epilepsy and subsequently apply the Bradford Hill criteria to further evaluate the likelihood of a causal association.MethodsPubMed and gray literature published until September 15, 2020, were searched and findings from original research were synthesized. Adherence to the 9 Bradford Hill criteria in the context of onchocerciasis and epilepsy was determined to assess whether the criteria are met to strengthen the evidence base for a causal link between infection with O. volvulus and epilepsy, including the nodding syndrome.ResultsOnchocerciasis as a risk factor for epilepsy meets the following Bradford Hill criteria for causality: strength of the association, consistency, temporality, and biological gradient. There is weaker evidence supporting causality based on the specificity, plausibility, coherence, and analogy criteria. There is little experimental evidence. Considering the Bradford Hill criteria, available data suggest that under certain conditions (high microfilarial load, timing of infection, and perhaps genetic predisposition), onchocerciasis is likely to cause epilepsy including nodding and Nakalanga syndromes.ConclusionApplying the Bradford Hill criteria suggests consistent epidemiological evidence that O. volvulus infection is a trigger of epilepsy. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for seizure induction still need to be elucidated.     

Dynamics of ciguatoxins from Gambierdiscus polynesiensis in the benthic herbivore Mugil cephalus: Trophic transfer implications

This study investigates ciguatoxin dynamics in mullet after controlled feeding of Gambierdiscus polynesiensis cells as a model to characterize the absorption, distribution, retention and accumulation of ciguatoxins into the second trophic level of southwestern Pacific coral reef ecosystems. Mullet (Mugil cephalus) were fed once every other day over a period of 16 days for nine toxic feedings, and ciguatoxin activity was assessed over time in blood and seven tissues using the Neuro2a assay. Within 3 h of feeding on G. polynesiensis cells, ciguatoxins attained maximal blood concentrations, indicating rapid absorption of toxins into the systemic circulation. The time course for distribution of the estimated total tissue burden of ciguatoxin closely followed the time course for blood toxin levels, indicating a rapid distribution of the ciguatoxins throughout the fish body. The large majority (95%) of the ciguatoxin ingested dose was eliminated from the examined fish tissues 24 h after a single toxic meal, indicating little retention potential for ciguatoxin. We found no evidence for ciguatoxin accumulation after nine repeated feedings spaced two days apart, indicating that mullet did not accumulate ciguatoxin. These results provide the first experimental evidence supporting the central tenet of Randall's food chain hypothesis that ciguatoxins enter the food chain by transfer from unicellular algae to herbivorous and detritus-feeding fish. We propose that a time-dependent transformation of oxopene ciguatoxins may be necessary for the concentration of ciguatoxin through higher trophic levels.     

Aspergillus insulicola sp. nov.

A strain of Aspergillus sp. is described and proposed as a new species under the name ‘Aspergillus insulicola sp. nov.’ Montemayor & Santiago, 1973. This strain was isolated from soil samples taken in ‘Aves Island’ during a scientific expedition. — Aves Island, situated at 15°, 40′, 42″ N and 63°, 36′, 47″ W, about 665 Km of the coast of Venezuela, has very special ecological conditions. Due to its smallness: 550 m long and 40 to 120 m across and to its low profile only 3 m over sea level, it is swept by the sea during the periodical storms and hurricanes in the area. It has thus a very interesting fauna and flora. We took a series of soil samples to study its mycological flora. Forty samples were inoculated by dilution method. In this first paper a species is described and proposed as a new species because of its macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, as well as by its biological properties, under the name ‘Aspergillus insulicola sp. nov.’. In its study we have tried to follow as closely as possible the methods recommended by Kennet B. Raper & Dorothy Fenell, world authorities on the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. The strain is being kept in USB under the number T1, and has been sent to ATCC & CBSC to be incorporated in their collections.