A possible link between the breakdown of a fertilizer tank and a toxic Pseudonitzschia bloom fishery, leaving toxic blooms undetected in other areas. By the time of the bloom, the diatom community primarily consisted of P. seriata (Fig. 3). Identification of P. seriata as the potential culprit diatom for the toxicity was confirmed by TEM (Fig. 2). P. seriata as the responsible diatom was not surprising, as it has previously formed highly toxic blooms in the area [1]. The cell concentration peaked at the beginning of the bloom at 110,800 cells L-1 (Fig. 1), while the toxin content in mussel meat peaked two weeks later with 47 mg DA kg-1 of mussel meat. This is a relatively high amount of toxin, considering the low cell concentration. The reason for the two-weeks temporal difference between DA peaks and peaks in cell numbers might be due to the sampling procedure, with irregular sampling and water samples for phytoplankton monitoring being gathered on other days than samples for toxin analyses of shellfish flesh. P. seriata is known for its ability to produce high amounts of DA given the appropriate environmental conditions. Several physical-chemical factors are known to induce DA production in PN. Silicate limitation, light and temperature are well documented as DA inducing factors for P. seriata, and presence of copepod grazers is a newly discovered potent inducing factor for DA production [2]. On February 3rd 2016, approximately one month prior to the bloom, large amounts of liquid nitrogen fertilizer were spilled into the environment as a result of thebreakdown of a fertilizer storage silo located on the harbour of Fredericia. The magnitude of this discharge was arguably around 4000 bloom in Denmark in 2016. Harvest of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) by the industry in the affected areas was closed as soon as toxin was detected in mussel meat and the mussels already harvested were discarded. The areas concerned are usually very productive and the closure resulted in a weekly lost revenue of >100.000 DKK to local fishermen. The fishery was reopened after 4-5 weeks, under intensified surveillance. The bloom probably originated northFig. 1. Map of Denmark with approximate locations of the reeast of Horsens Fjord spective mussel harvesting areas (63, 66, 68, 71), Fredericia (the (Fig. 1). The first meaorigin of the fertilizer outlet) and Horsens. Credit: openstreetsurements of DA in map.org mussel samples were detected on March 7, In March and April 2016, a major bloom 2016. During the following weeks, DA of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia (PN) caused an was detected in adjacent areas along extensive closure of mussel harvesting the east coast of Jutland. Toxic PN areas in Denmark due to raised levels blooms are rare in Denmark but these of domoic acid (DA). Areas close to the specific areas have previously been afeast coast of Jutland (Denmark) were fected [1]. Other areas of Danish coastal heavily affected by the bloom and sev- waters might likewise be subject to DA eral productive shellfish areas where accumulation but toxin levels are only closed for up to five weeks. Cell concen- measured in areas subject to mussel trations and the PN proportion of the total planktonic community were relatively low at the time. What caused the high toxicity? DA is a potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates as shellfish and copepods vector the toxin up the food web. Hereby DA can potentially cause problems with intoxication of consumers such as fish, birds, and mammals. The toxin is known to cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) in humans. Intoxication of humans is usually avoided due to the existence of monitoring and testing programs of commercially harvested bivalves worldwide. No human intoxi- Fig. 2. Concentrations of P. seriata cells in the water column and of domoic acid content in cation was reported during the spring fresh mussel meat during spring 2016 in four different areas along the east coast of Jutland. HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 60 / 2018 13 Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 60 - July 2018 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab Marine eukaryote and HAB monitoring in Japan with next generation technology Sequencing technologies such as Illumina MiSeq have made it possible to obtain billions of sequence reads in a Frequency distribution (%) the surface data was used in this study. Surface seawater (0.5 L) was collected weekly with a plastic bucket during the same period. For MPS-based monitoring based on amplicon-seq of 18S-rRNA gene (V79 region), PCR amplification and 454 pyrosequencing were performed accor Inland Sea, 2-17-5 Maruishi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-045, Japan Hiroshi Shimada, Central Fisheries Research Institute of Hokkaido Research Organization, Hamanaka-cho 238, Yoichi, Hokkaido 0468555, Japan Seiji Katakura, City of Mombetsu, Kaiyo-koryukan, Kaiyo-koen, Mombetsu, Hokkaido 094-0031, Jap Quantifying dinoflagellate cysts in bottom sediments: a response to Anderson 2018 Problems associated with quantifying dinoflagellate cysts in bottom sediments featured prominently in Don Anderson s personal retrospective view of his contribution to the early days of HAB cyst research published rece viously, sample sites should be chosen to avoid such areas if possible. Clearly, there is room for questions or criticism when this dynamic system is modelled from the assumption that bottom sediments, for example in Anderson s work in The Gulf of Maine, are in a static stable condition whereby a sa Contribution of marine invertebrates to Ciguatera poisoning : the case study of French Polynesia Reported as early as the 15th century by explorers, ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is the most prominent non-bacterial seafood poisoning worldwide. Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, CFP res au développement du phytoplancton ciguatérigène en Polynésie française: CARISTO-Pf n7937/MSR/REC of 4th of December 2015 and Arrêté nHC/491/ DIE/BPT of 30th March 2016). Figure 2. Comparison of Pacific ciguatoxins (P-CTXs) profiles in A) in vitro cultures of Gambierdiscus polynesiensis (TB-92 [14]) Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) technology for field monitoring of Gambierdiscus toxins with passive samplers Ciguatera poisoning is a seafood intoxication classically associated with the consumption of tropical coral reef fish contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs), although some marine Fig. 2. Summary of the results demonstrating that SPATT passive sampling could advantageously contribute to the reinforcement of ciguateric risk assessment and management programmes as a supplementary tool. or of very low densities of toxic Gambierdiscus cells. However, CTXs were detected in numero New limits of Ostreopsis distribution in the Bay of Biscay: a first report of Ostreopsis in Santander Bay, Cantabria (Northern Spain) Fig. 1. Location of sampling sites The genus Ostreopsis encompasses benthic dinoflagellates that represent one of the main microalgal threats for beach tourism in w Bloom of Ostreopsis cf. siamensis in Lisbon Bay Fig. 1. Sampling sites on Lisbon Bay Reports of benthic HAB events have increased during the last decade in temperate regions. These have been associated with proliferations of benthic toxic dinoflagellates, in particular species of Ostreopsis. The M Table1 1- List - List the macroalgaecommunity communityspecies species Table ofof the macroalgae ITSA and ITSB primers [6]. Phylogenetic analysis (not Asparagopsis armata Corallina sp. shown) revealed that all the Caulacanthus ustulatus Cystoseira sp. studied sequences grouped Ceramiacea Derbesia s A possible link between the breakdown of a fertilizer tank and a toxic Pseudonitzschia bloom fishery, leaving toxic blooms undetected in other areas. By the time of the bloom, the diatom community primarily consisted of P. seriata (Fig. 3). Identification of P. seriata as the potential culprit diat Fig. 3. Pseudo-nitzschia seriata TEM micrograph of the poroid structure arranged within the striae consisting of two outer rows of larger poroids and one or two inner rows of smaller poroids. induce DA production in P. australis [7], and the most potent DA-inducing N form has been shown to be urea. Golden alga Prymnesium parvum Carter bloom off Azhikode, southwest India In September 2009, during the southwest monsoon season, a quasi-monospecific bloom of Prymnesium parvum was collected off Azhikode (10o 11 02 N; 76o 09 22 E), on the southwest coast of India (Fig. 1). A conspicuous pale browni Regional Workshop on Monitoring and Management Strategies for Benthic HABs if possible, establish tools for standardized procedures. The exercise is open to the entire international community. The goal of achieving improved assessments of the risks associated with BHABs will help reduce the health, Workshop on morpho-molecular methods for the study of dinoflagellate cysts A workshop on techniques for the morphological and molecular identification of cysts from toxic HAB species, led by Drs Kenneth Neil Mertens, Kirsty Smith, Lesley Rhodes and Lincoln MacKenzie, was held recently at the Cawthro Cawthron Summer Scholar Explores Bloom-Forming Freshwater Cyano bacteria Globally, cyanobacteria blooms in freshwater environments are causing water quality problems and health risks with increasing frequency. New Zealand is no stranger to this, suffering from blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria Canadian HAB Scientists Hold Workshop to Establish National Priorities and Develop Research Network A National Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) workshop was organized and chaired by Dr. Ian Perry at the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Sidney, British Columbia, July 11- Joint FAO, IAEA, IOC and WHO Technical Meeting for the development of an InterAgency Global Ciguatera Strategy Harmful Algae News has previously brought information on an initiative between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Environment Laboratories in Monaco jointly with the Oceanographi 12th Advanced Phytoplankton Course - APC 12 Identification, Taxonomy, Systematics Roscoff Biological Station (France) - 19th May to 8th June 2019 APC12 is organized by the Station Biologique de Roscoff together with the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and the IOC Science and Communication Centre on H ICHA 2018 News: 669 abstracts evaluated ! 250 orals + 45 ignite talks selected and participants notified ICHA 2018 News: 669 abstracts evaluated ! 9 plenaries confirmed 250 orals + 45 ignite talks selected and participants notified 3 satellite sessions 9 plenaries confirmed 3 satellite sessions