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. Plates 5 were pentagonal and reached half of the DW axis (Fig. 4). The thecal surface was smooth and plates presented numerous pores of two types (Fig. 5). Large pores and small pores visible with the light microscope with epifluorescence and with SEM. Analyses of the LSU rDNA D1-D3 corroborated previous identifications of Gambierdiscus and Ostreopsis species. The analyses of samples from 32 sampling sites showed that O. lenticularis was widely distributed in Sal, Sao Vicente and Boa Vista but was not observed in Maio and Santiago. Ostreopsis lenticularis cell densities ranged from 50 per sample to 1 x 106 cells per 100 cm-2. G. excentricus was distributed in all the islands visited except for Maio. Gambierdiscus excentricus concentrations ranged from a few cells per sample to 150 cells per 100 cm-2. Potentially toxic species of the genera Gambierdiscus and Ostreopsis are reported for the first time in the Cape Verde Islands. The presence of these species would explain the ciguatera cases that have been previously documented for this archipelago. Fig. 4. Ostreopsis lenticularis. Scanning electron micrographs, apical and ventral views Acknowledgements were: depth (D) 84-110 μm, width (W) 70-105 μm, and length 35-40 μm. The thecal plate formula was: Po 4 6 6c ?s 5 1p 2. Thecal plates were smooth with fine round to oval pores. Apical pore plate Po was oval with a fishhook-shaped slit and was ventrally displaced. First apical plate, 1, was very small. Ratio between plates 2/3 and 2/4 suture lengths ranged from 2 to -2.5. Plates 1 and 6 were very small and facing the posterior part of the cell due to the torsion of the flagellar area which formed a hollow. From this hollow, two flagella emerged, the longitudinal one being perpendicularly projected. The Sp was in the hypotheca, out of the sulcus. The 2 plate was about twice as long as wide (Fig. 3). Ostreopsis lenticularis Y. Fukuyo cells were broadly oval in apical and antapical views, lenticular-shaped, biconvex, and flattened, with the cinguHARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 63 / 2019 lum straight in lateral view. Measurements ranges were: depth (D) 60-105 μm, width (W) 53-74 μm and the DV/W ratio 1.13-1.42 (mean 1.27). The thecal plate formula was: Po 4 6 6c 4?s 5 2. The apical pore plate Po was long and narrow, slightly curved with the outline of the cell. The fourth apical plate (4) was elongated and hexagonal, located We are grateful to the MIRPURI FOUNDATION for their financial support of the expedition to Isla de la Sal (Sal Island) in July-August 2019 References 1. Wells M. et al 2015. Harmful Algae 1;49:68-93 2. Hallegraeff GM 2010. J Phycol 46: 220235 3. Silva ES 1956. Bull LI. F. A. N. XVIII, série A. T. XVIII, sér. A, n, 2, pp. 335-371 4. Fraga S et al 2014. Protist 165: 839-853. Authors Emilio Soler Onís & Juan Fernández Zabala, Observatorio Canario de HABs, FCPCT-ULPGC, Parque Científico Tecnológico Marino de Taliarte. C/ Miramar, 121. 35214 Taliarte, Las Palmas. Spain Fig. 5. Ostreopsis lenticularis. Epifluorescence micrograph showing detail of the thecal surface with two kinds of thecal pores. Ana S Ramirez, Facultad de Veterinaria, ULPGC, Campus Universitario Cardones de Arucas, 35413 Arucas, Spain Corresponding author: esoler@fcpct.ulpgc.es 9 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