Global HABs, Global HAB Status Reporting, and Climate Change HABs and climate change attracted a record of 139 abstracts at the Nantes Conference. Research towards predicting the impact of climate change has progressed from single factor growth experiments (e.g. temperature, pCO2) with limited HAB strains, to paying due attention to genetic population diversity (Alexandrium catenella in Alaska; Wayne Litaker) and novel metabolomic approaches with sediment revived culture strains of different ages of Alexandrium vs Scrippsiella (Raffaele Siano). High pCO2 increases cellular toxicity in many HABs (e.g. Karlodinium;Vidyarathna and Alexandrium catenella; Máximo Frangópulos), but a sound working hypothesis of causative mechanism is still lacking. Field work is focusing on learning lessons from extreme events such as the ENSO 2015-16 driven Pseudo-nitzschia west coast US hot blob, 2016 Chilean record Pseudochattonella associated salmon mortality, and 2017 US mas- sive summer cyanobacterial blooms in the Finger Lakes (Greg Boyer). Other climate lessons are being derived from studying heatwaves, and identifying climate change hotspots and ciguatera hot spots. Modelling efforts are increasing in complexity also taking into account changes in habitat suitability (for Alexandrium ostenfeldii; Anke Kremp), precipitation and nutrient delivery, and even now including the role of mixotrophy (for Karlodinium vs Prorocentrum; Patricia Glibert). Increasing temperatures facilitate earlier and longer persisting Margalefidinium (Cochlodinium) polykrikoides blooms in the US and Korea, and earlier and large Microcystis blooms in Lake Erie (Chris Gobler). Solid global HAB data bases are gradually building up using HAEDAT and OBIS platforms, aided by the efforts by PICES, ICES, FANSA and IAEA working groups. HAB time series analyses are becoming more sophisticated Fig. 1. Relative abundance of different seafood toxin syndromes in different geographic regions (North West America NWA; North East America NEA; Caribbean Central America CCA; North East Europe NEU; South East Europe SEA; Mediterranean MED; North Asia NAS; Australia New Zealand ANZ; Oceania/ Tropical Pacific (PAC). Based on an analysis of 5774 HAEDAT events recorded as of 1/3/2018. Data compiled by G .Hallegraeff & L. Schweibold. HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 62 / 2019 and datasets are becoming ever longer and more robust (22 years in Uruguy, Silvia Méndez; 30 years for the French REPHY network, Catherine Belin; 33 years in Philippines, Aletta Yñiguez; 40 years in northern Adriatic, Martin Pfannkuchen). The first series of contributions resulting from the Global HAB Status Report (GHSR) initiative were presented in Nantes. This effort aims to settle questions on the probability of change in HAB frequencies, intensities, and range resulting from environmental changes at local and global scales. Regional HAB status reports were presented for the Mediterranean (Adriana Zingone), the North Atlantic (Eileen Bresnan), coastal waters of Ghana (Denutsui Dzifa), Canada (Cynthia McKenzie), east coast US (Elizabeth Fensin), Australia (Gustaaf Hallegraeff), New Zealand (Enora Jaffrezic), Latin America and the Caribbean (Silvia Méndez and Inés Sunesen]. Different regions are dominated by different seafood toxins: PSP in North America, DSP in Northern Europe, NSP in Central America (Florida), CFP in Oceania and Australia (Fig.1). Some HAB problems flare up (Noctiluca on the rise in Australia) and then dissipate (Pyrodinium in Philippines, Aletta Yñiguez; Cochlodinium in southern Korea in 2016, Seung Ho Baeck). It is important to emphasize that available information in HAEDAT or OBIS on individual events varies greatly from event to event or country to country. Therefore there is no direct proportionality between recorded events and toxicity in a given region. Areas with numerous recorded HAEDAT occurrences but with efficient monitoring and management programmes (as raised in HAN 58), may have low risk of intoxications, whereas rare events in other areas may cause severe problems and represent significant health risk. HAEDAT data sets represent the compound result of HAB events as well as how human society responds to them via changes in monitoring and regulatory approaches. The incidence of ASP closures in Scotland thus was effectively reduced post 2005 by an amendment to the EU shellfish hygiene directive (EU854/2004 ) Continued on p. 11 9 Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 62 - June 2019 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab The 18th International Conference for Harmful Algae Twenty five years after the 6th International Conference on Toxic Marine Phytoplankton (6th ICHA, 1993), experts on harmful algal bloom Fig. 2. Ice-breaking at La Cité, Nantes, during the 18th ICHA, 2018 SHA society members were kept very busy, fully engaged with the evaluation of student presentations to choose the candidates for the Maureen Keller awards, the election of Yasumoto lifetime achievement awards, voting for future con Scientific and social scenes from participants during the 18th ICHA, Nantes, 2018. HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 62 / 2019 3 Scientific Highlights of the 18th Inter national Conference on Harmful Algae Plenary talks and Yasumoto awards Each morning and afternoon session began with plenary speakers who covered a number of topics including: climate change impacts on inland and coastal eutrophication (Anna M. Michalek), chem Maria Immacolata Ferrante investigated the Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata sexual cycle and found the gene that determines the mating type in this pennate diatom. Pseudo-nitzschia is found globally in the Tara Oceans dataset and the genes expressed during the sexual phase can track this important but Fig. 2. Extracellular vesicles in Alexandrium minutum. From left to right: Vegetative cell under light microscopy; epifluorescence microscopy showing the cell chloroplasts in red; vesicles in green due to lipid stain PKH67, and composite of the epifluorescence images, theca of the cell is in blue, Fig. 3. Co-evolutionary arms race. Diatoms sense presence of copepods via presence of chemical cues (copepodamides), and respond by producing domoic acid which then affect the copepods (reduced escape response). Photo courtesy of Nina Lundholm. War (Pat Tester) the socio economics session was as di Fig. 5. IAEA Technical Cooperation project: the Caribbean team having a coordination meeting with the boss. produced by Alexandrium minutum and demonstrated that these EVs were produced in laboratory cultures and in situ bloom conditions. The EVs appeared adhered to the cell surface of A. minutum c Global HABs, Global HAB Status Reporting, and Climate Change HABs and climate change attracted a record of 139 abstracts at the Nantes Conference. Research towards predicting the impact of climate change has progressed from single factor growth experiments (e.g. temperature, pCO2) with limited HAB s Barcodes and long term changes in HAB distributions Thal-ass-ee-oh-CY-ra, Key-TOSS-er-us,Pro -toe-pear-a-DIN-ee-um, Sir-A-she-um... this might be a parody of a (very short) genetic barcode or it might be gibberish. It is in fact a sample from a list of phytoplankton genera on flashcards designed to of a highly dynamic biogeographical boundary. Taxonomic uncertainties exist in Chilean waters too, and more recently (2006) PSP was detected as far north as Bahía Mejillones in 23 S. Pre-instrumental proxies indicate climate trends on secular and longer time scales. Luminescent bands in Porites cora Unprecedented bloom of the cyano bacteria Aphanizomenon in a coastal bay of El Salvador Cyanobacteria bloom in marine, freshwater and estuarine ecosystems [1]. It is widely recognized that increased nutrient inputs in waterbodies may enhance cyanobacterial growth, resulting in harmful algal blooms [ Fig. 2. Aphanizomenon fascicles found in Bahía de Jiquilisco observed using an inverted microscope. providing video material, the Secretary of Scientific Research from the University of El Salvador for logistic support, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) for providing wate Dinoflagellate toxins recorded during an extensive coastal bloom in northern Chile Harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly known as red tides, are primarily caused by the accelerated growth of phytoplankton due to a variety of oceanographic factors. Dinoflagellates and diatoms are often the phytoplank Table 1. Toxin concentration per sample. Toxins screened included PTX1 (pectenotoxin-1), PTX2 (pectenotoxin-2) and YTX (yessotoxin). DA (domoic acid), SPX1 (spirolide-1), GYM (gymnodimine), OA (okadaic acid), DTX1 (dinophysistoxin-1), DTX2 (dinophysistoxin-2), AZA1 (azaspiracid-1), AZA2 (azaspiracid HABs in Paradise revisited Fig. 1. Map of Rangitāhua/Kermadec Islands. Over 700 kilometres to the northeast of New Zealand are the largely uninhabited Rangitāhua/Kermadec Islands (Fig. 1). The islands fall within New Zealands exclusive economic zone and several recent expeditions have resulted in Table 1. Dinoflagellate species identified in epiphytic samples collected from Rangitāhua/Kermadec Islands, 2013-2018. Species Amphidinium carterae A.cf. massartii Coolia malayensis Gambierdiscus australes* G. honu G. polynesiensis Ostreopsis sp. 3 Prorocentrum cf. emarginatum P. hoffmanianum P Epiphytic dinoflagellates from Niue, South Pacific Ocean cal Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) [6] suggests avoidance of reef fish over 2.7 kg and avoidance of the liver, intestine, head and roe of smaller reef fish. Gambierdiscus sp. was reported in Niue in 2008, although no molecular confirmation Fig. 2. Sampling site at Avatele Beach (left) and coastal view (right), Niue. The ICMSS is an initiative of researchers from various international institutions, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), related to the safety of molluscan shellfish. It seeks to be The ICES-IOC Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics 2019 Meeting The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics (WGHABD) met from the 2nd 4th April 2019. The meeting wa Intergovernmental Panel convenes to set priorities for international cooperation on mitigating the effects of Harmful Algae The Fourteenth Session of the IOC Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IPHAB) was held at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, from 24th to 26th April 2019. The Panel review GlobalHAB and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) GlobalHAB webpage (www.globalhab.info) On 1st January 2016, the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic U GlobalHAB APPLICATION FORM FOR ENDORSEMENT OF ACTIVITIES To be completed in English and send to the Chair of the GlobalHAB SSC. For further guidance consult the Chair and/or Vicechair of the GlobalHAB SSC. Date: 1. PROJECT TITLE: Planned duration of activity, from : 2. APPLICANT(S): Name and tit GlobalHAB International Coordi nated Activities Some international coordinated activities listed in the Science and Implementation Plan are being led by the GlobalHAB SSC because their implementation depends on international coordination and funding. The SSC has assumed this responsibility for their Scientists interested in the topic can contact Leonardo Guzmán (leonardo. guzman@ifop.cl) and Henrik Enevoldsen (h.enevoldsen@bio.ku.dk). May 2020 Planning is underway for a workshop on Modelling and prediction of harmful algal blooms, from event response to multi-decadal projections to be held in ISSHAs Corner The International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA) convened the 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae (ICHA 18), held in Nantes, France, from 21th to 26th October 2018. The ISSHA Council had two opportunistic meetings: the first before the conference on Sunday 21 Esther Garcés (Spain) Ian Jenkinson (China, France) Ingrid Sassenhagen (France, Germany) Keith Davidson (United Kingdom) Henrik Enevoldsen (Denmark) Luis Mafra (Brazil) Shauna Murray (Australia) Marta Estrada (Spain) Philipp Hess (France) Ichiro Imai (Japan) Dedmer B. Van de Wall (Netherlands) Steff logic interactions, chemical ecology and microalgal physiology. Marc Long (Best Oral Presentation) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, United States) in Milford Connecticut, studying phytoplankton physiology with Dr. Gary H. Wikfors. The work presented at ICHA2018 was part of his Ph.D. research, r She continued her research in toxicology with a thesis project on the development of new cell models of the intestinal barrier (tri-culture and co-culture with epithelial cells, goblet cells and glial enteric cells), a tool for a best evaluation of toxicity of 6 phycotoxins. This thesis is supervise Anna Godhe - In Memoriam Anna Godhe passed away on April 4th 2019 after a strenuous fight with cancer. Her untimely passing represents a big loss for the scientific community. We all remember her true passion for research, her important contributions to marine phytoplankton ecology and her open mind Forthcoming events ICHA 2020 19th ICHA October 11-16, 2020. La Paz, B.C.S. Mexico Registration will open during 2019. ISSHA members can register at special rates! Participants wishing to receive the ISSHA member rate for conference registration must join ISSHA or renew their memberships prior to t Eds-in-chief Beatriz Reguera, IEO, Vigo, Spain Eilen Bresnan, MARLAB, Marine Scotland Science, UK Regional Editors Caribbean: Ernesto Mancera jemancerap@unal.edu.co Europe: Philip Hess Philipp.Hess@ifremer.fr Mediterranean Sea: Adriana Zingone zingone@szn.it India: K.B. Padmakumar kbpadmakumar@g