IOC Qualifications in Identification and Enumeration of Harmful Marine Microalgae A now traditional IOC course on identi- fication of harmful marine microalgae, including optional workshops on enu- meration and culture techniques. The 2017 course will be held from 6 to 19 August at the IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 1993 the IOC has conducted training courses on harmful microalgae. The purpose has been to improve the taxonomic and identification skills of the participants for research purposes and for practical monitoring of harmful algal blooms. The course includes 100 hours of teaching and is divided into two parts. The first part of the course is an in- ternet teaching programme giving general introductions to the various groups of harmful algae; this part is mainly for self-study and estimated to 40 hours of reading. The second part is a practical course in species identification including 2 optional workshops in enumeration and culture techniques (see tentative programme below). It may be possi- ble to participate in both workshops, or alternatively spent the time exam- ining mixed samples from various geographical regions and/or own samples. Part 2 includes 60 hours of teaching and a microscope will be available to each participant during the entire period. From 2006 the IOC training in HAB identification has been offered within a new framework which gives accredita- tion. The present course includes now a practical exam at the end of the course with an IOC Certificate of Proficiency in Identification of Harmful Algae issued to participants who pass the exam. We know by experience that many of the more than 500 trainees we have had over the years have wished the courses to give accreditation, and in some coun- tries, the IOC courses have become a ref- erence for laboratories to be approved for carrying out regulatory monitoring for harmful microalgae. Detailed information on the course can be found in Upcoming Events at the IOC website: http://hab.ioc-unesco. org/ Session on Ciguatera at the 10 IPFC A theme session on ciguatera, Ciguatera fish poisoning in the Indo-Pacific region: incidence, toxin dynamics, impacts on socio-ecosystems, and risk management, will be held at the 10 Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (10 IPFC ), 2-6 October 2017, Tahiti, French Polynesia (https:// ipfc10.criobe.pf/). Organizers: Mireille Chinain, Susanna Piovano, Jean Turquet, Marie-Yas-mine Dechraoui-Bottein (mchinainilm.pf; susanna.piovanousp.ac.fj; Turquet.arda orange.fr; M-Y.Botteiniaea.org) The Ciguatera session (H5) is planned as part of Theme H (The Fu- ture of Fish and Human Interactions). The call for abstract is now open: htt- ps://ipfc10.criobe.pf/program/call-for- abstracts/ Scope: Fish products are the nu- tritional basis of many island popula- tions globally. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) results from the consumption of fish that have accumulated ciguatox- ins (CTXs) produced by benthic dino- flagellates in the genera Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. Over the past decades, the frequency and distribution of CFP have increased significantly in the Indo- Pacific region, a likely consequence of HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 56 / 2017 Photo from Institut Louis Malarde, French Polynesia, in Clausing et al, IOC Manual and Guides 59, 2016 numerous environmental changes in coastal and lagoon ecosystems. Despite increased knowledge about the impacts of climatic cycles and biogeography of Gambierdiscus, ciguatera events are still very difficult to predict. Likewise, the uptake, tissue distribution, accumula- tion and toxicity of CTXs in fish are still poorly understood. The existence of numerous structural variants (conge- ners) of the toxin, and the lack of a duly validated reference test for CTXs both constitute a major obstacle in the sus- tainable exploitation of fish resources. In addition to the direct effects of cigu- atera on public health and the economy of nations highly dependent on fish consumption, the fear of ciguatera of- ten leads to reduced fishing in many indigenous Pacific populations, which reminds us that the impact of cigu- atera risk must also be examined from sociological and societal perspectives and not only from a public health stand- point. Recently, several initiatives to im- plement a more efficient management of CFP risk globally have emerged with- in the scientific community. The main objective of this session is to present the recent advances in these research fields and to foster networking between scientists and stakeholders concerned with seafood safety. Expected Audience: The targeted au- dience includes researchers (biologists, eco-toxicologist, modelists, economists, etc.) and managers interested in marine biotoxins and seafood safety issues. A group of 20 attendees from the Pacific region, Japan, Europe, and La Réunion is expected. 23 Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 56 - March 2017 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab Is Gambierdiscus expanding its geographic range in the Pacific region? Content HAB events and toxin effects Gambierdiscus distribution in the Pacific . ................................... Table 1: Geographic occurrence and toxin production (as determined by LCMS/MS) of Gambierdiscus species in the Pacific region. Species reported in the Pacific region G. australes G. balechii G. belizeanus G. caribaeus G. carpenteri G. cheloniae G. lapillus G. pacificus G. polynesiensis G. scabrosus Fig. 2. Scanning electron micrographs of cells of Gambierdiscus sp., isolate CAWD242, from the Kermadec Islands: (A) view of cingulum and apical pore, (B) apical pore complex, (C) antapi- cal hypotheca. this will bring the number of Gambier- discus species to fifteen. A related species, originally d lished data). The role of MTXs in ciguat- era fish poisoning is uncertain and due to its low oral toxicity may only play a small part in toxic events 21. A range of cell-based assays is avail- able to detect CFP-related toxins, includ- ing receptor binding (RBA), Ca 2+ flux, N2A and haemolytic assay Toxin production in lab-rat-diatoms (e.g. Pseudo-nitzschia) in the presence of copepods From only 15 species in 1965, currently 49 Pseudo-nitzschia species have been described, of which 22 have the abil- ity to produce the toxin domoic acid (DA), along with two Nitzschia species 1. Both numbers are Apart from increasing toxin produc- tion in already toxic species/strains, presence of grazers may even induce toxin production in species previously considered non-toxic, as shown for P. obtusa 3. It is therefore relevant to consider that all Pseudo-nitzschia spe- cies might have the potential to p Ecology of Alexandrium spp. in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada 2015 Fig. 1 Citizen Science sampling stations in the Strait of Georgia, Canada in 2015. Fig. 2. Citizen Science sampling areas in the Strait of Georgia, Canada in 2015. Coastal waters of British Columbia (BC), Canada have Table 1. Number of water samples (N) collected by the Citizen Science Program, frequency of samples with Alexandrium spp. presence (Alex. +), and number of water samples with Alexan- drium spp. cells present by month, Strait of Georgia 2015 (n/a - no samples were collected). Area Ladysmith Cowichan A clarification of three unnamed raphidophytes previously described from British Columbia gated motile cell with very similar chlo- roplasts and the oval Lugol-fixed cell in Fig. 2 #3 were probably equivalent to the long cells formed by V. globosus in stationary growth (see 5 Figs. 7 & 8). Raphidoph Fig. 3. Raphidophyte 2 from a culture in 1974. Motile cell, ventral view 11.5 μm long. reproduced here at a smaller size (Fig. 4) and are interpreted (in the figure caption) by the author. Photographs of motile cells under stress received from Nicky Haigh (Mi- crothalassia) (not shown here) reveal t Autumnal algal bloom succession in northern coasts of Gulf of Oman Fig. 1. Map of the study area The composition of harmful algal blooms is determined by the diversity and abundance of different species pre- sent. Temporal fluctuations in phyto- plankton populations can lead to a suc- cession of dif Table 1. Maximal mean density of the observed bloom species and physical-chemical properties of the near-shore waters during autumnal algal blooms in the northern Gulf of Oman Date 26 October 2016 04 November 2016 09 November 2016 29 November 2016 03 December 2016 Species/ Genus Alexandrium sp. Pror Nodularin accumulation in New Zealand shortfin eel from Lake Forsyth/Te Wairewa in 1866 2 and, from the 1940s onwards, open- ings have been carried out regularly. In 2008, the rūnanga attempted to create a permanent opening by constructing a 900 m canal and 300 m groyne at the eastern end of the bea Fig. 2. Nodularia spumigena from Lake Forsyth/Te Wairewa at 400 magnification (A) and blooms of the cyanobacterium at the lake in 2006 (B). Fig. 3. Eel fishing channels at Lake Forsyth/Te Wairewa (A) and members of the rūnanga of Wairewa catching eels in the channels by gaffing (B; photo provided by The Scottish Coastal Observatory Scotlands coastal environment is sub- ject to inherent variability resulting from short term processes such as tides and weather, the seasonal cycle, multi- annual cycles such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and larger scale influences such as climate change and oc The RedFANnetwork: a working group to deal with HABs in Mexico In October 2014 the network RedFAN (from the acronym in Spanish: Red temática sobre Florecimientos Algales Nocivos) was created with the financial support of the Mexican National Coun- cil of Science and Technology (CONA- CyT). This netw Caribbean Ciguatera Experts Discuss a Risk Management System for the IOCARIBE Region Over the past three decades the inci- dence of ciguatera has increased in the Caribbean countries by about 32 1. Despite the evidence of toxic events and their potential consequences on public health, fisheries and IOC/WESTPAC Scientists Shape the Future of Regional HAB Research More than twenty experts from coun- tries in the Western Pacific gathered in Nha Trang, Vietnam, 19-22 December 2016 to foster cooperation and define research priorities for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the region (Fig. 1). The East ing the ongoing HAB research and ca- pacity building efforts at these levels. Dr. Po Teen Lim presented the science and implementation plans of the IOC- SCOR sponsored new GlobalHAB re- search program (Fig. 3). It was widely recognized that national and regional efforts are complementary to global e In memory of Paul Harrison With great sorrow, we learned of the recent unexpected passing of our col- league, mentor and friend Paul J. Har- rison. Among his many contributions, Paul was a founding member of the Sci- entific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) working Group 137 SCOR WG 137 Global supply, marine resources, climate change impacts and environmental protection. His voice and perspec- tive will be sorely absent. Paul will be greatly missed by those he touched, but especially by Victoria, his wife of 51 years, and their children Rachel, Richard and Christina. A scholarship fund th 11th International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dinoflagellates The University of Bordeaux (France) is the organiser of the 11 th International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dino- flagellates, DINO11, which will be held from 17 to 21 July 2017 at Bordeaux, France. This series of conference was IOC Qualifications in Identification and Enumeration of Harmful Marine Microalgae A now traditional IOC course on identi- fication of harmful marine microalgae, including optional workshops on enu- meration and culture techniques. The 2017 course will be held from 6 to 19 August at the IOC Science a Taxonomic Note Oceanography special issue Alexandrium catenella vs. A. fundyense The Nomenclature Committee for Algae has decided (Prudhomme van Reine, 2017) that the name Gonyaulax catenel- la (Alexandrium catenella) should not be rejected and that A. fundyense and A. catenella are conspecific havi