New Initiative on Fish-Killing Algal Blooms An Advanced International Colloquium and Technical Workshop on Fish-Killing HABs under the auspices of IOC-IPHAB and GlobalHAB, and with the support of the government of Chile through CORFO and collaboration of CREAN-IFOP, was held in Puerto Varas, Chile, 8 11 October 2019. Ten invited participants (D.M. Anderson, A.D. Cembella (WG chair, apologies), O. Espinoza, L. Guzman, G.M. Hallegraeff, P.J. Hansen (acting chair), H. Hegaret, T.O. Larsen, J. Mardones, M. Iwataki, L. MacKenzie) reviewed the state-of-knowledge on fish-killing algal blooms (Fig. 1). The socio-economic impacts from fish-killing microalgal blooms are much greater on a global scale than those from HAB species causing seafood biotoxin accumulation and contamination. Examples are the 1973 Chattonella marina bloom in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan (estimated US$71M loss to sea bream aquaculture), the 1988 Prymnesium polylepis bloom in the European Kattegat with widescale marine ecosystem impacts, and the 2015/16 Pseudochattonella verruculosa bloom in Chile (US$800M loss to salmon aquaculture). Highly potent fish-killers include the globally distributed, taxonomically unrelated flagellate groups Alexandrium, Margalefidinium (Cochlodinium), Chattonella, Heterosigma, Pseudochattonella/Vicicitus, Karenia, Karlodinium, Prymnesium/Chrysochromulina which all produce lytic compounds that irreparably damage the sensitive gill tissues of fish which then die from suffocation. With perhaps a single exception (Karenia brevis in Florida), none of these fish-killing algal blooms have ever caused human health problems from seafood consumption, which partially explains the limited attention these HABs previously have attracted. Except for recent advances with Prymnesium (prymnesins) and Karlodinium (karlotoxins), the precise mechanisms of how such microalgae kill finfish remain poorly understood. Pseudochattonella is particularly poorly understood, with high ichthyotoxicity in nature but limited potency observed in culture studies. While some species are always ichthyotoxic, others such as Heterosigma and Alexandrium catenella cause problems only under special environmental conditions. Progress in this field has been hindered by the use of widely different bioassay systems (Artemia, blood and fish gill RT1 cell lines, embryos, juvenile and adult fish) and lack of analytical chemical methods and reference materials to quantify and characterize so-called ichthyotoxins. Furthermore these compounds cause problems in extremely low concentrations dissolved in an aqueous medium, as opposed to the well known toxins PST, DST, AST, NST bioaccumulating in high concentrations in seafood. Essentially similar ichthyotoxins also adversely impact shellfish, shellfish hatcheries and aquariums that draw in water from bloom affected areas. Climate change is adding to the unpredictability of such rapid fish killing blooms and puts further pressure on seafood security for an ever increasing human population. Fishkilling HABs can be compared to disastrous forest fires, and not doing anything is no longer deemed acceptable. Prevention, prediction and monitoring are no longer sufficient, and we actively need to pursue strategies to stop the blooms, for example by means of clay flocculation of algal biomass and/or mopping up of ichthyotoxins. The working group reviewed our knowledge of algal taxonomy, toxin chemistry, modes of action, fish-killing mechanisms, bioassays, broader ecosystem impacts, role of climate change, and options for prevention, control and mitigation. A well-attended open conference, accessible via webinar, and a visit to a local salmon farm formed part of the workshop. A follow-up session on fish-killing HABs is next scheduled for ICHA 2020 in Mexico, and a dedicated journal issue on this topic is being planned. Some of the presentations are available on the link below; https://www. facebook.com/1871967802832922/videos/1254975338037553/. Authors Leonardo Guzmán, Centro de Estudios de Algas Nocivas (CREAN), Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Puerto Montt, Chile Gustaaf Hallegraeff, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Email: leonardo.guzman@ifop.cl Invited speakers and hosts of the Advanced International Colloquium and Technical Workshop on Fish-Killing HABs. Puerto Varas, Chile October 8-11, 2019. Photo courtesy of Oscar Espinosa, IFOP. 2 HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 63 / 2019 Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 63 - December 2019 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab Harmful Algal Blooms in a Changing Climate In September 2019 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved and accepted the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere New Initiative on Fish-Killing Algal Blooms An Advanced International Colloquium and Technical Workshop on Fish-Killing HABs under the auspices of IOC-IPHAB and GlobalHAB, and with the support of the government of Chile through CORFO and collaboration of CREAN-IFOP, was held in Puerto Varas, Chile, IOC-SCOR GlobalHAB Workshop: Evaluating, Reducing and Mitigating the Cost of Harmful Algal Blooms: a Compendium of Case Studies Over the last two decades, several reports have compiled what is known about the economic impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) [1-4]. Although these reports attempted to Several examples of HAB-related losses and loss mitigation were discussed at the workshop in detail. A HAB incident in northern Norway alone resulted in the loss of 14 thousand tons of Atlantic salmon in May 2019, resulting in a total loss of at least 330 million USD, including insured losses of 45 Massive fish mortality in Teluk Bahang, Penang, Malaysia caused by a hypoxia-inducing algal bloom Fish kill events due to algal blooms have been increased dramatically over the past decades. Several massive fish kill events have been reported in Malaysia [1-5]. Among the incidents reported, some are Blooms of the potentially harmful raphidophyte Chattonella antiqua and the occurrence of the epiphytic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata in the coastal waters of Alexandria, Egypt coastal marine areas. Blooms of this genus are usually accompanied by goldenbrown seawater discoloration due to their Table 1. Seawater physical and chemical parameters during the summer 2019 Chattonella bloom mg O2/L Nutrient concentration μM C Salinit y pH DO COD PO4 SiO4 NO2 NO3 NH4 35.00 17.8 8.64 6.3 22.5 13.35 58 12.6 20.6 45.2 TN SiO4 PO4 Table 2. Physical and chemical properties of First records of Gambierdiscus excentricus and Ostreopsis lenticularis in the Cape Verde Archipelago (Macaronesia, Central Eastern Atlanctic) Fig. 1. Map of Cape Verde archipelago (Macaronesia Region). Harmful algal blooms (HAB) species frequently recorded in tropical latitudes are apparently incr Fig. 3. Gambierdiscus excentricus. Scanning electron micrographs, apical and ventral views mostly on the left side of the cell. The second apical plate (2) was narrow and elongated, and located below the APC, extending dorsally to the Po plate, and reaching about the mid-position of the 3 plate. Pl Microcystis bloom in Saladito river, central-southern Cuba Fig. 1. Map showing the cyanobacterial bloom area in Saladito River, central-southern Cuba. Water blooms or simply blooms in freshwater reservoirs are mass accumulations of planktonic microalgae or cyanobacteria. Water blooms (Wasserblüte) the center of the colony; a few solitary cells may appear in the mucilage. In our populations the typical solitary cells in mucilage were not observed, neither the concentrically lamellated margins. It is possible that the Cuban specimens could be identified as M. panniformis or M. novacekii, but fu Citizen Science Oceanography in the Strait of Georgia, Canada an overview of five years of operations The Citizen Science Oceanography Program for the coastal waters of British Columbia (BC), Canada was proposed by Dr. Eddy Carmack, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Carmack envisioned a mosquito f harm (e.g. fish kills, shellfish poisoning) at very low concentrations. In the latter case, they are still called blooms because of their effects. These types of blooms can be invisible to the naked eye and only in-situ sampling can detect them. During five years of observations, the heaviest blooms Multicoloured algal blooms in the NW Adriatic during 2018 The northern Adriatic is characterized by shallow waters (mean depth about 35 m), a weak bathymetric gradient along the main axis and a high riverine input on the western side, affecting both the circulation regime and the trophic status. As Fig. 4. A bloom of an unidentified gymnodinioid caused a brown-greenish discoloration. Fig. 6. Ostreopsis cf. ovata bloom causing bleaching of macroalgal thalli. Fig. 5. Green colored waters from a mixed bloom of diatoms and Prorocentrum cordatum. Fig. 7. Field sample showing Takayama tasmanica a A bloom of Prorocentrum triestinum in the Hossegor Marine Lake (France) Phytoplankton communities in the Hossegor marine lake (Southern French Atlantic coast, Fig. 1) have been monthly monitored since 1997 to protect human health (REPHY network: monitoring of toxin producing species which may contam The ICES Annual Science Conference 2019 The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) annual science conference took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, 9-12th Sept 2019 with 738 participants from 38 countries attending. The conference opened with a lively panel discussion around sustaina 11th Irish Shellfish Safety Workshop At the 11th Shellfish Safety Workshop held in the Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone, Ireland, Joe Silke, Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services at the Marine Institute said, Irelands Shellfish Safety Monitoring Programme ensures that shellfish placed on Fig. 2. Oyster Farm. Photo courtesy of Fionn OFearghail, Marine Institute Marine Institute The Marine Institute is the state agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland. The Marine Institute provides government, public agencies and the maritime industry The 33rd annual meeting of the Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany (ASPAB) The 33rd annual ASPAB meeting was held at NIWAs Greta Point site in Wellington, New Zealand on 11-13 November 2019. This year most presentations were on macroalgae although in the past microalgae and HABs ha Forthcoming events Call for abstracts - ICHA 2020 The Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the call for abstracts and pre-registration for the 19th International Conference on Harmful Algal Blooms to be held from the 11th to the 16th of October 2020 in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. La 12th International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dinoflagellates The Canarian HABs Observatory (OCH) hosts the 12th edition of the International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dinoflagellates (DINO12), to be held from 13th to 17th July 2020 at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Canteras beach, L