1The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO

HARMFUL ALGAE NEWSAn IOC Newsletter on toxic algae and algal blooms

No. 32

December 2006

http://ioc.unesco.org/hab/news.htm

(Cont’d on p.2) (Cont’d on p. 3)The publication of Harmful Algae News is sponsored by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Vigo,

and the Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen.

HAB XII - RESPONSES TO THE CONFERENCE

Taxonomy at the XIIth ICHA,Copenhagen 2006

Scanning electron microscopy is not enough to tell which species ofTakayama is this.

The era of big taxonomic novelties for harmful specieshas apparently come to an end. Small but significantrevolutions animated the taxonomic sessions at past HABConferences, ranging from the decision to use the genus nameAlexandrium in place of other synonyms (Enrique Balech,Lund, 1989) to the finding of a harmful member in the so farinoffensive family Dictyochophyceae (Bente Edvardsen, CapeTown, 2004), and to the first cues of pseudo-cryptic speciesin Pseudo-nitzschia (Nina Lundholm, St. Pete’s Beach,2002). There were no big surprises this time but, as ever, anumber of new species were presented, including acyanobacterium (Tuong Giang Nguyen Ngoc), araphidophyte (Elif Demir), several possible Gambierdiscusspecies (Pat Tester) and even a so far mysteriousdinoflagellate (Jennifer Wolny), to remind us once more thatour knowledge of microalgal diversity is still in progress.

It has become more and more evident over the years thatspecies cannot always be delimited and identified with visualtechniques, but also that other evidence is needed to supportmolecular information. The differences between Karlodinium

Dinophysis news

Light micrograph of a well-fed live Dinophysis acuminata cell using theciliate Myrionecta rubra as prey (Photo courtesy of Myung Gil Park)

Any biologist accustomed to observe live populations ofDinophysis spp. has been entranced by the variability of theirmorphology (size and shape of their large hypothecal plates)and their cellular contents. Through the growing season ofDinophysis acuminata, the most ubiquitous and persistentspecies of the genus in temperate coastal waters, cells canappear thin and quite empty, or swollen with digestive vacuoles.The size composition of the population can range fromhomogeneous to a bimodal distribution of large and small cellsor even to a complex array of small, intermediate and largecells. A large part of the size and shape complexity within agiven locality can be explained by complex polymorphic lifecycles [1], where large cells can go through a depauperatingdivision sensu von Stosch [2], and produce two dimorphicoffspring (with dissimilar halves) that further lead to theformation of small gamete-like cells.

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(Cont’d from p. 1)

armiger and K. veneficum, whichbloom together along the SpanishMediterranean coasts, required an arrayof methods for accurate classification(Esther Garcés). Even trickier is thecase of the Alexandrium tamarense /catenella / fundyense species complex(Santiago Fraga), where a mismatchexists between morphological andmolecular information. Within this trend,several papers focused on newmolecular approaches to detect cryptic,pseudo-cryptic or simply difficult todistinguish species (Sonja Djerks,Mirelle Chinain, Laurence MyriamElandoussi, Wayne Litaker, SarahMcDonald, Katherine Hubbard,Antonella Penna and many others).

The opposite also seems to exist:shape may evolve faster than somemolecular markers. Two autotrophicdinoflagellates blooming under the icein northern areas, the freshwaterPeridinium aciculiferum and thebrackish Scrippsiella hangoei, differin morphology, habitat, and physiologybut share identical nuclear ribosomalDNA (SSU, ITS1- 2, 5.8S and LSU).Mitochondrial cytochrome b (COB)sequences indicate a recent evolutionarydivergence (Ramiro Logares). Bothspecies are evolutionarily related toheterotrophic Pfiesteria-like species.Interestingly, P. aciculiferum producesallelopathic substances, and there issome evidence that S. hangoei producetoxins. It remains to be determined howthe chloroplasts originated in theautotrophic species.

Despite the absence of bigsurprises, never before in thisconference series did the discussionreach such peaks of pervasivedisagreement and constructive criticismas in the workshop on taxonomy. Thetopic that raised the tone of thediscussion is certainly not new: are therefew or many microalgal species? Isphytoplankton genetic diversitymeaningful or just ‘philosophical dirt’ [1]?Who is right, the splitters – those whogo on separating known taxa into morespecies – or the lumpers – those whounify apparently distinct taxa under asame name? Is there any sense inestablishing species that cannot be told

apart in the light microscope - and attimes not even in the electronmicroscope?

The first contribution to the debatecame from Tom Fenchel, who providedan overview of his ideas, based on hisscientific experience with ciliates butextrapolated to all aquatic microbes [2,and references therein]. Indeed forthese organisms a limited number ofspecies are found which are apparentlyubiquitous in ecologically comparablesystems. According to Fenchel, geneticdiversity often does not correspond toany morphological or physiologicalpeculiarity, being in this case the resultof an accumulation of neutral mutations,whereby molecular differencesbetween species only indicate how muchtime has passed since they diverged. Inthese views, the questions raised byevidence of cryptic and pseudo-crypticdiversity in aquatic microbes could bedismissed as much-ado-about-nothing.

An alternative perspective waspresented by Miguel De Salas, whointroduced the group of nakeddinoflagellates belonging to the generaKarenia, Karlodinium and Takayama,once all known under the nameGymnodinium. These genera have notstopped ‘expanding’ since theirestablishment, but unfortunatelydifferences between taxa are in mostcases subtle and only revealed undercertain observational conditions. Theactual distribution of all these newlyestablished species will hardly berevealed unless a whole array oftechniques is applied, ranging fromcultivation to molecular biology andelectron microscopy. But does speciesidentification really matter in suchproblematic cases? The opinions of theparticipants in the workshop were asdifferent as the interdisciplinary natureof our conference allows. Most‘taxonomy-producers’ emphasised theadvantages of a better taxonomicresolution in terms of the definition ofactual ecological and biogeographicpatterns of diversity. Yet when a speciesis split into several almostindistinguishable species, life becomesvery complicated for the ‘taxonomyusers’, who need to identifyphytoplankton in the light microscope inmonitoring projects, or who have long

used the ‘old names’ for organisms inphysiological experiments, or who needto associate a given toxin with a certainspecies.

That splitting species introducingnew names may actually turn out to beuseful was largely supported by theexamples provided by David Mann inhis plenary talk. Differences inmorphological details noticed by Dr.Lothar Geitler [3] a century ago formedthe basis to name a wide set of‘varieties’ within the benthic freshwaterdiatom Cocconeis placentula, of whichonly those illustrated by Hustedt [4]were subsequently reported, allowinginformation to be recorded that wouldhave been lost without names to attachto the data. A host of new definitions ofspecies crypticity was also clarified inthis talk, among which the term semi-cryptic for those morphologicallyundistinguishable species that can beidentified only when their provenanceis known. The acknowledgement thatthe geographic origin matters is a goodstep forward, and an even better onewill be to recognise the taxonomicimportance of the ecologicalcharacteristics of different entities. It willfinally return to the picture the relevanceof the environment in the origin ofspecies. We should certainlyacknowledge that taxonomy is a scienceaimed at identifying meaningful naturalgroups and tracing evolutionary patterns,rather than a name-giving exercise. Newspecies are scientific hypotheses thatneed to be tested with further research– that would be impossible withoutnaming them – rather than to be reducedon the basis of ‘horror diversitatis’ (fearof diversity) which finds a contrastinganalogy with the well known ‘horrorvacui’(fear of emptiness). (A simple andwise thought is that information attachedto separate names can always be unifiedin the light of further knowledge,whereas the opposite is impossible).

These days taxonomy is facingquestions that are much more challengingthan those posed by the introduction ofelectron microscopy. The boost ofinformation on the cell data-center, theDNA, is likely to make a difference insolving the taxonomic questions posedabove. Information being acquired in thisfield is producing some exciting results

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on genetic diversity patterns. This islikely to attract more people to the field,possibly allowing us to accumulatebiological data in parallel with moleculardata. Certainly, the assumption thatgenetic variation is meaningless and thatit overestimates the actual diversitygoes against this trend: why shouldstudents be attracted by meaninglessdiversity patterns? We should rather letthese studies flourish, promoting

research into cryptic and pseudocrypticdiversity: in a few years the ground forthis discussion will be much sounder,while rapidly developing technology willhave solved all identification problems.

References

1. That was the joking way phytoplankton wasdefined by Johannes Müller in the 1840’s,i.e. much before its function was discovered.Smetacek V. et al., 2002. In: PhytoplanktonProductivity. Carbon Assimilation in Marine

and Freshwater Ecosystems, Williams, P.J. leB., et al. (Eds.) Blackwell, p. 350.

2 . Fenchel, T., 2005. Aquat. Microb. Ecol.41: 49.

3 . Geitler, L., 1927. Arch. Protistenk. 59: 506.4 . Hustedt, F., 1930. Die Kieselalgen

Deutschlands, Österrreichs und der Schweizunder Berücksichtigung der übrigen LänderEuropas sowie der angrenzendenMeeresgebiete. 1. Teil. AkademischeVerlaggesellschaft, Leipzig. 920 pp.

A. Zingone, Stazione Zoologica ‘A.Dohrn’, Napoli, Italy.Email: zingone@szn.it

Variability is more obvious when liveDinophysis cells are examined byepifluorescence microscopy. The firstnotable difference between phototrophicDinophysis spp. and other dinoflagellategenera is that they fluoresce orange.This is because - like small (10-15 µm)cryptophyte flagellates, cyanobacteriaand Myrionecta rubra (=Mesodiniumrubrum) - they have reddish accessorypigments called phycoerythrins.Dinophysis cells can exhibit an intenseorange colour covering the whole cell,or only partially (preferentially in theperipheral part of the cell), or even haveparts that fluoresce with a differentcolour. The distinctive fluorescencecharacteristics of phototropicDinophysis spp. led to a study of theirultrastructure and description of theirpeculiar plastids with 2 membranes [3],distinct from the conventional peridinin-containing plastids of otherdinoflagellates. The beauty of it all liesin the fact that in this morphologicalvariability of Dinophysis spp., one canread a great deal about the previoushistory of the population, and about thephysiological status of the individual cells[1, 4].

A key observation by Hansen [5]was that the heterotrophic Dinophysis(Phalacroma) rotundata can feed onthe ciliate Tiarina fusus after piercingits lorica with a feeding peduncle andsucking its contents, a feedingmechanism known as “myzocytosis”[6]. It seemed logical to imagine thatother species of Dinophysis could feedon other ciliates in a similar way, and afew year later, remains of ciliates werefound in the digestive vacuoles of D.acuminata and D. norvegica [7]. Butnobody had seen in nature what the

(Cont’d from p. 1) potential prey of Dinophysis might be.During the last 15 years, many biologistswere curious to find out what was thenutritional source of phototropic speciesof Dinophysis, and tried to grow themin all sorts of enriched media, with orwithout additions of small prey [8]. Inthe luckiest cases, picked cells, incubatedin cell culture plates go through 4 or atmost 6 divisions, and when transferredto fresh medium, small cells start toappear and the culture does not progressin a conventional way [9]. This is high-risk research, and nobody likes to havea Ph D student working for months ona topic that may produce inconclusiveobservations.

Advances in molecular biology wereapplied to Dinophysis issues. Janson[10] found that portions of the ribosomalDNA that code the plastids of D.acuminata are identical to those withthe same function for the plastids of thecryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia.The hypothesis of kleptoplastidy cameinto conflict with the idea thatDinophysis’ cryptophyte-like plastidsare constitutive [11], i.e., the result ofan evolutionary association between a“domesticated” cryptophyte prey and aeukaryotic cell.

Attention was diverted to thepotential cryptophyte prey, but nobodymanaged to grow Dinophysis on them.Takahashi et al. [12] confirmed thecryptophyte-like sequence of the plastidsof several DSP toxin-producingDinophysis spp., and even developedmolecular probes that, as a veryinnovative early warning system, couldbe bound to the cryptophytes with aplastid sequence like that of Dinophysisspp. plastids, and detect the prey beforethe build-up of Dinophysis populations.

On the first day of the XII

International Conference on HarmfulAlgae (Copenhagen, 4-8 September2006) the audience was astonished anddelighted with the presentation of aKorean group (Myung Gil Park).Their video showed voracious D.acuminata cells attacking the ciliateMyrionecta rubra with their feedingpeduncles. The cells of Dinophysisbecame fatter and fatter as myzocytosisproceeded, and empty cells of M. rubrawere finally left with the appearance ofunrecognizable bubbles. M. rubra wascultured with the addition of Teleaulaxsp.

The findings of Park et al. [13]contitute a real breakthrough that opensnew avenues for research onDinophysis spp., so far hampered bythe lack of established cultures. Far frombeing the final solution, their results haveraised lots of new questions: IsMyrionecta the main (or the only) preyin natural populations of Dinophysisspp? Can Dinophysis survive on othernutritional sources when Myrionecta isnot available? Do Dinophysis performphotosynthesis with stolen plastids fromMyrionecta, or does the ciliate act onlyas an exogenous nutritional source?How does feeding on Myrionecta affectthe toxin content of Dinophysis cells?.Inspiration to answer some of thesequestions can come from recent findingson the feeding behaviour of Myrionecta[14]: the ciliates do not use kleptoplastidsfrom the Teleaulax cells they ingest, assuggested by Gustafson et al. [15], andthey do have permanentendosymbionts. But cultures ofMyrionecta could only be establishedwhen small amount of Teleaulax sppwere provided.

Blooms of Dinophysis spp. and thesubsequent detection of lipophilic toxins

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(okadaic acid and derivatives,pectenotoxins) in shellfish aboveregulatory levels constitute the mostpersistent “pest” for shellfish growersin regions of Atlantic Europe, Japan,New Zealand, and Chile. Dinophysisis a cosmopolitan genus, and problemsassociated with their proliferation arisepractically in any shellfish cultivationarea that search for the cells and theirtoxins with the appropriate methods.During this conference, seven oralpresentations and over fifty postersfocused on or included aspects ofDinophysis spp. and their toxins.

Reports of the occurrence ofDinophysis spp. associated with DSPoutbreaks were given for new regionsin Southern Brasil (Celia Villac), theAtlantic coasts of Morocco (BtissamEnnaffah) and Croatia (ZivanaNincevic). The application of advancedanalytical methods (LC-MS) is leadingto the detection of pectenotoxins in mostDinophysis blooms where thepresence of these toxins is explored(Elizabeth Cañete, Zouher Amzil,Bengt Lundve), and to theidentification of new analogues (TrineTorgersen).

The use of resins that adsorblipophilic toxins in situ (SPATT) inCanada (Corinne Garnett), Galicia(Gemita Pizarro) and Scotland (Jean-Pierre Lacaze) showed that they canact as early warning systems whenconcentrations of Dinophysis areextremely low, and that Dinophysis-related toxins can be present in thewater column for weeks when cells are

no longer detected. Crucial questionshere will be to determine if the toxinsare actively liberated by healthyDinophysis cells, and in what state(free, attached to adsorbing particles)the water-borne toxins detected bySPATT occur. An important observation(Kirsten Johansen) is that a largeproportion of toxins can be liberated bythe cells during common (nets, pumps)concentration procedures.

Important questions on ecology andoceanography of harmful species,identified in the Science Plan and in theOpen Science Meetings of the SCOR-IOC GEOHAB programme, wereaddressed in the Baltic, and in the IberianPeninsula and South African upwellingsystems.

The fine scale distribution of severalDinophysis spp. in relation to thephysical structure of the water columnwas explored in the Baltic Sea (HeidiHällfors), and the Galician Rías(Beatriz Reguera). The formerconfirmed that distributions are species-specific, and the latter showed theimportance of considering the stage inpopulation growth to interpret differentaggregation pattern in the water column.Quantification of vacuolated cells wasused also in the Baltic (WF Carvalho)and Galicia (Sonsoles González-Gil)as a proxy to identify conditionsassociated with mixotrophic behaviour.Lourdes Velo applied an artificialneural network approach to predict D.acuminata blooms in Southern Spainfrom weekly cell counts obtained frommonitoring programmes.

The importance of cross-shelf andlongshore transport of Dinophysispopulations in the South African (GrantPitcher) and Galician (LauraEscalera) upwelling systems wasexplored. Sanna Sopanen in the Baltic,and Sobrino-Gonçalves in Portugaltackled the difficult subject of species-specific selection and ingestion rates ofDinophysis by different copepodspecies.

References

1. von Stosch, H.A., 1964. Helgoland. Wiss.Meer. 10: 140-152.

2 . Reguera, B. & S. González-Gil, 2001. J.Phycol. 37: 318-333.

3 . Schnepf, E. & M. Elbrächter, 1988.Botanica Acta 101: 196-203.

4 . Reguera, B., et al., 2003. Mar. Ecol. Prog.Ser. 249: 117-131.

5 . Hansen, P.J., 1991. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser.,69: 201-204.

6 . Schnepf, E. & G. Deichgräber, 1984.Naturwissenschaften 71: 218-219.

7 . Jacobson, D.M. & R.A. Andersen, 1994.Phycologia 33(2): 97-110.

8 . Maestrini, S.Y., 1998. In: Anderson, D.M., etal. (eds.), Physiological Ecology of HarmfulAlgal Blooms.(Springer-Verlag), pp. 243-266.

9 . Nishitani, G., et al., 2003. Plankton Biol.Ecol. 50: 31-36.

10. Janson, S., 2004. Environ. Microbiol. 6:1102-1106.

11. Hackett J.D., et al., 2003. J. Phycol. 39:440-448.

12. Takahashi, Y., et al., 2005. Mar. Biotech. 7:95-103.

13. Park, M.G., et al., 2006. Aquat. Microb.Ecol. 45: 101-106.

14. Hansen, P.J. & T. Fenchel 2006. Mar. Biol.Res. 2: 169-177.

15. Gustafson, D.E., et al., 2000. Nature 405:1049-1052.

B. Reguera, Instituto Español deOceanografía, Vigo, Spain. Email:beatriz.reguera@vi.ieo.es

Phytoplankton life histories: a step forwardUnderstanding of evolutionary

history, population structure and ecologyof plants and animals is largely basedon the knowledge of their life histories.However, what do we know about thelife cycles, mating systems, formationof resting stages and other aspects ofthe life cycles of protists? A lively EC-funded workshop [1] provided anoverview of our ‘knowledge’ and‘ignorance’ on this topic. This workshopacted as catalyst for further researchprogrammes (e.g. SEED) aimed at abetter characterization of the lifehistories of marine phytoplankton

organisms. Considering that toxic orharmful species are known in almost allphytoplankton classes, the Conferenceis an ideal forum for an update on newfindings, innovative approaches andexperimental studies on phytoplanktonlife cycles in general.

The very first approach for life cyclestudies implies working in the laboratorywith cultures. This might be consideredas a limit – like studying an animal inthe cage of a zoo – but it is the onlyway by which we can link together thedifferent life stages in a coherentsequence of events. Up to now, the vast

majority of studies have focused onphototrophic organisms: once they areprovided with light and nutrients, theycan – at least theoretically - grow. Thecultivation of heterotrophic ormixotrophic protists is much more tricky,requiring the design and testing of asuitable diet that allows for their growthand life- cycle completion. KristinGribble presented for the first timedetailed information on the sexualprocess – gamete formation,conjugation, production of a planozygoteand a cyst – in a Protoperidiniumspecies, P. steidingerae.

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No resting stages are known up tonow for species of the diatom genusPseudo-nitzschia, which neverthelesscan produce regular and recurrentblooms in coastal areas. DomenicoD’Alelio explored cell size variation inPseudo-nitzschia multistriata overseveral years to find evidence for theoccurrence of sexual reproduction. Theoccurrence of sexual events might beinferred by finding of auxospores and/or by the appearance of populations witha large cell size, which are producedfollowing the sexual phase. Interestingquestions can be addressed by thepainstaking measurement of thousandsof cells: does the bloom represent theoccasion in which conjugationprobabilities are higher? Is the bloomconstituted by cells in the same sizerange? P. multistriata cell size graduallydecreases over time and populations ofdifferent size succeed year after year,suggesting that sex in this speciesoccurs every 1 or 2 years.

There other aspects of life cyclesthat are still poorly understood and/orquantified but interesting information ispiling up. As an example, BenteEdvardsen showed that severalspecies have haplo-diploid life cycleswithin the haptophyte genusChrysochromulina. This means thatboth haploid and diploid stages arecapable of growth. This life cycle isdifferent from that recorded in diatoms,where cells are diploid and the haploidstage is represented by the gametes, or

in dinoflagellates, where cells are haploidand the only diploid stage is theplanozygote (and the cyst, if produced).What are the implications of thesedifferences in the evolution of protists?What are the differences between thetwo stages in the haptophyte life cycle?At times they are surrounded by scalesof different morphology, at times theylook the same.

Protists might have mating systems(broadly speaking, the number of sexes)of different complexity. Again, this is anaspect with considerable implications,spanning from population genetics toevolutionary biology. A cell may requirea mate of opposite mating type toperform conjugation, or it may be ableto mate with cells of the same matingtype; this makes a difference. In orderto define the mating system of a certainspecies, multiple crossing experimentsshould be carried out to test if sexualreproduction can occur within a clonalstrain, if strains of two opposite matingtypes have to be crossed, or if the systemis even more complex. There were afew contributions in which crossingexperiments were carried out (e.g.Cátia Carreira, Setsuko Sakamoto,Domenico D’Alelio). Obtaining aconvincing answer might be tricky if werely only on morphology. Indinoflagellates, the evidence for sexualreproduction can be provided by theformation of cysts (assuming that theyare the product of sexual reproduction).However, we know that not all

Protoperidinium are amongst the mostabundant heterotrophic dinoflagellatesand include a notable number of speciescapable of producing resting cysts.Elucidating the process of cyst formationand the morphology of the different lifecycle stages will provide importantinformation for a better refinement ofthe morpho-taxonomy of this genus. Itwill also open new avenues forexperimental work aimed atunderstanding the triggers forencystment and excystment, whichmight be regulated by factors differentfrom those active in phototrophicspecies.

When thinking about phytoplanktonlife histories, the switch betweenvegetative (capable of duplication) andresting stages immediately comes tomind. Those are indeed crucial points inan organism’s life history, and haveconsiderable implications for theirecology: the formation of resting stagesmight contribute to bloom termination,while vegetative cells germinating fromspores or cysts are released in the watercolumn and might provide the source fora subsequent bloom. Unfortunately, aproper quantification of these transitionpoints is hampered by objectiveobservational limits. Several postersaddressed the role of resting stages inpopulation dynamics (e.g. MitshiroYoshida, Silvia Angles, Isabel Bravo,Cecilia Satta). Akira Ishikawa hasdesigned a ‘plankton emergence trap’allowing the quantification of cystgermination, for which there are almostno field data; the authors found thatgermination of Alexandrium catenellacysts is continuous throughout the year,without any seasonal pattern, in contrastto the bimodal pattern recorded for theblooms. The formation of resting stagesis not a prerogative of dinoflagellates,but is recorded in many other taxa.Karin Rengefors provided evidencefor the formation of temporary andsexual cysts in the freshwaterGonyostomum semen, a raphidophyteresponsible for skin irritation. ShigeruItakura searched for differences inseeding mechanisms between diatomsand dinoflagellates: can differentenvironmental conditions trigger thepreferential germination of speciesbelonging to one of the two groups?

The life cycle of a pennate diatom

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planozygotes necessarily transform intocysts, and thus the lack of cysts doesnot imply the lack of conjugation. Wemight have conjugation followed by theformation of a planozygote that does notencyst, or our experimental settingsmight not be adequate to induce thesexual phase. We are faced with similarproblems in diatoms, where themorphological evidence for sexual

reproduction is provided by theformation of auxospores. Here again,the positive result is solid, but thenegative one might be biased due to asub-optimal experimental design, or tothe fact that our strains are not in theright size window for sex. But do notget depressed: difficulties stimulatecreative thinking!

Reference

1. Garcés, E., et al., 2002. LIFEHAB: LifeHistory of Microalgal Species CausingHarmful Blooms (European Commission,Brussels), www.icm.csic.es/bio/projects/lifehab, 1- 189 pp.

M. Montresor, Stazione Zoologica‘A. Dohrn’, Napoli, Italy.Email: mmontr@szn.it

The Gundestrup CauldronThe XII Conference on Harmful

Algae convened in Copenhagenattracted 550 participants from 56countries (EU with Norway and Croatia230, USA 99, Japan 52, China 23;countries not represented in earlierconferences are Bangladesh, Kuwait,Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal,Turkey, and UAE)

Denmark has given us theGundestrup cauldron, constructed fromplates, like an armoured dinoflagellate– like other cauldrons of northern myth,it is a metaphor of the heavens, and, likethese conferences, a source ofinspiration. Denmark has also given usan epic poem, whose hero Beowulf mayhave used allelopathy to overcome themonster Grendel1; A list of famousDanes includes Tycho Brahe (“Nefrustra vixisse videar” – Will I not havelived in vain) – readers who attendedthe conference may have noticed hisimage as they entered the town hallreception – he rejected the heliocentricview of Copernicus, and, as a result,some Danes still hang their heads inshame; Ole Rømer, who devised anearly temperature scale (in 1701, laterimproved by Fahrenheit in 1724, and stillin use in North America); EugeniusWarming, a pioneer of communityecology and ecophysiology (he called itepharmosis), who offered the world’sfirst ecology course2; WilhelmJohannsen, who coined the word gene(in 1909), and focused attention on thegenotype-phenotype duality. Denmarkhas also given us Shakespeare’s Hamlet,Vikings, comedian Victor Borge, andpølsevogn (sausage wagons).

Barrie Dale frequently asks “Whathappened to the epidemic?” (right outloud). He refers to the persistent notion

that HABs are spreading. I think hemeans people are quieter about this now,that it is an idea whose time has passed,like that of the Vikings, who brought theclam Mya arenaria back across theAtlantic [1], and spread Baltic planktonto the Black Sea via Russian rivers [2].Barrie was obviously too busy sellingbric-a-brac to pay proper attention.Presented here were the first reportsof toxic Pseudo-nitzschia in theChesapeake (Holly A. Bowers; AnneThessen), the first yessotoxins inPortuguese bivalves (Susana S.Gomes), the first bioluminescentAlexandrium bloom in Finnish waters(Tore Lindholm), the first records ofGymnodinium catenatum andPyrodinium bahamense in Angolanwaters (Isabel Rangel), the formeralso a recent arrival in Brazil (CeliaVillac), the first azaspiracids in

Moroccan waters (Hamid Taleb).Spreading is still alive and well.

“In recent years massive outbreaksof ... species ... have attracted muchpublic atttention. However, since ...outbreaks are often sporadic and of shortduration, they tend to catch the scientificcommunity off guard and discouragesystematic long term studies. ... Many“basic” questions remain a matter ofdebate. For instance the time/spacescale of such episodes; the extent towhich ... outbreaks are favoured byclimatic triggers, physical forcing, ordisequilibrium conditions linked witheutrophication and/or overfishing; thedesign of appropriate data sets andmonitoring protocols. Among the manyunresolved challenges confrontingresearchers, the tasks of tracking thecomplex life stages of these organisms,identifying their function in benthic-

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planktonic coupling, and assessing theirproper role and importance in food webmodels, are not the least.”

All very familiar; the passage is froma CIESM report [3] about jellyfish.There have been frequent warnings inrecent years that the future of theoceans belongs to jellyfish (jelly barrens,to match the urchin barrens of theseabed). There have been ‘jelly tides’in the Black Sea (Mneniopsis), the Seaof Japan (Nemopilema), the BenguelaCurrent (Chrysaora, Aequorea), theGulf of Mexico (Aurelia andChrysaora, Australian Phyllorhiza),the Mediterranean (Pelagia andRhizostoma), Hawaian waters(Carybdea spp). Like so manyecological puzzles, these plagues arevariously attributed to overfishing, globalwarming, eutrophication, in short toplanetary mismanagement. In suchscenarios, the toxins will certainly havea chance to be vectored by jellies(Florence M. Boisson), and eventslike the turtle mortality in El Salvador(Sergio Licea-Durán) to increase infrequency.

Ruthless reductionists havemodelled phytoplankton cells as sphereswhose surfaces are porous, orperforated with pores, and which leadlives of nutrient sucking simplicity3. So,how many pores does a cell need to suckup its nitrate or phosphate rations?Surprisingly, the flux of nutrients intosuch cells by classical diffusion theoryis proportional to the radii of the pores,not their surface areas, and only a verysmall fraction of surface is needed tomaximize uptake rates4. “Thus manyhundreds of different transport (orreceptor) systems can be accomodatedon the surface of the cell, eachadsorbing particles of a specific kind withan efficiency approaching that of a cellwhose entire surface is dedicated to onesuch task.” [4]. So unless the rest ofthe surface is simply defensive (armour)or offensive (say trichocysts), there isplenty of space for other activities.

We are gradually learning howdiverse these other activities are(allelopathy, quorum sensing, matingsignals, ...). This diversity can be a“source of irritation” [5] because itforces one to abandon the relative safetyof the physicochemical paradigm with

its few free parameters, and enter theworld of complex systems, to move frommodels of single populations to webs andnetworks; the ocean is not a guppy tank[6]. For others, the diversity(idiosyncrasies of taxonomy, naturalhistory, and life cycles) provides a refugefrom the irritations of reductionistmodels5! These opposing attitudes wereapparent here in the conferencedialogue between Bill Sunda and TedSmayda. Parsimony is not in Smayda’stool-box, or at least was not deployed inthis debate. Smayda’s efforts to extendMargalef’s mandala are evidence thathe is not opposed to the search forpatterns. Did HAB science grow as aresult of Sunda’s conjectures andSmayda’s refutations? Bryan Mageeonce asked Karl Popper: “If sciencegrows by conjectures and refutations,then why wasn’t Newton’s theoryabandoned with Mercury’s anomalousperihelion in 1820?” If you want to knowPopper’s reply, read Imry Lakatos’lectures6, or write to the editor! We needfeedback at the HAN office. RichardLevins stressed that however false,inadequate, and incomplete models are,they can provide qualitative and generalinsights; they are heuristic devices, andboth mandalas and differential equationsshould find places in the ecologists’ tool-box; both make trade-offs betweengenerality, realism, and precision (Levinsagain).

Most of the ingredients which makeHAB ecology difficult and fascinatingwere already broached at Takamatsu[7]. At that conference for example,Smayda was “not ready to embrace thisview”, that nutrients and water qualitywere of overwhelming importance in thegeneration of HABs, and he stressedthat altered grazing patterns provokedby aquaculture and fishing, as well asclimatological and geological cycles andthe greenhouse effect, could enter theequation; those were trenchantcomments at that time. So already 25years ago the bottom-up vs top-downargument was on the simmer. Recently,emphasis has shifted from nutrientcontrol to predator control. Withincreasing frequency, we hear views like“the bottom-up perspective has not beensuccessful in predicting many patternsand features of pelagic communities, nor

why specific organisms, morphologies,and life histories occur when and wherethey do” [8], or, “efforts to controlactivities that affect higher trophic levels(such as fishing) will have far largerimpacts on community dynamics thanefforts to control, for example, nutrientinput, ... “[9]. What is at issue here isnot whether eutrophication oroverfishing or climate change oranything else cause HABs, but the“impoverished notion of causation thatcharacterizes modern biologicalideology” [10]. What is the cause oftuberculosis? Is it the tubercle bacillus,or unregulated industrial capitalism?

There were some novelties – wehad sessions called “Ecophysiology &autoecology” – I am not too sure of thedifference, but given the complexity oflife in the real world which theseconferences reveal, I wonder if eitheris of much relevance outside the guppytank. Parallel sessions seem nowinevitable, but we lose a great deal –claustrophobic poster sessions are alsobecoming the rule, but there is no obvioussolution to the problem. One of thehighlights of Lund was Max Taylor’ssumming up, which requires a raretalent, hard to emulate. He hit all theright notes. Victor Borge made peoplelaugh by hitting carefully chosen wrongnotes on the piano, immaculately timed.But offensive humour and ranklingconceit do not achieve the same effect.“Ecology has no aims, but ecologistshave” wrote Charles Adams7; some ofthose aims are too obvious to needadvertisement.

Nearly six years ago, it took 32 hoursto travel from Vigo to Hobart (greatcircle distance 18046 km) for HAB2000,about 564 km h–1 on a great circle route;this year, the travel time Vigo-Copenhagen (2140 km) for some of uswas 34 hours, or 63 km h–1. Luckily astrategically placed pølsevogn caughtour attention on arrival. If the decliningtrend in velocity with time is real andlinear, those of us who live in Vigo shouldconsider setting out for Hong Kongabout now - or are we already too late?

Footnotes

1 Perhaps the psychoactive components of ergotinfected barley.

2 His influential textbook, Plantesamfund ..., waspublished in 1895. German and Englisheditions followed.

8

3 “ … organisms envisioned as nutrient-requiringpackets of chlorophyll, … ” (Max Taylor1990 at Lund).

4 This is for spherical cells. For long thin cellslike Pseudo-nitzschia, fluxes are moreproportional to length.

5 “Not all naturalists want to do science; manytake refuge in nature’s complexity in ajustification to oppose any search forpatterns.” (Robert McArthur, GeographicalEcology).

6 Lakatos, I. & P. Feyerabend, 1999. For andAgainst Method (Univ. Chicago Press).

7 Adams, C.C., 1913. Guide to the Study ofAnimal Ecology (Macmillan, NY).

References

1. Petersen, K.S., 1992. Nature 359: 679.2 . Olenin, S. 2002. CIESM Workshop

Monograph 20: 29-33.3 . CIESM 2001. Workshop Series 14 (F. Briand,

ed.), 112 pp.4 . Berg, H.C., 1983. Random Walks in Biology

(Princeton UP).5 . Smetacek, V. & F. Pollehne, 1986. Ophelia

26: 401-428.6 . Bakun, A., 1996. Patterns in the Ocean:

Ocean Processes and Marine PopulationDynamics (California Sea Grant).

7 . Okaichi, T., et al. (eds.), 1989. Red Tides:Biology, Environmental Science, andToxicology (Elsevier).

8 . Verity, P.G., et al., 2002. EnvironmentalConservation 29: 207-237.

9 . Halpern, B.S., et al. 2006. Science 312:1230-1232.

10. Lewontin, R.C., 2000. It Ain’t NecessarilySo: the Dream of the Human Genome andOther Illusions (New York).

T. Wyatt, Instituto de Investigacio-nes Marinas, CSIC, EduardoCabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain;Email: twyatt@iim.csic.es

Photos by L. Velo & M. Lion

9

Yasumoto Lifetime Achievement Awardto Dr. D.M. Anderson.

A present was given to Prof. T. Yasumotoon behalf of ISSHA.

Barry Dale in action during the ISSHA auction.

10

• Angola

Fig. 1. Station positions (St1- 8º47´07´´S,13º16´25´´E; St2- 8º42´23´´S, 13º20´07´´E;St3 8º39´73´´S , 13º20´50´´E; St4 –8º44´30´´S, 13º15´56´´E).

First Records of Gymnodinium catenatum,Gambierdiscus toxicus and Pyrodinium bahamense onnothern Luanda coast, Angola

Angola has two marine ecosystems,the cold Benguela Current and the warmAngola current. Only a few studieshave been undertaken of thephytoplankton on the Angola coast.However, according to taxonomicassessments carried out by differentauthors between 1953 and 2002,Prorocentrum balticum, Gyrodiniumspirale, Alexandrium spp. andChatonella spp. have been detected onthe Luanda coast, sometimes inassociation with mortality of resources[1-3]. There are great disparities in theinformation available about HABswithin the southern Africa region, andthough some harmful species are foundthroughout the region, others appearconfined to particular areas.

From July 2003 to October 2004,343 samples were collected at 4 stationson the northern Luanda coast fromFishing Harbor to Santiago Bay (Fig. 1).

The samples were collected at 4different depths (5, 10, 15 and 20m) andthen fixed with 2% formol.

Thermometers and a portablerefractometer (Atago S/Mill) were usedto measure temperature and salinity.Counts were made by the Utermöhlmethod with phase contrast. A total of206 phytoplankton species wereidentified. The most frequent were:Prorocentrum micans, Thalassiossirarotula, Leptocylindrus danicus,Cylindrotheca closterium,Skeletonema costatum, Naviculadistans, Thalassionema nitzschioidesand Leptocylindrus minimus. Thesespecies were most abundant at Station2 (Cacuaco) and at 20m depth. Sixharmful species were found amongstthose identified, namely: Alexandriumtamarense, Chattonella antiqua,Dinophysis acuminata,Gambierdiscus toxicus, Gymnodiniumcatenatum, and Pyrodiniumbahamense. Three of these were notrecorded before on the Angola coast:Gambierdiscus toxicus, Gymnodiniumcatenatum and Pyrodiniumbahamense.

The highest phytoplankton densitywere recorded in October, 2003 (212·105

cell·L-1) and in September, 2004 (132·105

cell·L-1) when the weather waschanging from winter to summer. Thelowest values were observed during thewinter (May to September) (Fig. 2).

Both years, the high densities ofharmful algae bloom occured in Augustat St1, following by St3, St4 and thelowest density at St2. In 2003 and 2004,Pyrodinium bahamense andGymnodinium catenatum weredominant and caused blooms withmaximum densities of the 349·105

cell·L-1 and 212·10 5 cell·L-1 respectively.Gambierdiscus toxicus occurred in2004 at all stations. The highest densitywas 208·105 cell·L-1 at St3. In August2003 and 2004, the high density ofharmful species, coincided withtemperatures around 20ºC and salinityat or above 32. Minimum densitiesoccured with temperatures above 22ºCand salinity below 32.

Gambierdiscus toxicus producesciguatoxins. These are generallyconfined to tropical and subtropicalwaters and form part of the natural biotaof coral reefs, [4]. Luanda is tropical,and the occurrence of this species canbe considered normal. Gymnodiniumcatenatum can cause paralytic shellfishpoisoning (PSP) occurs in Portuguese

From left to right: Chain of Gymnodinium catenatum, Gambierdiscus toxicus and chain ofPyrodinium bahamense (400x).

0

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Fig. 2 Phytoplankton and harmful species density from July 2003 to October 2004 on northernLuanda coast.

11

waters where temperature and salinityaverage 15oC and 36, respectively. InMorocco, G. catenatum occurs attemperatures of 14.8 -17.2oC andsalinity of 33.6-36.6 [5]. In the region,species of Gymnodinium, are knownin South Africa, and cause mortalitiesof fish and sub- and intertidal fauna [6].Pyrodinium bahamense causes PSPand fish mortality in several parts of theworld. This species has bloomed ineastern Indonesian waters (Kao Bay)with high temperatures (30.9-31.5oC)

and low salinity (29.2-30.1) [7]. Our datafor temperature and salinity are quitedifferent.

References

1. Silva, E.S. 1953. Trabalhos da Missão deBiol. Mar. 4: 75-90.

2 . Paredes, J.F., 1962. Mem. Jun. Inv. Ultr, 2ªser, 33: 89-114.

3 . Rangel, I.M., 2004. Harmful Algae News26: 8-9.

4 . Turquet, J., et al. 2001. In: Hamful AlgalBlooms 2000, Hallegraeff, G.M., et al. (eds.),IOC of UNESCO, 58-61.

5 . Joutei, L.T., 1997. In: Harmful Algae,Reguera, B., et al. (eds.), Xunta de Galicia &

BENTOX-NET, a Research and management initiativeon Ostreopsis spp. and other benthic microalgalblooms on the Italian coast

• Italy

Ostreopsis ovata (Fig. 1), O.siamensis and other congeneric speciesare typical components of the ‘ciguateracommunity’, i.e. the association ofbenthic microalgae found along withGambierdiscus toxicus s.l. in tropicalwaters. These dinoflagellates colonisebenthic macroalgae and seagrasses orattach directly to the substrate, whereasonly rarely are they found in theplankton.

The presence of Ostreopsis ovatawas reported at Villefranche sur Mer(NW Mediterranean Sea) in the 1970s(Max Taylor, pers. comm.) but massiveblooms of this species have recentlybecome a threat at several sites alongthe Italian coasts (Fig. 2). Two distinctspecies, both producing palytoxin-liketoxins, have so far been identified in thenorthwestern Mediterranean basin: O.ovata and O. cf. siamensis [1]. Bloomsof Ostreopsis spp. were first recordedalong Tuscany coasts in 1998, when thickmucilaginous layers hosting thousandsof cells covered both biotic and abioticsubstrates [2, 3, 4]. During blooms,mucilage flocs and cells may detach fromsubstrates and float in the water column[5]. In the last 3 years, bloom eventshave been reported from several othersites in summer and autumn (Fig. 2).

The impact of these blooms on theecosystem may be serious, with hypoxia,anoxia and benthic invertebrate kills. Inaddition, skin irritations, fever,

respiratory affections and conjunctivitishave caused the hospitalisation ofseveral hundred people. Thesesymptoms have been explained with thepresence of a palytoxin-like substanceproduced by O. ovata in both the water[6] and aerosol. In addition to Ostreopsisspp., at least two other potentially toxicspecies may abound on macrophytes,i.e. Prorocentrum lima, whichproduces okadaic acid, and Cooliamonotis, which produces toxins whoseeffects on humans are unknown.

The dynamics and consequences ofOstreopsis blooms observed in Italianseas and recently along the Spanishcoast [7] can hardly be compared toother HAB cases, and pose manyquestions as to their management duringthe high risk phases and over longer time

scales. Many scientific questions needto be answered to clarify thephenomenon and its possible expansionin coming years, ranging from the exactidentification of the species involved,their geographic provenance, physiology,ecology, bloom dynamics, possible rolein the trophic web, to the toxins, theirproduction, fate in the trophic web andin the medium. These researchesrequire a multidisciplinary approach. Inaddition, given the relevance of thesephenomena to human health andeconomic activities, it is crucial thatresearch and management areconducted in a coordinated andintegrated way.

To this end, the network BenTox-net (BENthic potentially TOX icmicroalgae NETwork) has been

20??m 20??m

Side view Epithecal view

Fig. 1. Ostreopsis ovata SEM, left: side view; right: apical view. Pictures taken by Maria GraziaGiacobbe and Magda Vila.

IOC of UNESCO, 66-67.6 . Pitcher, G.C., 1998. Harmful Algal Blooms

of the Benguela Current (Sea FisheriesResearch Institute Cape Town), 20 pp.

7 . Wiadnyana, N.N., et al., 1996. In: Harmfuland Toxic Algal Blooms, Yasumoto, T., et al.(eds.) IOC of Unesco, 53-56.

I. Rangel & S. Silva, InstitutoNacional de InvestigaçãoPesqueira, Ilha de Luanda, P.O.Box 2601, Luanda, Angola.

12

established among scientists fromvarious Italian laboratories. Participantsto the network cover a wide range ofexpertise including taxonomy, toxinchemistry, genetics and ecology ofharmful and non-harmful microalgae.BenTox-net aims are the following:- to establish communication amongresearch groups working on potentiallytoxic benthic microalgae;- to set up intercalibrated sampling andanalytical procedures, allowingcomparison of data gathered at differentsites by distinct groups;- to continue or establish monitoringactivities in areas susceptible tobenthic blooms;- to create links with local agencies thatare in charge of bloom management asfor environmental quality, public health,seafood protection, tourism andrecreational activities in coastal areas;- to establish an alert strategy tailoredon the needs and expertise available indifferent Italian regions;- to refine communication strategy withthe press and public, to avoidmisinformation or unjustified alarms;- to prepare and submit researchprojects and secure their funding bypublic institutions of different nature;- to train local agencies personnel onmethods for sampling and identificationof potentially toxic micro-organisms;- to produce scientific and reach-outpapers to be published in national andinternational newsletters and scientificjournals;

- to organise scientific and technicalmeetings with different participants andtarget audiences, to promote the deliveryof information and research andmanagement activities related toharmful benthic microalgal blooms.

BenTox-net is a bottom-up initiativedriven by the need for integrated andeffective action in response to the threatposed by this new type of harmful algalblooms. BenTox-net is established basedon spontaneous and voluntaryparticipation of the scientists andrespective research groups in the listbelow. At present, no other funds andresources exist beyond those availableat the individual Institutes. This hardlyallows for basic activities to be set upas response to alert situations in case ofblooms. However, the level of protectionoffered is very limited at this stage,considering the lack of scientificknowledge at local scale and in general.An optimised monitoring andmanagement strategy requirespreliminary investigations with extendedand frequent sampling over long periodsof the year, coupled with ecological,physiological, molecular and toxinchemistry studies. This can only beachieved with support and resourcesobtained through the search for funding,which will have high priority among theactivities of the network.

The Principal Investigators of the 19groups so far participating in thenetwork are listed below. The networkis open to further participation and will

shortly seek links with Mediterraneanpartners.Roberta Congestri, Università TorVergata, Roma.Antonella Penna, Università degli Studidi Urbino, Pesaro.Adriana Zingone, Stazione Zoologica A.Dohrn, Napoli.Maria Grazia Giacobbe, IAMC-CNR,Messina.Cecilia Totti, Università Politecnica delleMarche, Ancona.Patrizia Ciminiello, Ernesto Fattorusso,Università degli Studi di Napoli FedericoII, Napoli.Antonella Luglié, Università degli Studidi Sassari, Sassari.Antonella Bottalico, Università di Bari,Bari.Michele Scardi, Università Tor Vergata,Roma.Mauro Bastianini, ISMAR CNR,Venezia.Claudio Grillo, ARPAL, La Spezia.Roberto Poletti, Centro RicercheMarine, Cesenatico.Rossella Pistocchi, Università di Bologna.Monica Casotti, ARPAT, Massa Carrara.Carmela Caroppo, IAMC-CNRTaranto.Rossella Barone, Università di Palermo.Marina Cabrini, OGS Trieste.Aurelia Tubaro, Università di Trieste.Luisa Mangialajo, Università di Genova.

References

1. Penna, A., et al., 2005. J. Phycol. 41: 212-225.

2 . Sansoni, G., et al., 2003. Biol. Ambien., 17:17-23.

3 . Simoni, F., et al., 2004. Biol. Mar. Medit.,11: 530-533.

4 . Simoni, F., et al., 2004. Harmful AlgaeNews, 26: 5-7.

5 . Bianco I., et al., 2006. Biol. Mar. Medit.,13(1): 947-950.

6 . P. Ciminiello, et al., 2006. Anal. Chem., 78:7153-7159.

7 . Vila, et al., Proceedings of the 12thInternational Conference on Harmful Algae(submitted).

R. Congestri, Università TorVergata, Roma, Italy.

A. Penna, Università degli Studi diUrbino, Pesaro, Italy.

A. Zingone, Stazione Zoologica A.Dohrn, Napoli, Italy.

Figure 2. Map of Mediterranean localities where Ostreopsis spp. have been detected. Full circlesmark sites where problems have been reported.

13

Stronger focus on sustained observations of harmfulalgae

The IOC has for more than adecade given attention to activitiesaimed at developing capacity inresearch, sustained observations andmanagement of harmful microalgaethrough its Harmful Algal BloomProgramme and the Global OceanObserving System. Recently, newinitiatives have been taken to strengthenfocus on operational marineobservations for harmful algae andrelevant parameters.

Rapid developments in technologyand a strong focus in the internationalcommunity on operational marineobservation systems have made itrelevant to publish a new manual onreal-time coastal observing systems formarine ecosystem dynamics andharmful algal blooms. The manual isexpected to be released by UNESCOPublishing early 2007. Editors areMarcel Babin, Colin Roesler, and JohnCullen.

The WMO-IOC Joint TechnicalCommission for Oceanography andMarine Meteorology (JCOMM) has anexpert team in the Services programmearea focused on Marine AccidentEmergency Support (MAES) - largelydealing with marine pollution

emergency response and search andrescue operation support. JCOMM/MAES is now also exploring how theymight be able to support operationalharmful algal bloom warnings and whattheir team can offer, and what JCOMMobservations are required. JCOMM willexplore this topic at their next meeting29-31 January 2007, in Angra dos Reis,Brazil.

The Scientific Steering Committee(SSC) for the IOC-SCOR scienceprogramme GEOHAB (Global Ecologyand Oceanography of Harmful AlgalBlooms, www.geohab.info) has openeda dialogue with the GOOS RegionalAlliances to address the inclusion of, andapproach to, observation systems todetect harmful algal blooms andassociated environmental conditions inregional GOOS components.

The GEOHAB SSC wishes tofacilitate GOOS in makingmeasurements that could help inunderstanding and forecasting HABs.Also, the SSC seeks to encourageregional and national observationsystems to deploy advanced species-specific sensors that can detect HABorganisms, as well as otherenvironmental sensors that will help us

understand HAB initiation, development,and collapse. Sensors in this lattercategory include remote sensing ofparameters such as ocean colour, seasurface temperature, sea surfacesalinity, currents and fronts, etc., as wellas in situ measurements of fluorescence,sub-surface temperature and salinity,water column structure, nutrients, andother parameters relevant to HABs.

In some national or regionalobserving systems HAB applicationshave been invoked as a majorjustification for such observing systems.However, in most cases it appears thatlittle of the observing infrastructure isspecific to HABs. Clearly, informationabout temperature and currents isextraordinarily useful for HABapplications, but insufficient to makeaccurate forecasts.

The GEOHAB SCC considers thatinformation exchange between theHAB and GOOS communities is veryimportant to interact actively indevelopment of operational systems forroutine HAB observations. 

Harmful Algae News will keep youupdated on developments within thesenew initiatives.

Open for applications: IOC Identification Qualification in Harmful Marine Microalgae, University ofCopenhagen, 2007

The IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae, University of Copenhagen, Denmark has organizedmore than 20 international training courses in taxonomy and biology of harmful microalgae. The 2007 course includes anexamination at the end of the course with an IOC Certificate of Proficiency in Identification of Harmful Algae issued toparticipants who pass the examination. The course includes 90 hours of teaching and is divided into two parts, eachconsisting of 45 hours of teaching. The first part of the course is an internet teaching programme, while the second part isa practical workshop in species identification (scheduled tentatively for 20-30 August 2007). The course is organised bythe University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Details at: www.ioc.unesco.org/hab/train.htm

IOC Training Courses

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The 7 th IOC Regional SciencePlanning Workshop on Harmful AlgalBlooms in South America (FANSA) washeld in Lima, Peru, between the 21st and23rd, June, 2006, as a continuation ofperiodical meetings occurring since1994. The IOC-FANSA meeting wassupported by IOC (UNESCO) andhosted by Instituto del Mar del Perú(IMARPE) (local contact: Dr SoniaSánchez). The Workshop was openedby the President of the Board ofIMARPE, Rear Admiral Hugo ArévaloEscaró, who welcomed participants andthanked IOC for continued support ofscientific and operational analyses ofHABs in South America. He wasfollowed by Dr. Leonardo Guzmán,Chairman of IOC—FANSA, who gavea brief overview of the working group,the expectations of previous workshops,and future objectives. The Minister ofProduction of Perú, Mr. David LemorBezdin, emphasized the importance ofstrengthening regional capacity to faceHAB problems associated with seriousproblems in Public Health, fisheriesresources and marine ecosystems.

Twenty six representatives fromArgentine (1), Brazil (2), Chile (2),Ecuador (2), Uruguay (2) and Perú (17)attended the WS. Mónica Lion (IOC-IEO Science and CommunicationCentre on Harmful Algal, SCCHA,Vigo, Spain) acted as IOC observer.Additional time was dedicated torevision of the HAB-FANSA websiteby L. Guzmán, S. Méndez and L.Proenca, editors of this IOC initiative.The Workshop consisted of foursessions: 1) State of HAB problemswithin the region and novelties inparticipant countries; 2) State of thescientific knowledge, management ofHABs and its effects within the region:comprehension level and operationalactions; 3) Information networks, trainingactivities, scientific informationexchange, local development andactions for public education andinformation dissemination, 4) Workshoprecommendations. The Workshopresulted in eighteen recommendations:· The need for taxonomic training ondifferent taxonomic groups to strengthenmonitoring programmes.

· To organize a second UNESCOKnowledge Portal e-Learning TrainingCourse on Taxonomy and Biology ofHarmful Marine Microalgae.· The HAB-FANSA website shouldinclude the scientific and operationalcapacities available within each FANSAcountry.· The FANSA countries agreed torevise and complete the availableinformation on HAB thematic mapsprior to its official presentation.· Members of the FANSA WG shouldstimulate other regional researchers tocontribute with material and suggestionsto the HAB website.· An agreement to invite the IOC-ANCA group to integrate the HABwebsite, to establish mechanisms tofavour integration, and for at least onerepresentative of each WG to attend theANCA/ FANSA meetings.· Agreement to contribute validated dataup to 2000, through the focal point ofeach FANSA country, to upgradeHAEDAT (once the new electronicformat becomes available).· Agreement to encourage cooperationamong different experts on shared topicsof interest, as in the case ofAlexandrium, Pseudo-nitzschia andDinophysis blooms.· The IOC-IEO SCCHA from Vigo,Spain, should continue training coursesto update and improve marine toxindeterminations on shellfish for humanconsumption.· Specific training courses on officialtechniques to determine biotoxins in foodof marine origin, conducted by regionalspecialists, were suggested.

· To progress in the accreditation ofMarine Toxin Analytical Laboratories(ISO 17025), IOC coordination andsupport to perform during 2007 an inter-calibration exercise for PSPdetermination (AOAC, 2000) betweenthe EU Reference Laboratory onMarine Toxins and the OfficialLaboratories of FANSA countries wasrequested.· The IOC Executive Secretary shouldinform each FANSA country of itscapacity to maintain financial supportprior to planning future actions ofFANSA.· Each national representative shouldinform its IOC National Focal pointabout IOC budget restrictions to bepresented at the IPHAB Panel.· Reinforce educational, training anddissemination campaigns on HABs,oriented to different population sectors.· Developments of issues, and progressreached in specific topics by eachcountry should be suggested for thepreparation of the agenda.· To explore the feasibility to organizea specific workshop on problemsassociated with Alexandrium in theregion, prior to the next IOC FANSAWS.· The next IOC FANSA WS will be heldin Mar del Plata, Argentina, hosted bythe Instituto de Investigación Pesquera(INIDEP).

Leonardo Guzmán,Chair FANSA.

FANSA News

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ISSHA President’s CornerThe International Society for the

Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA)sponsored the 12 th InternationalConference on Harmful Algae, held inCopenhagen (4-8 September 2006), andheld there on 7th September its Fifthgeneral assembly. The picture in thebottom shows the executive andattending council members. Over 200ISSHA members attended this meeting.

Pat Tester (President) opened themeeting. The minutes from the previousassembly were approved and differentcouncil members summarized theactivities and achievements of ISSHAin the last year. Nina Lundholm(Treasurer) presented the financialstatement, covering the periodNovember 2004 to August 2006. DonAnderson (Chair of the Travel AwardsCommittee) thanked a list of sponsorsand the members of his committee thatallowed the review of 60 applicationsand the partial support of 35 applicantsfrom 16 countries to attend theconference.

Jane Lewis (Chair of thePublications Committee) announced anew ISSHA-IOC publication: “Manualon Aquatic Cyanobacteria” (byGertrude Cronberg & HeléneAnnadotter), recalled the affiliation ofISSHA to the IOC-UNESCONewsletter Harmful Algae News, andrecognized the efforts of Tracy Villareal(ISSHA Secretary) to maintain andrevise the ISSHA website.

Barrie Dale (Chair of the AwardsCommittee) reviewed the rules for theAwards. Over 100 students wereconsidered for the best poster and oralpresentation at the XII ICHA. Theawards were announced during theconference Mermaid Banquet. TheYasumoto Lifetime Achievement Awardwas given to Dr. Donald M. Anderson(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,

USA), for a life successfully dedicatedto the study of Alexandrium spp.(physiology, population dynamics) and avigorous managerial and cooperativeinteraction with the HAB community,both at a national and international level(see p. 9). Awards to the best oralpresentation was given to Tilman JensAlpermann (Alfred Wegener Institute,Germany) and the first and secondawards for the best poster to KatherineHubbard (University of Washington,Seattle, USA) and Jabulani RayGumbo (University of Pretoria, SouthAfrica) respectively.

Henrik Enevoldsen, on behalf ofhis Co-chairs (P. Tester and A. Zingone),gave an update on HAB-MAP, theISSHA initiative to compile regionalsummaries of the occurrence of toxicand ichthyotoxic marine microalgae, for11 areas of the world. Data are nowavailable for the Mediterranean andSouth America.

Presentations were given in supportof the venue for the 2010 InternationalHAB Conference, by Yves Collos (forMontpelier, France), Jane Lewis (forEdinburgh, Scotland), and Kalliopi Pagou(Hersonissos, Crete). Members votedon the venue during the GeneralAssembly. Crete was elected as thevenue for 2010.

Once again, the President remimdedISSHA members of the advantages ofsociety membership, invited them tocontribute with suggestions for newinitiatives, and thanked them for theirparticipation.

For the first time in ISSHA’sexistence, an auction to raise funds forthe society was organized the eveningfollowing the assembly. The auction wasnot only a financial success, but also greatentertainment thanks to the greatcommunication skills of Barrie Dale (seep. 9.).

T.J. Alpermann, Award to best oral presentation.

K. Hubbard, Best poster presentation.

J.R. Gumbo, 2nd prize for poster presentations.

Photo by L. Velo

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Compiled and edited by Tim Wyatt, Instituto de Investigacio-nes Marinas, CSIC, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain;Tel.: +34 986 23 19 30/23 19 73; Fax: +34 986 29 27 62;E-mail: twyatt@iim.csic.es and Mónica Lion, CentroCientífico y de Comunicación sobre Algas Nocivas COI-IEO, Apdo. 1552, 36200 Vigo, Spain; Tel.: +34 986 49 2111; Fax: +34 986 49 20 03; E-mail: monica.lion@vi.ieo.es

The opinions expressed herein are those of the authorsindicated and do not necessarily reflect the views ofUNESCO or its IOC. Texts may be freely reproduced andtranslated (except when reproduction or translation rightsare indicated as reserved), provided that mention is made ofthe author and source and a copy sent to the Editors.

Project Coordinator: Henrik Enevoldsen,IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae,University of Copenhagen, Institute of Biology, ØsterFarimagsgade 2D, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, DenmarkTel.: +45 33 13 44 46; Fax.: +45 33 13 44 47,E-mail: h.enevoldsen@unesco.orgProduction Editor: Institute of Biology, Copenhagen

HARMFUL ALGAE NEWS

©UNESCO 2006. Printed in France ISSN 0020-7918

MARCH 2007

6th International Conference onMolluscan Shellfish Safety - ICMSS 07

March 18th- 23rd, 2007. Blenheim, NewZealand.

New Zealand is hosting the 6thInternational Conference on MolluscanShellfish Safety in Blenheim.

An extensive programme is being planned,which promises a unique opportunity to shareinformation on all aspects of molluscan shellfishsafety from management of environmentalcontamination to innovation in laboratorymethods. This conference brings togethershellfish industry, regulators and researchscientists from all points on the globe to providea comprehensive programme on managing thesafety of shellfish. The programme willcomprise plenary lectures, scientific sessions,poster sessions, and field visits that reflect thelatest trends in research and development inthe shellfish sector.

More details can be found at:www.nzfsa.govt.nz/icmss07.

Manual on aquatic cyanobacteria

A photo guide and a synopsis of theirtoxicology, Gertrud Cronberg & HeléneAnnadotter, Lund University, Sweden

Potentially harmful cyanobacteriaoccur widespread in the aquaticenvironment and this manual treats theirtaxonomy, identification, and toxicologyacross freshwater, brackish and marineenvironments.

Published August 2006, 110 pagesISBN 87-990827-0-5Order at: www.issha.org

Future events

New Release

Eighth Session of theIOC IntergovernmentalPanel on HarmfulAlgal Blooms (IPHAB-VIII), UNESCO, Paris,17-20 April 2007

The Panel (IPHAB) was formed in1991 to set priorities for and ensure thefinancial resources for implementationof a global HAB Programme. A primarytask is still to identify the requiredresources, so that the internationalcommunity jointly can continue toimplement activities on capacity building,international cooperative research, andcommunication networks. Themembership of the IPHAB is open toMember States of IOC which havedeclared to the Secretary IOC theirinvolvement or intention to participatein the development and implementationof the HAB Programme on a global,regional, or national scale. TheProvisional Agenda and other documentsfor the Session is available at the IPHABhome page at http://ioc.unesco.org/hab/act2.htm.

The major focus of the EighthSession of IPHAB is tentatively,capacity building, the GEOHABResearch Programme, HAB Databases,formulation/endorsement of specificobjectives for regional activities, andHAB observations and their inclusion incomponents of the Global OceanObserving System, GOOS. The Agendais furthermore open to the priorities ofMember States. Based on its discussionsthe IPHAB will recommend to the IOCAssembly a work plan for the IOC HABProgramme for 2008-2009.

Patricio Bernal, Assistant Director-General, UNESCO, ExecutiveSecretary, IOC.