Use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis proteome reference maps of dinoflagellates for species recognition of causative agents of harmful algal blooms

The sample preparation procedures established for Prorocentrum triestinum were adapted to cover both thecate and athecate dinoflagellates. Further, whether trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitation can be used to fix and preserve the harmful or nuisance species from local waters that they infest was tested. Optimized technical procedures developed were used to generate proteome reference maps for eight other local causative species of harmful algal blooms (HABs): Prorocentrum micans, Prorocentrum minimum, Prorocentrum sigmoides, Prorocentrum dentatum, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Karenia longicanalis, Karenia digitata and Karenia mikimotoi; together with one American species Karenia brevis (Florida, USA). These proteome maps were used to test their ability for species recognition in a mixed culture of dinoflagellates and whether such investigations will provide a comparative view at a global level. Comparisons of proteome profiles were made (i). between closely related species within the same family; (ii). between distantly related species belonging to different types, i.e., gymnodinioids, prorocentroids or peridinioids, or (iii). between different groups, i.e., thecate (armored) dinoflagellate cells against athecate (naked or unarmored) dinoflagellate cells. Species-specific two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) protein profiles were observed in all ten species and it was possible to distinguish between even closely related species within the same family. To demonstrate the extent of reproducibility and usefulness of these 2-DE reference maps, 2-DE has been used to analyze three geographically distinct isolates of Prorocentrum dentatum, and to distinguish species composition in a mixed culture. Application of 2-D PAGE analysis to differentiate between taxonomically confused strains of a single species could be a powerful taxonomic tool.     

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.     

A retrospective appraisal of the importance of high-resolution sampling for harmful algal blooms: Lessons from long-term phytoplankton monitoring at Sherkin Island,S.W. Ireland

The ongoing Sherkin Island Marine Station phytoplankton monitoring programme began in 1978. The present stations were established in 1980. Surveying has been carried out continuously since then, employing a more comprehensive sampling strategy than the few other published long-term records. Examples are presented here of cell concentrations for several HAB species and other bloom species from the Sherkin Island record. These show far more short-term and long-term natural variation in time and space than might be expected from the other records in the literature used to investigate HAB, suggesting that ecological complexity may be critically misrepresented in such investigations. This has serious implications for scientists evaluating reports of past HAB (what cell densities were responsible?) and predicting future HAB. Evidence presented here also suggests limitations that should be recognized in using cell concentrations from plankton in models for predictions of HAB.     

Environmental control of harmful dinoflagellates and diatoms in a fjordic system

Fjordic coastlines provide an ideal protected environment for both finfish and shellfish aquaculture operations. This study reports the results of a cruise to the Scottish Clyde Sea, and associated fjordic sea lochs, that coincided with blooms of the diarrhetic shellfish toxin producing dinoflagellate Dinophysis acuta and the diatom genus Chaetoceros, that can generate finfish mortalities. Unusually, D. acuta reached one order of magnitude higher cell abundance in the water column (2840 cells L⁻¹) than the more common Dinophysis acuminata (200 cells L⁻¹) and was linked with elevated shellfish toxicity (maximum 601 ± 237 μg OA eq/kg shellfish flesh) which caused shellfish harvesting closures in the region. Significant correlations between D. acuta abundance and that of Mesodinium rubrum were also observed across the cruise transect potentially supporting bloom formation of the mixotrophic D. acuta. Significant spatial variability in phytoplankton that was related to physical characteristics of the water column was observed, with a temperature-driven frontal region at the mouth of Loch Fyne being important in the development of the D. acuta, but not the Chaetoceros bloom. The front also provided important protection to the aquaculture located within the loch, with neither of the blooms encroaching within it. Analysis based on a particle-tracking model confirms the importance of the front to cell transport and shows significant inter-annual differences in advection within the region, that are important to the harmful algal bloom risk therein.     

Mixotrophy in the phototrophic dinoflagellate Takayama helix (family Kareniaceae): Predator of diverse toxic and harmful dinoflagellates

Takayama spp. are phototrophic dinoflagellates belonging to the family Kareniaceae and have caused fish kills in several countries. Understanding their trophic mode and interactions with co-occurring phytoplankton species are critical steps in comprehending their ecological roles in marine ecosystems, bloom dynamics, and dinoflagellate evolution. To investigate the trophic mode and interactions of Takayama spp., the ability of Takayama helix to feed on diverse algal species was examined, and the mechanisms of prey ingestion were determined. Furthermore, growth and ingestion rates of T. helix feeding on the dinoflagellates Alexandrium lusitanicum and Alexandrium tamarense, which are two optimal prey items, were determined as a function of prey concentration. T. helix ingested large dinoflagellates ≥15 μm in size, except for the dinoflagellates Karenia mikimotoi, Akashiwo sanguinea, and Prorocentrum micans (i.e., it fed on Alexandrium minutum, A. lusitanicum, A. tamarense, A. pacificum, A. insuetum, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Coolia canariensis, Coolia malayensis, Gambierdiscus caribaeus, Gymnodinium aureolum, Gymnodinium catenatum, Gymnodinium instriatum, Heterocapsa triquetra, Lingulodinium polyedrum, and Scrippsiella trochoidea). All these edible prey items are dinoflagellates that have diverse eco-physiology such as toxic and non-toxic, single and chain forming, and planktonic and benthic forms. However, T. helix did not feed on small flagellates and dinoflagellates <13 μm in size (i.e., the prymnesiophyte Isochrysis galbana; the cryptophytes Teleaulax sp., Storeatula major, and Rhodomonas salina; the raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo; the dinoflagellates Heterocapsa rotundata, Amphidinium carterae, Prorocentrum minimum; or the small diatom Skeletonema costatum). T. helix ingested Heterocapsa triquetra by direct engulfment, but sucked materials from the rest of the edible prey species through the intercingular region of the sulcus. With increasing mean prey concentration, the specific growth rates of T. helix on A. lusitanicum and A. tamarense increased continuously before saturating at prey concentrations of 336–620 ng C mL⁻¹. The maximum specific growth rates (mixotrophic growth) of T. helix on A. lusitanicum and A. tamarense were 0.272 and 0.268 d⁻¹, respectively, at 20 °C under a 14:10 h light/dark cycle of 20 μE m⁻² s⁻¹ illumination, while its growth rates (phototrophic growth) under the same light conditions without added prey were 0.152 and 0.094 d⁻¹, respectively. The maximum ingestion rates of T. helix on A. lusitanicum and A. tamarense were 1.23 and 0.48 ng C predator⁻¹d⁻¹, respectively. The results of the present study suggest that T. helix is a mixotrophic dinoflagellate that is able to feed on a diverse range of toxic species and, thus, its mixotrophic ability should be considered when studying red tide dynamics, food webs, and dinoflagellate evolution.     

Retrospective analysis of associations between water quality and toxic blooms of golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) in Texas reservoirs: Implications for understanding dispersal mechanisms and impacts of climate change

Toxic blooms of golden alga (GA, Prymnesium parvum) in Texas typically occur in winter or early spring. In North America, they were first reported in Texas in the 1980s, and a marked range expansion occurred in 2001. Although there is concern about the influence of climate change on the future distribution of GA, factors responsible for past dispersals remain uncertain. To better understand the factors that influence toxic bloom dispersal in reservoirs, this study characterized reservoir water quality associated with toxic GA blooms since 2001, and examined trends in water quality during a 20-year period bracketing the 2001 expansion. Archived data were analyzed for six impacted and six nonimpacted reservoirs from two major Texas basins: Brazos River and Colorado River. Data were simplified for analysis by pooling spatially (across sampling stations) and temporally (winter, December–February) within reservoirs and generating depth-corrected (1 m) monthly values. Classification tree analysis [period of record (POR), 2001–2010] using salinity-associated variables (specific conductance, chloride, sulfate), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, temperature, total hardness, potassium, nitrate+nitrite, and total phosphorus indicated that salinity best predicts the toxic bloom occurrence. Minimum estimated salinities for toxic bloom formation were 0.59 and 1.02 psu in Brazos and Colorado River reservoirs, respectively. Principal component analysis (POR, 2001–2010) indicated that GA habitat is best defined by higher salinity relative to nonimpacted reservoirs, with winter DO and pH also being slightly higher and winter temperature slightly lower in impacted reservoirs. Trend analysis, however, did not reveal monotonic changes in winter water quality of GA-impacted reservoirs during the 20-year period (1991–2010) bracketing the 2001 dispersal. Therefore, whereas minimum levels of salinity are required for GA establishment and toxic blooms in Texas reservoirs, the lack of trends in water quality suggests that conditions favorable for toxic blooms pre-date the 2001 expansion. These observations are consistent with a climate change-independent scenario of past GA dispersals in Texas reservoirs driven by novel introductions into pre-existing favorable habitat. Reports of latent GA populations in certain nonimpacted reservoirs, however, provide a plausible scenario of future dispersals characterized by prolonged periods between colonization and toxic bloom development and driven by changes in water quality, natural, or anthropogenic.     

Changing wind patterns linked to unusually high Dinophysis blooms around the Shetland Islands,Scotland

During the summer of 2013, 70 people received Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning following consumption of mussels harvested in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. At this time, large numbers of the biotoxin-producing phytoplankton genus Dinophysis was observed around the Shetland Islands. Analysis indicated this increase was not due to in situ growth but coincided with a change in the prevalent wind direction. A previous large bloom of Dinophysis during 2006 also coincided with a similar change in the prevalent wind patterns. Wind direction and speed in the North East Atlantic and the North Sea is strongly influenced by the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) with a positive relationship between it and wind direction. It has been noted that a positive trend in the NAO is linked to climate change and predictions suggest there will be an increasingly westward component to prevalent wind directions in the North Sea which could lead to an increase in the occurrence of these harmful algal blooms. Analysis of wind patterns therefore offers a potential method of early warning of future bio-toxicity events.     

Health impacts from cyanobacteria harmful algae blooms: Implications for the North American Great Lakes

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (cHABs) have significant socioeconomic and ecological costs, which impact drinking water, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, real estate, water quality, food web resilience and habitats, and contribute to anoxia and fish kills. Many of these costs are well described, but in fact are largely unmeasured. Worldwide cHABs can produce toxins (cyanotoxins), which cause acute or chronic health effects in mammals (including humans) and other organisms. There are few attempts to characterize the full health-related effects other than acute incidences, which may go unrecorded. At present these are difficult to access and evaluate and may be ascribed to other causes. Such information is fundamental to measure the full costs of cHABs and inform the need for often-costly management and remediation. This paper synthesizes information on cHABs occurrence, toxicology and health effects, and relates this to past and current conditions in the Great Lakes, a major global resource which supplies 84% of the surface water in North America. This geographic region has seen a significant resurgence of cHABs since the 1980s. In particular we focus on Lake Erie, where increased reporting of cHABs has occurred from the early 1990's. We evaluate available information and case reports of cHAB-related illness and death and show that cHABs occur throughout the basin, with reports of animal illness and death, especially dogs and livestock. Lake Erie has consistently experienced cHABs and cyanotoxins in the last decade with probable cases of human illness, while the other Great Lakes show intermittent cHABs and toxins, but no confirmed reports on illness or toxicity. The dominant toxigenic cyanobacterium is the genus Microcystis known to produce microcystins. The presence of other cyanotoxins (anatoxin-a, paralytic shellfish toxins) implicates other toxigenic cyanobacteria such as Anabaena (Dolichospermum) and Lyngbya.     

Newly discovered role of the heterotrophic nanoflagellate Katablepharis japonica,a predator of toxic or harmful dinoflagellates and raphidophytes

Heterotrophic nanoflagellates are ubiquitous and known to be major predators of bacteria. The feeding of free-living heterotrophic nanoflagellates on phytoplankton is poorly understood, although these two components usually co-exist. To investigate the feeding and ecological roles of major heterotrophic nanoflagellates Katablepharis spp., the feeding ability of Katablepharis japonica on bacteria and phytoplankton species and the type of the prey that K. japonica can feed on were explored. Furthermore, the growth and ingestion rates of K. japonica on the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea—a suitable algal prey item—heterotrophic bacteria, and the cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp., as a function of prey concentration were determined. Among the prey tested, K. japonica ingested heterotrophic bacteria, Synechococcus sp., the prasinophyte Pyramimonas sp., the cryptophytes Rhodomonas salina and Teleaulax sp., the raphidophytes Heterosigma akashiwo and Chattonella ovata, the dinoflagellates Heterocapsa rotundata, Amphidinium carterae, Prorocentrum donghaiense, Alexandrium minutum, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Gymnodinium catenatum, A. sanguinea, Coolia malayensis, and the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum, however, it did not feed on the dinoflagellates Alexandrium catenella, Gambierdiscus caribaeus, Heterocapsa triquetra, Lingulodinium polyedra, Prorocentrum cordatum, P. micans, and Scrippsiella acuminata and the diatom Skeletonema costatum. Many K. japonica cells attacked and ingested a prey cell together after pecking and rupturing the surface of the prey cell and then uptaking the materials that emerged from the ruptured cell surface. Cells of A. sanguinea supported positive growth of K. japonica, but neither heterotrophic bacteria nor Synechococcus sp. supported growth. The maximum specific growth rate of K. japonica on A. sanguinea was 1.01 d⁻¹. In addition, the maximum ingestion rate of K. japonica for A. sanguinea was 0.13 ng C predator⁻¹d⁻¹ (0.06 cells predator⁻¹d⁻¹). The maximum ingestion rate of K. japonica for heterotrophic bacteria was 0.019 ng C predator⁻¹d⁻¹ (266 bacteria predator⁻¹d⁻¹), and the highest ingestion rate of K. japonica for Synechococcus sp. at the given prey concentrations of up to ca. 10⁷ cells ml⁻¹ was 0.01 ng C predator⁻¹d⁻¹ (48 Synechococcus predator⁻¹d⁻¹). The maximum daily carbon acquisition from A. sanguinea, heterotrophic bacteria, and Synechococcus sp. were 307, 43, and 22%, respectively, of the body carbon of the predator. Thus, low ingestion rates of K. japonica on heterotrophic bacteria and Synechococcus sp. may be responsible for the lack of growth. The results of the present study clearly show that K. japonica is a predator of diverse phytoplankton, including toxic or harmful algae, and may also affect the dynamics of red tides caused by these prey species.     

Resolving the complex relationship between harmful algal blooms and environmental factors in the coastal waters adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary

The sea area adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary is the most notable region for harmful algal blooms (HABs¹) in China as both diatom and dinoflagellate blooms have been recorded in this region. Affected by the Changjiang diluted water (CDW²) and currents from the open ocean (i.e., Taiwan warm current, TWC³), the environmental conditions in the coastal waters adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary are quite complex. To obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of HABs in this region, analyses based on field investigation data collected by the National Basic Research Priority Program (CEOHAB I⁴) were performed using principle component analysis (PCA⁵), multiple regression analysis (MRA⁶) and path analysis (PA⁷). The results suggested that phosphate and silicate are the major factors that directly affect the diatom bloom, while dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN⁸), temperature and turbidity are the factors that influence the dinoflagellate bloom. CDW and the TWC have different roles in affecting the two types of algal blooms. CDW, which has a high concentration of nitrate and silicate, is essential for the diatom bloom, while the intrusion of the TWC (mainly Kuroshio subsurface water that is rich in phosphate at the bottom) is critical for the maintenance of the dinoflagellate bloom. The results of this study offer a better understanding of the mechanisms of HABs in the East China Sea.     

Large subunit rDNA sequences from Alexandrium catenella strains isolated during harmful algal blooms in Hong Kong

The partial sequences of the large subunit (24S) ribosomal RNA gene(LsurRNA) of three Alexandrium catenella strains isolatedduring the 1998 and 1989 red tide incidents in Hong Kong were compared,togetherwith the sequences of other Asian A. catenella speciescomplex. The sequences of two A. catenella strainsisolatedin 1998 were identical, despite being isolated at different time (March andApril) and different locations (eastern and southern Hong Kong). In cladisticanalysis, the two A. catenella HK98A & B strains, theA. catenella HK1989 strain, the Chinese strain clade andtheKorean/Japanese A. catenella form a clade distinct fromother A. catenella strains. Interestingly, the twoA. catenella HK98A & B strains only form a clade withtheA. catenella HK1989 strain/ChineseA. catenella (CCMP1493) with low bootstrap values (49%).     

Grazing impact of heterotrophic dinoflagellates and ciliates on common red-tide euglenophyte Eutreptiella gymnastica in Masan Bay, Korea

The euglenophyte Eutreptiella gymnastica is a common red tide causative species. However, there have been no studies on the grazing impact of heterotrophic protists on this species. To investigate the grazing impact of heterotrophic protists on E. gymnastica, we measured daily the abundances of E. gymnastica and co-occurring potential heterotrophic protistan grazers in Masan Bay, Korea, in August 2004 when an E. gymnastica red tide occurred. In addition, we tested whether the common heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodinium dominans, Oxyrrhis marina, Pfiesteria piscicida, Polykrikos kofoidii, Protoperidinium bipes, and Stoeckeria algicida and the naked ciliates Strobilidium sp. (30–40 μm in cell length) and Strombidinopsis sp. (70–100 μm in cell length) were able to feed on E. gymnastica. We also measured their growth and ingestion rates on E. gymnastica as a function of prey concentration. Finally, we calculated the grazing coefficients by combining field data on the abundance of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate and ciliate grazers and co-occurring E. gymnastica with laboratory data on ingestion rates obtained in this study. The maximum abundance of E. gymnastica in Masan Bay in August, 2004 was 7575 cells ml⁻¹, while those of Gyrodinium spp., P. kofoidii, P. bipes, the naked ciliates (≤50 μm in cell length), and naked ciliates (>50 μm in cell length) were 50, 9, 58, 32, and 3 cells ml⁻¹, respectively. The maximum growth rate of G. dominans on E. gymnastica (1.13 d⁻¹) was higher than that of O. marina (0.81 d⁻¹) or P. bipes (0.77 d⁻¹). However, E. gymnastica did not support positive growth of P. kofoidii, Strobilidium sp., and Strombidinopsis sp. (−0.04 ∼ −2.8 d⁻¹). The maximum ingestion rates of G. dominans, P. kofoidii, P. bipes, O. marina, and Strobilidium sp. on E. gymnastica (2.1–2.7 ng C predator⁻¹ d⁻¹) were similar, but they were much lower than that of Strombidinopsis sp. (156 ng C predator⁻¹ d⁻¹). The calculated grazing coefficients for P. bipes, small heterotrophic Gyrodinium spp. (25–35 μm in cell length), naked ciliates (≤50 μm in cell length), P. kofoidii, and naked ciliates (>50 μm in cell length) on E. gymnastica were up to 0.77, 0.61, 0.22, 0.07 and 0.03 d⁻¹, respectively (i.e., up to 54%, 46%, 20%, 7%, and 3% of E. gymnastica populations were removed by the population of each of these heterotrophic protistan grazers in 1 d, respectively). The results of the present study suggest that P. bipes, small heterotrophic Gyrodinium spp., and naked ciliates (≤50 μm in cell length) sometimes have considerable potential grazing impact on the populations of E. gymnastica.     

First occurrence of Cochlodinium blooms in Sabah, Malaysia

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) resulting in red discoloration of coastal waters in Sepanggar Bay, off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia, were first observed in January 2005. The species responsible for the bloom, which was identified as Cochlodinium polykrikoides, coincided with fish mortalities in cage-cultures. Determinations of cell density between January 2005 and June 2006 showed two peaks that occurred in March–June 2005 and June 2006. Cell abundance reached a maximum value of 6 × 10⁶ cells L⁻¹ at the fish cage sampling station where the water quality was characterized by high NO₃–N and PO₄–P concentrations. These blooms persisted into August 2005, were not detected during the north–east monsoon season and occurred again in May 2006. Favorable temperature, salinity and nutrient concentrations, which were similar to those associated with other C. polykrikoides blooms in the Asia Pacific region, likely promoted the growth of this species. Identification of C. polykrikoides as the causative organism was based on light and scanning microscopy, and confirmed by partial 18S ribosomal DNA sequences of two strains isolated during the bloom event (GenBank accession numbers DQ915169 and DQ915170).     

Occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HABs) associated with ocean environments in the South China Sea

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur frequently in the South China Sea (SCS), causing enormous economic losses in aquaculture. We analyzed historical HAB records during the period from 1980 to 2003 in SCS. We found that HABs-affected areas have expanded and the frequency of HABs varied during this period. The seasonal and annual variations, as well as causative algal species of HABs are different among the four regions. Areas with frequent HABs include the Pearl River Estuary (China), the Manila Bay (the Philippines), the Masinloc Bay (the Philippines), and the western coast of Sabah (Malaysia). HABs occurred frequently during March–May in the northern region of SCS, May–July in the eastern region, July in the western region, and year-round in the southern region. Among the species that cause HABs, Noctiluca scintillans dominated in the northern region, and Pyrodinium bahamense in the southern and eastern regions. Causative species also varied in different years for the entire SCS. Both P. bahamense and N. scintillans were the dominant species during 1980–2003. Some species not previously recorded formed blooms during 1991–2003, including Phaeocystis globosa, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Heterosigma akashiwo, and Mesodinium rubrum. Variations in HABs are related to various regional conditions, such as a reversed monsoon wind in the entire SCS, river discharges in the northern area, upwelling in Vietnam coastal waters during southwest winds and near Malaysia coastal waters during northeast winds, and eutrophication from coastal aquaculture in the Pearl River estuary, Manila Bay, and Masinloc Bay. Handling editor: D. Hamilton     

The effects of temperature and nutrients on the growth and dynamics of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis during cyanobacteria blooms

In temperate latitudes, toxic cyanobacteria blooms often occur in eutrophied ecosystems during warm months. Many common bloom-forming cyanobacteria have toxic and non-toxic strains which co-occur and are visually indistinguishable but can be quantified molecularly. Toxic Microcystis cells possess a suite of microcystin synthesis genes (mcyA–mcyJ), while non-toxic strains do not. For this study, we assessed the temporal dynamics of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis by quantifying the microcystin synthetase gene (mcyD) and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, 16S (an indicator of total Microcystis), from samples collected from four lakes across the Northeast US over a two-year period. Nutrient concentrations and water quality were measured and experiments were conducted which examined the effects of elevated levels of temperatures (+4 °C), nitrogen, and phosphorus on the growth rates of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis. During the study, toxic Microcystis cells comprised between 12% and 100% of the total Microcystis population in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, and between 0.01% and 6% in three other systems. In all lakes, molecular quantification of toxic (mcyD-possessing) Microcystis was a better predictor of in situ microcystin levels than total cyanobacteria, total Microcystis, chlorophyll a, or other factors, being significantly correlated with the toxin in every lake studied. Experimentally enhanced temperatures yielded significantly increased growth rates of toxic Microcystis in 83% of experiments conducted, but did so for non-toxic Microcystis in only 33% of experiments, suggesting that elevated temperatures yield more toxic Microcystis cells and/or cells with more mcyD copies per cell, with either scenario potentially yielding more toxic blooms. Furthermore, concurrent increases in temperature and P concentrations yielded the highest growth rates of toxic Microcystis cells in most experiments suggesting that future eutrophication and climatic warming may additively promote the growth of toxic, rather than non-toxic, populations of Microcystis, leading to blooms with higher microcystin content.     

陆源物质输送对赤潮高发区的影响-以铝为例

近年来长江口附近海域富营养化问题日趋严重,赤潮爆发次数增多,而富含营养物质的长江水的输入可能是海内富营养化的主要物质来源．Al在海洋中停留时间较短且不易受到人为活动的影响,常用Al作为陆源输入及不同水团运动的有效示踪元素．结果表明。研究海域中溶解态Al的浓度秋季高于夏季,且与水体的盐度和悬浮颗粒物浓度表现出一定的关系．赤潮高发区内溶解态Al的浓度一般大于0．04pmol.L-1,明显表现出受到陆源输入的影响．赤潮发生时由于其自身的絮凝及赤潮生物颗粒物表面的吸附作用使水体中的溶解态Al含量平均下降约40％,而在赤潮发生过程中溶解态Al形态变化及机理尚需进一步深入研究．     

Harmful algal blooms: causes,impacts and detection

Blooms of autotrophic algae and some heterotrophic protists are increasingly frequent in coastal waters around the world and are collectively grouped as harmful algal blooms (HABs). Blooms of these organisms are attributed to two primary factors: natural processes such as circulation, upwelling relaxation, and river flow; and, anthropogenic loadings leading to eutrophication. Unfortunately, the latter is commonly assumed to be the primary cause of all blooms, which is not the case in many instances. Moreover, although it is generally acknowledged that occurrences of these phenomena are increasing throughout the world's oceans, the reasons for this apparent increase remain debated and include not only eutrophication but increased observation efforts in coastal zones of the world. There is a rapidly advancing monitoring effort resulting from the perception of increased impacts from these HABs, manifested as expanding routine coastal monitoring programs, rapid development and deployment of new detection methods for individual species, toxins, and toxicities, and expansion of coastal modeling activities towards observational forecasts of bloom landfall and eventually bloom prediction. Together, these many efforts will provide resource managers with the tools needed to develop effective strategies for the management and mitigation of HABs and their frequently devastating impacts on the coastal environment.     

Physical transport processes affect the origins of harmful algal blooms in estuaries

The effects of physical transport processes on the initiation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in estuaries were investigated through both mathematical model analysis and numerical model experiments. This study highlights the influence of the flushing effect due to physical transport processes on the location of bloom initiation, which is comparable to or even more important than local processes. The theoretical analysis suggests that the differential flushing effect at different waterbodies due to complex geometry is one of the dominant factors causing inhomogeneous distribution of algal density during HAB initiation. The ratio of residence time to volume is one of the key variables that determine the differential timing of HAB occurrence in estuary-subestuary systems with multiple interconnected waterbodies. As a result, a HAB tends to be observed first in those locations with relatively long residence time and small waterbodies, such as tributaries or areas with large eddies. Multiple unconnected originating locations can co-exist within an estuary.Two three-dimensional model experiments with realistic forcings were conducted to demonstrate the flushing effect on annual Cochlodinium polykrikoides bloom in the lower James River. The results show that while the environmental conditions that affect local processes, such as salinity and temperature, are important in determining the originating locations of HABs, the differential flushing effect is the dominant factor driving the spatial difference in the density of C. polykrikoides in this region during the bloom initiation. This explains why the occurrence of the first bloom in this region is frequently observed in the Lafayette River, a relatively small waterbody with long residence time. Because of the relatively low growth rate of C. polykrikoides and because of the high water-exchange between the mainstem and tributaries of the James River, initial cyst distribution is suggested to have a relatively small impact on originating locations of the bloom compared to flushing effect and salinity, and the HAB originating locations do not have to be in the waterbody with abundant cysts.     

Reduced forms of nitrogen are a driver of non-nitrogen-fixing harmful cyanobacterial blooms and toxicity in Lake Erie

Western Lake Erie (WLE) experiences anthropogenic eutrophication and annual, toxic cyanobacterial blooms of non-nitrogen (N) fixing Microcystis. Numerous studies have shown that bloom biomass is correlated with an increased proportion of soluble reactive phosphorus loading from the Maumee River. Long term monitoring shows that the proportion of the annual Maumee River N load of non-nitrate N, or total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), has also increased significantly (Spearman's ρ = 0.68, p = 0.001) over the last few decades and is also significantly correlated to cyanobacterial bloom biomass (Spearman's ρ = 0.64, p = 0.003). The ratio of chemically reduced N to oxidized N (TKN:NO3) concentrations was also compared to extracted chlorophyll and phycocyanin concentrations from all weekly sampling stations within WLE from 2009 to 2015. Both chlorophyll (Spearman's ρ = 0.657, p < 0.0001) and phycocyanin (Spearman's ρ = 0.714, p < 0.0001) were significantly correlated with TKN:NO3. This correlation between the increasing fraction of chemically reduced N from the Maumee River and increasing bloom biomass demonstrates the urgent need to control N loading, in addition to current P load reductions, to WLE and similar systems impacted by non-N-fixing, toxin-producing cyanobacteria.