lar rapid increase in known analogues has been observed for the azaspiracid (AZA) group, with the first analogue described in 1998 [64] and a review in 2014 reporting 30 analogues [65]. Only three years later, over 50 analogues are known for this group, including novel phosphate derivatives [66-71]. This discovery rate could have been even more rapid if the causative organisms of AZAs had been elucidated earlier. However, the delay from the first poisoning report in 1995 [72] to the discovery of the culprit organism [73] in this case was likely due to: i) the initial misidentification of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Protoperidinium crassipes (a vector of AZAs upon its feeding on Azadinium) as the causative agent, and ii) the difficulties in identification of such a small organism (<15 μm) by optical microscopy in water samples fixed with acidic Lugols solution, the most common way to preserve samples in routine plankton monitoring. Another phenomenon that has appeared repeatedly over the past 25 years is the discovery of slightly modified base skeletons for toxin groups. The ciguatoxin (CTX) or CTX1B (= PCTX-1B) had been reported relatively early on and had been isolated from the moray eel [74]. The algal precursor CTX4A was only described in 1997 [75], yet a slightly modified base skeleton had been reported a few years earlier from Gambierdiscus, i.e. CTX3C [76]. Prymnesins are another example of such skeleton variation which is indeed very labour-intensive in natural product discovery as basically the full discovery pipeline has to be completed: bioguided fractionation and isolation of the compound, purification and structural characterisation including mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), UV, infrared and potentially many other studies [77-78]. Finally, it should be noted that only a few compound groups discovered since 1992 have been clearly related to human health issues. These include AZAs (diarrhoea), ovatoxins and to a lesser extent the toxins of Karenia brevisulcata (aerosol and direct contact exposure). There is a significant increase of compounds that appear related to fish kills, e.g. karlotoxins, karmitoxins, prymnesins (A, B and C-Type) and K. brevisulcata toxins. The need to clarify 16 the agents involved in fish kills has also been highlighted by a recent systematic review of toxic and harmful algae [109], as well as by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IOC-IPHAB), that included the topic in its list of Task Teams. The systematic inventory of toxins has also been updated [78-108] by the IOC-IPHAB Task Team on Biotoxins, Management and Regulation over the past few years and international databases, e.g. the Harmful Algal Event Database (HAEDAT) updated accordingly. This same panel also contributes to other IPHAB activities whenever chemical expertise is required (e.g. fish kills, HABs and desalination etc.). Drivers of change in management and regulation There have been many drivers of change in management practises (e.g. detection methodology) and regulation. These include (i) increased awareness by governments of poisoning events and fish and shellfish mortalities through IPHAB communication with member states (ii) increased pressure from shellfish industry against the MBA for lipophilic toxins due to its qualitative character, false positive results and delays in reporting (iii) technological advances. The conflicts caused by the disadvantages of the animal assays (mouse and rat) for lipophilic toxins has been subject to much debate [110] and decade-long efforts to produce the necessary standards and reference materials for the validation of alternative methods, which have been aided by researchers in Canada (e.g. Michael Quilliam), Ireland, Japan (e.g. Takeshi Yasumoto), New Zealand and many other countries [111-122]. Again the IPHAB panel played a pivotal role in pushing this issue at European and international levels for several years with the help of Phil Busby (New Zealand Food Safety Authority), a long battle for which the international community will remember him. Monitoring systems, management practises and legislative changes have been recently reviewed for different trade blocks [123-125]. A major step has been made with the switch from the mouse bioassay to chemical testing by LC-MS/MS for lipophilic toxins, first in New Zealand, then Europe [126] and most recently Japan. Outlook Several points can be raised looking foreward from the historic perspective. Climate change is one of the most striking challenges that has been raised with regards to prediction of harmful algal blooms (HABs), and while certain trends appear to manifest themselves [127], much more research is needed to fully anticipate the impacts of climate change on our ecosystems, HABs and their impacts on society [128]. As mentioned above, the need to improve our understanding of the impacts of micro-algae on other aquatic organisms, in particular those that serve as major food resources, i.e. fish and shellfish, has been recognised and requires major international efforts. The multiplicity of compounds in the marine environment only emerges with the recent onset of the omics and while recent studies have shown the feasibility to explore this chemical diversity in the marine environment with techniques such as metabolomics [129-131], more systematic studies will be required to effectively monitor our coastal waters to protect our resources and consumers. Finally, it should be noted that one of the longestknown groups of toxin, i.e. the ciguatoxins, still continue to cause the highest number of seafood poisoning globally [132] and thus deserves the attention of the scientific community over the next few decades. References: 1. http://hab.ioc-unesco.org/index. php?option=com_content&view=article& id=42&Itemid=0 2. http://www.phycotox.fr/decouvrir/ chimie/toxines-d-algues-et-classification. html?lng=en Author Philipp Hess, Chair of IPHAB Task Team on Biotoxins, Management and Regulation, IFREMER, Phycotoxins Laboratory, Unit DYNECO, Centre de Brest, BP 70, 29280 Plouzané, France Email: philipp.hess@ifremer.fr HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 59 / 2018 Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 59 - February 2018 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab Content 25 years of HAN and IPHAB...... 1 25 YEARS Harmful Algae News was first published in early 1992 in response to requests from the participants at a number of IOC meetings and pacted by harmful algal events. Since Harmful Algae News turned 20 years old in 2012, it has been a web based e-newsletter which meant longer issues were possible and back issues easily accessible. We are currently working on a searchable index for all Harmful Algae News issues. The start of Harmful Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms also turned 25! During 1992, the same Year as the IOC published the first issue of Harmful Algal News, it also established an Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IPHAB) which has met every second year since it was formed. The Panel is com A retrospective look at the early days of HAB cyst research, and a look to the future On this occasion of the 25th anniversary of the publication of Harmful Algae News, several of us were asked to look backwards in time to some of the earlier days of HAB science. One area of study that has been a ma dormant stages and that these stages might be associated with certain bottom sediments. This then brings up the question, if benthic resting stages of certain dinoflagellates actually seed coastal red tides, are there localized areas of accumulation, or what we could call seedbeds?..........The poss day, we still do not know if there are other factors at work perhaps a density-dependent or quorum-sensing type of response, or even a response to the presence of grazers or parasites. Exploration of this response has long been limited by the constraints associated with laboratory cultures, but now approach did not stand up to data at my study locations. I raise this issue in this narrative because I want to correct what I feel are unjustified recommendations that may prevent those working on cysts from obtaining the type of biological data that can advance our understanding of certain types o number of cysts in subsurface layers unable to germinate or emerge, presumably due to lack of oxygen or to the tortuous pathway posed by sediment grains and detritus. Many might think that major storms and waves can erode significant layers of sediment and transport cysts long distances, but here ag How do algal blooms kill finfish and how can we mitigate their impacts? Algal blooms, water discolorations and their association with fish kills have been recorded since historic times, such as the description in the Bible (1000 years BC) all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. A Table. 1. Economic losses from algal blooms for finfish aquaculture in different parts of the world HAB species Chattonella Heterosigma Cochlodinium polykrikoides Heterosigma Chaetoceros Heterosigma Karenia digitata Karenia mikimotoi Country Financial Losses Japan Korea, China Canada British Col emergency harvest operations. To prevent the buildup of histamines, fish should be kept alive as long as possible during harvesting. This can be achieved by diluting algal concentrations via airlift upwelling, or by targeted in-pen emergency application of clays [23] that mop up ichthyotoxins at cla As part of the 25th anniversary issue of Harmful Algal News I am providing an overview of the IOC-UNESCO Taxonomic Reference List of Harmful Algae (www. marinespecies.org/hab/) and will highlight some of the problems which have faced or are facing the Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms Dinophyceae the authors intended the new genus to be described according to the botanical nomenclature. The lack of a Latin diagnosis therefore made it invalid. The confusion has actually still not been resolved, and the problem needs to be discussed and decided upon by the International Nomenclatur geographically widespread species being able to form fertile offspring, while other populations of the same species are not. Molecular techniques have contributed very significantly to solving many taxonomic problems, but they have not resulted in the emergence of a finite species concept. We have t Algal toxin discovery, management and regulation over the last 25 years Algal toxins in the dark ages (pre-1992) From a historic perspective, knowledge about algal toxins can be divided into truly prehistoric occurrences such as known from paleontological studies [1-2] and more recent historic recor lar rapid increase in known analogues has been observed for the azaspiracid (AZA) group, with the first analogue described in 1998 [64] and a review in 2014 reporting 30 analogues [65]. Only three years later, over 50 analogues are known for this group, including novel phosphate derivatives [66-71]. Butterflies in Brazil Abstracts are not always reliable guides to authors intentions. They are not expected to reveal a great deal about the evidence to be deployed in support of the science, evidence that may not even exist before deadlines for writing abstracts! Nevertheless, as examples of a mino on a decadal time scale, and identified palaeoclimatic oscillations are not necessarily a useful guide to its interpretation. An obvious obstacle to detecting climate signals in HAB data is posed by anthropogenic eutrophication. Another obstacle is the fact that phytoplankton respond directly to the trends, Karenia brevis might appear more often in the South Atlantic Bight of the US and Gymnodinium catenatum bloom more often in northwestern Iberian waters. There was also a warning by Barrie Dale germane to such speculations, that large scale climate models cannot predict local changes. Little m Red tides in Kamchatka coastal waters (Bering Sea, Russia) are a barrier for the salmon fishery and Pacific salmon Fig. 1. Map of Olyutorskiy Bay (Kamchatka, Bering Sea) where a red tide, reported by fishermen, occurred in July 2017. The stars denote fishery sites: red, affected by the bloom; green Fig. 2. Red tide in Olyutorskiy Bay on 15th July 2017 grounds of the Olyutorskiy Bay river basin performed during the second half of August showed an atypical distribution in the rivers. Maximal escapes were recorded in river basins located in the western and eastern parts of the Olyutorskiy Bay ar First report of Gambierdiscus in the Western Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Islands) Gambierdiscus (Dinophyceae) species are benthic dinoflagellates living in marine littoral zones of circumtropical areas and have recently been described in temperate waters [1]. Some species are producers of potent neu the SEASENSING (BIO2014-56024C2-2-R) project and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. A. Tudó and A. Toldrà acknowledge IRTAURV-Banco Santander for their respective PhD grants (2016 PMF-PIPF-74 and 2015PMF-PIPF-67). The authors are grateful to Vanessa Castan and José Luis Costa for sampling Comparison by light microscopy and qPCR of potentially ichthyotoxic microalgae in Danish on-shore lagoons producing European flounder (Platichthys flesus): Pros and cons of microscopical and molecular methods Fig. 1. Lagoon used for production of European flounder at Fishlab, Denmark. Evaluation o Fig. 2. Comparison of phytoplankton species identification and cell densities (cells L-1) by qPCR (A and C) and light microscopy (target species and groups which potentially could comprise ichthyotoxic organisms) (B and D) in lagoon 1 (A and B) and lagoon 6 (C and D), respectively. The right Y-axis present in a sample then qPCR would miss those probably due to lack of a developed assay. However, LM does require high levels of taxonomic skills and the precision in identification is only as accurate as the taxonomist allows. Different taxonomists trained in different ways using different identif As qPCR measures genetic material rather than viable cells an over estimation of cell numbers can occur due to the inclusion of dead or dying cells. Problems may also occur when targeting multiple copy genes where the organism carries different numbers of the target depending on nutritional status, The Cawthron Institute Culture Collection of Micro-algae (CICCM) The CICCM is designated as a nationally significant database by the New Zealand government and so receives partial funding for its continued existence. Isolates from 13 classes of micro-algae are maintained either as live cultures or c The XVIII International Conference on Harmful Algae is approaching! It is time for nominations for achievement awards (Yasumoto Life Time and Patrick Gentien Young Scientist), registration to the conference as a student if you wish to participate in the Maureen Keller Award competition and fundraisi Forthcoming Events First announcement of the 11th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC) We are pleased to disseminate the first announcement of the 11th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC) that will be held in Krakow, Poland from May 5 10, 2019. The ICTC is a per International Coordination of Research on Harmful Algal Blooms From GEOHAB to GlobalHAB International cooperation is fundamental to advance understanding of HAB dynamics and to improve our ability to predict them. Fostering this international cooperation was the mission of GEOHAB (Global Ecology and 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae www.icha2018.com IMPORTANT DEADLINES Abstract submission deadline: 15 April 2018 Early bird registration: 15 July 2018 Get the 17 ICHA Proceedings at www.issha.org Eds-in-chief Beatriz Reguera, IEO, Vigo, Spain Eilen Bresnan, MARLAB, Scotland, UK Regi