scholarly journals Review of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Coastal Mediterranean Sea, with a Focus on Greek Waters

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Christina Tsikoti ◽  
Savvas Genitsaris

Anthropogenic marine eutrophication has been recognized as one of the major threats to aquatic ecosystem health. In recent years, eutrophication phenomena, prompted by global warming and population increase, have stimulated the proliferation of potentially harmful algal taxa resulting in the prevalence of frequent and intense harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal areas. Numerous coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea (MS) are under environmental pressures arising from human activities that are driving ecosystem degradation and resulting in the increase of the supply of nutrient inputs. In this review, we aim to present the recent situation regarding the appearance of HABs in Mediterranean coastal areas linked to anthropogenic eutrophication, to highlight the features and particularities of the MS, and to summarize the harmful phytoplankton outbreaks along the length of coastal areas of many localities. Furthermore, we focus on HABs documented in Greek coastal areas according to the causative algal species, the period of occurrence, and the induced damage in human and ecosystem health. The occurrence of eutrophication-induced HAB incidents during the past two decades is emphasized.

Author(s):  
H.M. Al-Ghelani ◽  
A.Y.A AlKindi ◽  
S. Amer ◽  
Y.K Al-Akhzami

Harmful, toxic algae are now considered as one of the important players in the newly emerging environmental risk factors. The apparent global increase in harmful algal blooms (HABs) is becoming a serious problem in both aquaculture and fisheries populations. Not only has the magnitude and intensity of public health and economic impacts of these blooms increased in recent years, but the number of geographic locations experiencing toxic algal blooms has also increased dramatically. There are two primary factors causing HABs outbreaks. The natural processes such as upwelling and relaxation, and the anthropogenic loading resulting in eutrophication. However, the influence of global climate changes on algal bloom phenomenon cannot be ignored. The problem warrants development of effective strategies for the management and mitigation of HABs. Progress made in the routine coastal monitoring programs, development of methods for detection of algal species and toxins and coastal modeling activities for predicting HABs reflect the international concerns regarding the impacts of HABs. Innovative techniques using molecular probes will hopefully result in development of rapid, reliable screening methods for phycotoxins and the causative organisms.            


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Ting Zhang ◽  
Shanshan SONG ◽  
Bin ZHANG ◽  
Yang ZHANG ◽  
Miao TIAN ◽  
...  

Abstract Toxic harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause deleterious effects in marine organisms, threatening the stability of marine ecosystems. It is well known that different strains, natural populations and growth conditions of the same toxic algal species may lead to different amount of phycotoxin production and the ensuing toxicity. To fully assess the ecological risk of toxic HABs, it is of great importance to investigate the toxic effects of phycotoxins in marine organisms. In this study, the short-term toxicity of 14 common phycotoxins (alone and in combination) in the marine zooplankton Artemia salina was investigated. On the basis of 48 h LC50, the order of toxicity in A. salina was AZA3 (with a LC50 of 0.0203 µg/ml)>AZA2 (0.0273 µg/ml) >PTX2 (0.0396 µg/ml)>DTX1 (0.0819 µg/ml)>AZA1 (0.106 µg/ml)> SPX1 (0.144 µg/ml)>YTX (0.172 µg/ml)>dcSTX (0.668 µg/ml)>OA (0.728 µg/ml)>STX (1.042 µg/ml)>GYM (1.069 µg/ml)>PbTx3 (1.239 µg/ml)>hYTX (1.799 µg/ml)>PbTx2 (2.415 µg/ml). For the binary exposure, additive effects of OA and DTX1, DTX1 and hYTX; antagonistic effects of OA and PTX2, OA and STX; and synergetic effects of DTX1 and STX, DTX1 and YTX, DTX1 and PTX2, PTX2 and hYTX on the mortality of A. salina were observed. These results provide valuable toxicological data for assessing the impact of phycotoxins on marine planktonic species and highlight the potential ecological risk of toxic HABs in marine ecosystems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Ho Kim ◽  
Minji Lee ◽  
Young Kyun Lim ◽  
Yun Ji Kim ◽  
Seung Ho Baek

Because the phytoplankton community and blooms are regulated by various environmental factors, it is difficult to define the cause and occurrence of the phenomenon of harmful algal blooms (HABs). This study evaluated the phytoplankton community and occurrence characteristic of HAB species related to coastal environments in South Korea, 2016. In summer, because of strong upwelling event, the surface sweater temperature around Geoje Island was abnormally low (17°C), and an unusual high temperature (29°C) and low salinity (29psu) were measured in offshore area. Diatoms and dinoflagellates showed contrasting occurrences during the survey period. Diatoms were dominant in the inshore area, whereas dinoflagellates occurred in the offshore area. The phytoplankton-community structures were established depending on different hydro-oceanographic characteristics. In statistical analysis, HABs of dinoflagellate Karenia appeared in upwelling areas with a high nutritional content, whereas Gymnodinium, Gyrodinium and Prorocentrum appeared in areas of low nutrients in June, and HAB species showed an equivalent tendency to appear at high water temperature and low saline level in August. Our results indicated that hydro-oceanographic events such as river discharge, current and upwelling play important roles in determining the phytoplankton community and potential occurrence characteristics of HABs in the coastal environment of South Korea.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund Hart ◽  
Nicholas Gotelli ◽  
Rebecca Gorney ◽  
Mary Watzin

Understanding the dynamics of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes can inform management strategies to reduce their economic and health impacts. Previous studies have analyzed spatially replicated samples from a single time or have fit phenomenological models to time series data. We fit mechanistic population models to test the effects of critical nutrient concentrations and the density of potential algal competitors on population growth parameters in HABs in Lake Champlain, U.S.A. We fit models to five years (2003-2006, 2008) of weekly cyanobacteria counts. Plankton dynamics exhibited two phases of population growth: an initial “bloom phase” of rapid population growth and a subsequent “post-bloom phase” of stochastic decline. Population growth rates in the bloom phase were strongly density dependent and increased with increasing TN:TP ratios. The post-bloom phase was largely stochastic and was not obviously related to nutrient concentrations. Because TN:TP was important only in the initial phase of population growth, correlative analyses of the relationship between cyanobacteria blooms and nutrient concentrations may be especially sensitive to when snapshot data are collected. Limiting nutrient inputs early in the season could be an effective management strategy for suppressing or reducing the bloom phase of cyanobacteria population growth.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu Zhu ◽  
Rui Meng ◽  
Walker O. Smith Jr. ◽  
Hai Doan-Nhu ◽  
Lam Nguyen-Ngoc ◽  
...  

The cosmopolitan algae Phaeocystis globosa forms harmful algal blooms frequently in a number of tropical and subtropical coastal regions in the past two decades. During the bloom, the giant colony, which is formed by P. globosa, is the dominant morphotype. However, the microenvironment and the microbial composition in the intracolonial fluid are poorly understood. Here, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to examine the bacterial composition and predicted functions in intracolonial fluid. Compared with the bacterial consortia in ambient seawater, intracolonial fluids possessed the lower levels of microbial richness and diversity, implying selectivity of bacteria by the unique intracolonial microenvironment enclosed within the P. globosa polysaccharide envelope. The bacterial consortia in intracolonial fluid were dominated by Balneola (48.6% of total abundance) and Labrezia (28.5%). The bacteria and microbial function enriched in intracolonial fluid were involved in aromatic benzenoid compounds degradation, DMSP and DMS production and consumption, and antibacterial compounds synthesis. We suggest that the P. globosa colonial envelope allows for the formation of a specific microenvironment; thus, the unique microbial consortia inhabiting intracolonial fluid has close interaction with P. globosa cells, which may benefit colony development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 91 ◽  
pp. 116-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Jauzein ◽  
Laury Açaf ◽  
Stefano Accoroni ◽  
Valentina Asnaghi ◽  
Anna Fricke ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suraksha M. Pednekar ◽  
S. G. Prabhu Matondkar ◽  
Vijaya Kerkar

Mandovi and Zuari estuarine complex is monsoon-influenced estuaries located along the central west coast of India. During the past few years, there has been an increase in nutrient loading specially during monsoonal runoff which is responsible for the growth of harmful algal flora. To understand occurrence and distribution of harmful algal blooms species, daily/alternate day samplings were carried out in Mandovi and Zuari estuaries during 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 periods, respectively, comprising of monsoon (June–November) and nonmonsoon (December–May). In Mandovi, total 54 HAB species with 49 in monsoon and 36 during nonmonsoon period were reported. In Zuari, total 46 HAB species with 38 in monsoon and 41 were reported during nonmonsoon period. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis based on log-transformed phytoplankton density detected seven well-defined groups revealing spatiotemporal variability. The density of the dominant harmful algal species was significantly positively correlated with nutrients, but negatively correlated with salinity. The results of the study indicate that monsoon plays an important role in occurrence and distribution of harmful algal species having direct correlation with salinity variations and nutrient loading.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1882-1893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryony L Townhill ◽  
Jonathan Tinker ◽  
Miranda Jones ◽  
Sophie Pitois ◽  
Veronique Creach ◽  
...  

Abstract Harmful algae can cause death in fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and humans, via their toxins or from effects associated with their sheer quantity. There are many species, which cause a variety of problems around north-west Europe, and the frequency and distribution of algal blooms have altered in the recent past. Species distribution modelling was used to understand how harmful algal species may respond in the future to climate change, by considering environmental preferences and how these may shift. Most distribution studies to date use low resolution global model outputs. In this study, high resolution, downscaled shelf seas climate projections for the north-west European shelf were nested within lower resolution global projections, to understand how the distribution of harmful algae may change by the mid to end of century. Projections suggest that the habitat of most species (defined by temperature, salinity, depth, and stratification) will shift north this century, with suitability increasing in the central and northern North Sea. An increase in occurrence here might lead to more frequent detrimental blooms if wind, irradiance and nutrient levels are also suitable. Prioritizing monitoring of species in these susceptible areas could help in establishing early-warning systems for aquaculture and health protection schemes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document