Can artisan fishermen help to prevent
HABs intoxication? A science communi
cation project in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of the main harmful microalgae genera in Brazilian coastal
waters. These genera may induce different poisoning syndromes: amnesic shellfish poisoning
(ASP, purple circle), ciguatera (green circle), clupeotoxism (also called as Ostreopsis poisoning, yellow circle), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP, blue circle), and paralytic shellfish
poisoning (PSP, red circle).
The occurrence and expansion in the
distribution of toxic microalgae is a
global concern, considering their toxicity to marine ecosystems and human
health [1]. Thirty nine species from the
main toxic genera of marine microalgae
(e.g., Alexandrium, Dinophysis, Gambierdiscus, Gymnodinium, Ostreopsis,
Prorocentrum, Pseudo-nitzschia) have
been reported along the Brazilian coast
(Fig. 1). Given the geographic distribution of these microalgae species, five
different poisoning syndromes could
be expected during bloom events depending on the region of the country
(Fig. 1) [2-4]. Brazilian society, shellfish
farmers and fishing communities are
barely aware of the existence of toxic
microalgae and poisoning syndromes
induced by contaminated seafood and/
or direct contact with toxic cells during
HAB events. In the United States and
European countries, commercial and
recreational fisheries closures are put
into place when toxin levels in seafood
exceed regulatory limits for human
consumption [5,6]. In contrast, Santa
18
Catarina is the single state over the Brazilian territory to periodically monitor
microalgal densities in coastal waters to
control shellfish production in marine
farms. Despite all the related effects to
vulnerable fishing communities [5,7],
fisheries closures are not only an effective management response for preventing poisonings due to the consumption
of contaminated seafood, but also a way
to elucidate the occurrence of HABs on
coastal areas and their toxicity to human health.
In light of the ecological, economical
and human health impacts of HABs, in
2019 we have started a science communication project in Rio de Janeiro
coast (Brazil), entitled Knowing the
HABs (in Portuguese, Conhecendo as
HABs). This project has been developed
in collaboration with other colleagues
and laboratories from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro
(UNIRIO). Artisan fishermen are daily
in contact with seafood and effectively
working in aquatic systems; thus, we
believe that local fishing communities
can serve as a starting point for the
recognition of HABs in coastal areas
and, consequently, for the prevention of
human poisonings induced by the consumption of contaminated seafood. We
have started creating a process for frequent contact with artisanal fishermen.
Within the Knowing the HABs project,
science communication activities have
been planned and developed for the artisan fishermen organized in the main
fishing association of Rio de Janeiro city
(Colônia Z-13). Colônia Z-13 includes
more than 950 artisan fishermen whose
daily activities are undertaken from
Urca Beach (225707S; 430949W)
to the Pontal do Recreio (230210S;
432931W). This area includes the
Rodrigo de Freitas coastal lagoon
(225805S; 431157W), which comprises more than 50 km along the coast
of Rio de Janeiro city. Science communication activities consist of small meetings, photo and video presentations to
the fishermen to introduce them to
the most common HABs clues in marine
ecosystems (e.g., water color changes,
changes in fish behavior), as well as
ichthyotoxic mechanisms of noxious
microalgae and poisoning syndrome
symptoms.
Until the beginning of the Covid-19
pandemic and social restrictions, science communication activities started
in two units of the fishing association
Z-13 Copacabana (Fig. 2) and Z-13
Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (Fig. 3). After
their training in the recognition of HABs
in marine systems, most of the artisan
fishermen related that they had never
heard about HABs or their impacts on
fishing, ecology and human health.
However, they have already noted
changes in water coloration, mainly a
brown color, when fishing in the coastal
areas of Rio de Janeiro. Some of them
have also related symptoms that could
be indicative of phycotoxin poisoning.
This project, based on personal contact
to promote collaboration between the
research conducted in the university
and the reality of fishermen, had to stop
during the Covid-19 pandemic. After
social restrictions, we expect to restart
the science communication activities
in areas we have previously visited, as
well as to visit the other units (e.g., Z-13
Ipanema, Z-13 Urca, Z-13 Barra) in order to extend the training for more artisan fishermen. Our insights from the
HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS NO. 67 / 2021
Harmful Algae News An IOC Newsletter on Toxic Algae and Algal Blooms No. 67 - April 2021 www.ioc-unesco.org/hab SHIOHIGARI and PSP toxins in Japan: Initiatives to save traditional recreatio nal clam picking Shiohigari has been enjoyed by people in Japan for centuries, as depicted in the Japanese a
Fig. 2 Clamming parks in Osaka Prefecture (Modified from a digital map of The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) ingly, they had developed the exchange system to secure viability of their operations before 2002 when PST exceeding the regulatory limit were first detected in clams from seas a
Fig. 4 System of exchanging clams which secure food safety at Tannowa clamming park (Modified from [3} of visitors to clamming parks has now recovered. This is a success story of how to mitigate socio-economic impact on recreational clamming in Osaka prefecture due to PST. Thanks to the initiatives
HABs and the Mixoplankton Paradigm Mixotrophs are defined as organisms that are able to use photo-autotrophy and phagotrophy or osmotrophy to obtain organic nutrients [1]. It is notable that all phototrophic protists are potentially mixotrophic if only through expression of osmotrophy enabled by the
Fig. 2. Indication of proportion of IOC-UNESCO HAB species [6] assigned to each of the HAB plankton functional groups according to key in Fig.1 compiled by cross-reference to a database on mixoplankton species. CM, constitutive mixoplankton; pSNCM, plastidic specialist non-constitutive mixoplankton;
Fig. 3. Schematics and model simulation outputs run under the traditional paradigm (left) versus the mixoplankton paradigm (right). See text for explanation. B bacteria; Phyto phytoplankton (non-phagotrophic phototroph); μZ protozooplankton; CM constitutive mixoplankton (photophago-trophic); DIM
Tiny cells with a big impact: An unexpected bloom in the mid-Atlantic Fig. 1. a) Bongo nets fouled with the brown mucilaginous plankton. b) Dark and gelatinous content of the plankton nets scraped into a sample tray. Since 1992, the US NOAA Ecosystem Monitoring (EcoMon) cruises survey the Northeas
Fig. 3. Scanning electron micrographs of frustules in valve view of Thalassiosira mala. Note the single eccentric strutted process (black arrow), the ring of marginal strutted processes (arrowheads) and the single labiate process (white arrow) located within the ring of marginal strutted processes s
Acknowledgements We are grateful to Kyle Turner for helpful discussions regarding the fall 2018 EcoMon cruise and to Dr. Irene Andreu for SEM assistance. Dr. Paul E. Hargraves provided some insights on diatom taxonomy. We acknowledge the dedication of the crew of the R/V Sharp during a particularly
First report of an Ansanella granifera bloom in Cuban waters, Caribbean region Fig. 1. Map of the study area showing the location where the dinoflagellate bloom o ccurred in southeastern Cuba. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been associated with fish and shellfish kills, ecosystem damage, human
Fig. 3. Light microscopy images of fixed cells of Ansanella granifera. 4). Ansanella granifera is a dinoflagellate belonging to the family Suessiaceae (order Suessiales) that was recently described from Korea [5]. To our knowledge, the occurrence in waters from southeastern Cuba represents the firs
Dolichospermum spiroides blooms in a man-made lake in Sarawak, Borneo pond in Serian, Sarawak, and co-existed with a Microcystis bloom. However, the species and cell density for both genera were not recorded [3]. This is the first documented report of D. spiroides in Sarawak waters. The occurrence
An online platform (GEE App) for Trophic State Index monitoring of inland waters in Latin America Fig. 1. a) The dark gray region shows the Paraná River Basin in Brazil; b) Water masses within Paraná River Basin palette according to the Chl-a concentration average for 2020. The red rectangle indica
Remote sensing of recurrent cyano HABs in Patos Lagoon, Brazil Fig. 1. Map of Patos Lagoon (southernmost part of Brazil) taken from [7]. Black circles indicate the four sites chosen forNDCI values retrieval [4]. Every austral summer, dense surface growth and accumulations of cyanobacteria threaten
ation promoting the prevalence and duration of cyanoHABs. More detailed information will be published soon adding modeling tools to locate dominant cyanoHAB accumulation sites within the PL, and their potential exportation to the ocean. Future studies are needed to discriminate between local effects
Blooms of Akashiwo sanguinea (Dinophyceae) in a tropical estuary in northeastern Brazil We report an inter-annual bloom of the unarmored dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea in a pristine estuary (Figure 1F) in Brazil. The estuarine section of the Serinhaém River, Camamu Bay is a species-rich ecosystem
can affect the entire structure of a community due to changes in composition due to outcomes of biotic interactions with one species being benefited while another one is harmed. The spatial location of SE10 within an area of potential disturbance driven by urban tributaries alters ecological stoichi
Can artisan fishermen help to prevent HABs intoxication? A science communi cation project in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of the main harmful microalgae genera in Brazilian coastal waters. These genera may induce different poisoning syndromes: amnesic shellfish poisoning (
Authors Raquel AF Neves, Júlia Torres, Nathália Rodrigues & Clarissa Naveira, Graduate Program in Neotropical Biodiversity (PPGBIO), Research Group in Experimental and Applied Aquatic Ecology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Avenida Pasteur 458-307 Rio de Janeiro- RJ, CEP
The VIII Workshop the Group HarmAlfonso Vidal (Colombia). Their of dediconsider it urgent to finalize The VIIIofWorkshop of the Group Harmful Algal Blooms the Caribbean (ANCA) of a regional ful AlgalIOCARIBE Blooms of (Intergovernmental the Caribbean catedOceanographic work contributedCommission sig
Aotearoa/New Zealand Japan collaboration strengthened through HAB research at Cawthron Institute the 16th Young Researchers Award from the Japanese Society of Phycology for his research on harmful algae in Japan. Acknowledgements The collaboration between New Zealand and Japan has been continued
ANNOUNCEMENT: The International Phytoplankton Intercalibration The International Phytoplankton Intercalibration (IPI) Proficiency Testing scheme in abundance and composition of marine microalgae programme 2021 is now open for registration for 2021 through www.iphyi.org. The schedule for 2021 and all
The 19th International Conference on Harmful Algae 2021 (ICHA2021) is going virtual! We appreciate the responses that many of you provided in the recent survey which indicated that 85% of respondents will participate in a virtual meeting. The abstract submission deadline is 9 April 2021. Details on
In memoriam Maria Esther Angélica Meave del Castillo (1960-2020) María Esther Meave (who also received the nickname Teté or Tey by many of her friends) was born in Mexico city, Mexico (September 5th, 1960) and passed away on December 6th, 2020, after contracting COVID-19. She earned her Master and
Leif Bolding, graphic designer and webmaster at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, has been an unsung hero of Harmful Algae News. Working behind the scenes since 2000 as responsible for the layout of each issue. Leif retires at the end of April 2021. He will have plenty of