Publication Date:
2018-12-19
Description:
The occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) is a global problem,
and particularly in San Jorge Gulf (SJG), Argentina, which supports important fisheries,
HABs represent a risk to human health. We studied the diversity and distribution
of toxigenic dinoflagellates in the SJG using toxin detection and quantification, and
assessed the connections between cell densities, toxins, and oceanographic parameters.
Phytoplankton net samples were taken for microscopic and liquid chromatographytandem
mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analyses during an expedition aboard
R/V Coriolis II in February 2014. Solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) devices
were also deployed to determine the presence of dissolved lipophilic toxins in seawater.
Toxigenic dinoflagellate species and associated toxins showed different distribution
patterns in the north and the south SJG. Protoceratium reticulatum and Dinophysis
acuminata, together with yessotoxin and pectenotoxins, were predominantly detected
in the northern SJG, mainly associated with low-nutrient, warmer waters. By contrast,
Alexandrium catenella and paralytic shellfish toxins showed the highest relative abundances
in the southern SJG, associated with high-nutrient, low-temperature waters.
Cellular toxin content was also differently affected by environmental parameters, highlighting
the complexity of HABs in this area. Spirolides were detected by SPATT for the
first time in the SJG, suggesting the occurrence of A. ostenfeldii.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
Format:
application/pdf
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