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 minor art form, we are entitled to subject them to criticism. These comments were provoked by reading the abstracts of the Florianópolis conference. Here the focus is on two topics, i) climate change, and ii) suggestions that we follow Ben Schneiderman [1] into the convoluted procedures of Science 2.0. A word count of the Florianópolis conference abstracts reveals that climate occurs 73 times, 33 times in the phrase climate change, 4 times in presentation titles [2]. Here are some incantations from the abstracts: Emerging1 evidence suggests that climate change is impacting marine and freshwater phytoplankton communities; Climate change and anthropogenic activities in the coastal zone are increasing the risk of Harmful Algae Blooms; The worldwide distribution, frequency and duration of cyanobacterial blooms are driven by eutrophication and climate change; El Niño ... is increasing in frequency and magnitude due to climate change; As a result of climate change and non-climatic factors, algal bloom frequency, composition and spatio-temporal distributions are changing. These quotations are mostly assertive; such formulae are not unique to the Florianópolis conference, but were much more prominent there than in earlier conferences in the series. The idea that harmful blooms are a growing problem was expressed in the first HA conference by Anand Prakash who wrote; ... there is evidence that paralytic shellfish poisoning outbreaks are increasing in intensity and spreading to new areas [3]. He invoked eutrophication to account for increased intensity of blooms, and cited Tokyo Bay and the inner Oslofjord as examples. His only example of spreading was that of PSP to the western Gulf of Maine in 1972, 1) Emerging is a fashionable prefix for evidence, as it is for markets, equities, roles, ... A sciencedirect.com search finds the phrase emerging evidence in nearly 30, 000 titles; time to give it a rest? HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 59 / 2018 which was the primary raison dêtre for convening the conference. In subsequent discussions of this theme, we often find some combination of the words frequency, intensity and spreading. Ted Smayda used the phrase global epidemic [4]. In a widely cited statement of concern with climate change and harmful Fig. 1. Trajectory in 3-dimensional phase space of solualgae Gustaaf Hallegraeff tions of a simple model of atmospheric convection. Each wrote that public health point represents an instantaneous state of the system. The and economic impacts of region to which the points are confined is called a strange attractor. This is Lorenzs butterfly. such events appear to have increased in frequency, intensity and geographic distribution [5]. each of these systems are determined Note here, it is not red tides that have by many interactions within and beincreased, and the public health and tween them, multitudes of signals with economic problems appear to have (not differing amplitudes and phase relahave) increased. This distinction is of- tions, positive and negative feedback ten missed. Hallegraeff also discussed mechanisms, in short, complex dynamthe possibility that there is a real epi- ics. Complexity really is complex! The demic (in Smaydas sense). Although mean climate of a region is the average he concluded that this too is apparent of all the processes we call weather, rather than real, he listed various puta- conventionally calculated over a thirty tive causes, amongst them eutrophica- year time span (World Meteorological tion and climate variations. Organization) from surface records of Revisiting the theme nearly two temperature, humidity, precipitation, decades later, Hallegraeff [6] provided winds, etc. But the mean deceives; it a succinct guide to what might happen hides variations due to internal modes, under a conventional IPCC climate pro- the best known of which are the El Niño jection; he discussed the potential im- Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the pact of warming seas, changes in mixed North Atlantic and Pacific Decadal Oslayer depth, wind regimes, runoff, up- cillations (NAO, PDO); so on decadal welling rates and other variables we to secular time scales, regional climate can call them underwater weather as fluctuations are largely due to modes. well as various feedbacks, and overfish- Model climates are those we build in ing. These variables are standard fare our imaginations and in our computers. for marine ecology, appealed to rouClimate changes are persistent tinely to explain the changing popula- trends identifiable in meteorologition dynamics of HABs as well as other cal records, usually considered as remarine species. sponses to changes in external forcing The key ideas of climate change rather than modes; recent examples are not always examined critically, nor are the cooling from 1940 to 1970 or with the natural suspicion that their the warming from 1970 to 2000. Anfrequently doctrinal character should thropogenic global warming (AGW) excite. So what do we mean by cli- considers recent warming a result of inmate change? On decadal to secular dustrial growth, and many AGW models time scales, we can distinguish mean focus on forcing by atmospheric carbon climates, modal climates, and model dioxide concentrations [CO2]. As time climates. Climates result from the in- scales grow from secular to millenteractions of many different elements nial, we meet palaeoclimates with well within the atmosphere, hydrosphere, known phenomena like Pleistocene Ice cryosphere, and biosphere, including Ages and the Holocene climatic optiphytoplankton. The future states of mum. But the perceived HA epidemic is 17 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