Harmful and toxic algae

The chapter provides basic facts about harmful and toxic algae. It also discusses the conditions that stimulate their occurrence, different types of harmful and toxic algal blooms and their effects to fish and marine environment. The different strategies in coping with the problem of harmful and toxic algal blooms are also discussed

The meaning of some common terms used in sampling toxic phytoplankton

The author explains some aspects of sampling phytoplankton blooms and the evaluation of results obtained from different methods. Qualitative and quantitative sampling is covered as well as filtration, freeze-drying and toxin separation

Structure determination of new algal toxins using NMR methods

Shellfish are considered a delicacy by many consumers. In NZ, as in many overseas countries, there is a now thriv¬ing shellfish industry servicing both domestic and inter-national markets. Periodically shellfish accumulate harm¬ful levels of a variety of algal toxins, including domoic acid, yessotoxins, pectenotoxins and brevetoxins. When this occurs, regulatory authorities may impose harvesting closures which have a consequential economic impact on both farmers and staff employed to harvest and market shellfish products

Recreational exposure during algal bloom in carrasco beach, uruguay: A liver failure case report

In January 2015, a 20-month-old child and her family took part in recreational activities at Carrasco and Malvín beaches (Montevideo, Uruguay). An intense harmful algae bloom (HAB) was developing along the coast at that time. A few hours after the last recreational exposure episode, the family suffered gastrointestinal symptoms which were self-limited except in the child’s case, who was admitted to hospital in Uruguay with diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and jaundice. The patient had increased serum levels of liver enzymes and bilirubin and five days later presented acute liver failure. She was referred to the Italian Hospital in Buenos Aires, being admitted with grade II-III encephalopathy and hepatomegaly and requiring mechanical respiratory assistance. Serology tests for hepatitis A, B, and C, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus were negative. Laboratory features showed anemia, coagulopathy, and increased serum levels of ammonium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and bilirubin. Autoimmune Hepatitis Type-II (AH-II) was the initial diagnosis based on a liver kidney microsomal type 1 antibodies (LKM-1) positive result, and twenty days later a liver transplant was performed. The liver histopathology had indicated hemorrhagic necrosis in zone 3, and cholestasis and nodular regeneration, which were not characteristic of AH-II. LC/ESI-HRMS (liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry) analysis of MCs in the explanted liver revealed the presence of Microsytin-LR (MC-LR) (2.4 ng·gr-1 tissue) and [D-Leu1]MC-LR (75.4 ng·gr-1 tissue), which constitute a toxicological nexus and indicate a preponderant role of microcystins in the development of fulminant hepatitis.Fil: Vidal, Flavia. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Sedan, Daniela Yazmine. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Química. Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: D'Agostino, Daniel. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Cavalieri, María Lorena. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Mullen, Eduardo. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Parot Varela, María Macarena. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Flores, Cintia. Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua; EspañaFil: Caixach, Josep. Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua; EspañaFil: Andrinolo, Dario. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Química. Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Do Cyanobacteria Blooms Enhance Parasite Loads in Lake Erie Yellow Perch?

Harmful Algal Blooms composed of cyanobacteria (HABs) are a major concern globally, especially in ecosystems that support commercial and recreational fisheries. Although HABs have been shown to negatively affect the services provided by ecosystems (e.g., safe water for drinking and recreation), their influence on fish populations, and fish health in particular, remains largely unknown. Given that Lake Erie has been experiencing large HABs during the past 15 years and supports important commercial and recreational fisheries, I sought to help Lake Erie agencies understand if HABs are posing a health risk to their valued fish populations. To this end, I explored the relationship between parasite loads in yellow perch (Perca flavescens), which supports Lake Erie’s largest commercial fishery and second largest recreational fishery, and cyanobacteria concentration. Specifically, I tested the hypothesis that parasite loads in the liver of young-of-year yellow perch would increase with increasing cyanobacteria concentration, as cyanotoxins associated with HABs (e.g., microcystin) have been shown to cause liver damage and physiological stress in other fish species. To answer this question, I measured parasite loads in 519 individuals captured from 54 sites across the western basin of Lake Erie during 2011-2019. My results were opposite of my expectations with mean liver parasite loads being negatively correlated with HAB severity. This finding, which was supported by other non-fish studies, suggests that HABs may actually benefit yellow perch by reducing parasite infections. Ultimately, my research points to the need for more research, if fisheries management agencies are truly to understand the net effect of HABs on their valued fishery resources.No embargoAcademic Major: Neuroscienc

Management of Biesboch reservoirs for quality control with special reference to eutrophication

The three Biesbosch Reservoirs are pumped storage reservoirs, fed with rather polluted and highly eutrophic water from the River Meuse. Air injection at the bottom of the reservoirs prevents thermal stratification, which would otherwise result in serious water quality deterioration. Reservoir mixing also serves as an economic algal control measure; mixing over sufficient depth causes light to play the role of limiting factor and this, combined with zooplankton grazing, keeps the biomass of phytoplankton at acceptable levels. Special problems are caused by benthic, geosmin-producing Oscillatoria species growing on the inner embankment. Rooting up the bottom with a harrow is used as the method of control, based on underwater observations by biological staff trained as SCUBA-divers. With regard to pollutant behaviour the three reservoirs act as a series of fully mixed reactors. This enables the application of kinetic models to describe their behaviour and allows the use of a selective intake policy, e.g. for suspended solids with associated contaminants, ammonia and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. A combination of selective intake and self- purification processes - enhanced by the compartmentalisation of the storage volume in three reservoirs - leads to a striking improvement for many water-quality parameters

New Zealand Guidelines for cyanobacteria in recreational fresh waters: Interim Guidelines

This document is divided into four main sections, plus 14 appendices. Section 1. Introduction provides an overview of the purpose and status of the document as well as advice on who should use it. Section 2. Framework provides a background to the overall guidelines approach, recommendations on agency roles and responsibilities, and information on the condition of use of this document. Section 3. Guidelines describes the recommended three-tier monitoring and action sequence for planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria. Section 4. Sampling provides advice on sampling planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria. The appendices give further background information and include templates for data collection and reporting, including: • background information on known cyanotoxins and their distribution in New Zealand • information on the derivation of guideline values • photographs of typical bloom events • a list of biovolumes for common New Zealand cyanobacteria • templates for field assessments • suggested media releases and warning sign templates. A glossary provides definitions for abbreviations and terms used in these guidelines

Comparison of the Functional and Numerical Responses of Resistant versus Non-resistant Populations of the Copepod Acartia Hudsonica Fed the Toxic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium Tamarense

The functional and numerical responses of grazers are key pieces of information in predicting and modeling predator–prey interactions. It has been demonstrated that exposure to toxic algae can lead to evolved resistance in grazer populations. However, the influence of resistance on the functional and numerical response of grazers has not been studied to date. Here, we compared the functional and numerical responses of populations of the copepod Acartia hudsonica that vary in their degree of resistance to the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. In common environment experiments carried out after populations had been grown under identical conditions for several generations, female copepods were offered solutions containing different concentrations of either toxic A. tamarense or the non-toxic green flagellate Tetraselmis sp. ranging from ∼25 to 500 μgC L−1, and ingestion and egg production rates were measured. Throughout most of the range of concentrations of the toxic diet, copepod populations that had been historically exposed to toxic blooms of Alexandrium exhibited significantly higher ingestion and egg production rates than populations that had little or no exposure to these blooms. In contrast, there were no significant differences between populations in ingestion or egg production for the non-toxic diet. Hence, the between population differences in functional and numerical response to A. tamarense were indeed related to resistance. We suggest that the effect of grazer toxin resistance should be incorporated in models of predator and toxic prey interactions. The potential effects of grazer toxin resistance in the development and control of Alexandrium blooms are illustrated here with a simple simulation exercise

Microcystins in components of twelve New Hampshire lakes of varied trophic status

Cyanobacteria toxins, called microcystins (MCs), were found in components of twelve, stratified New Hampshire (USA) lakes of varied trophic status during the summer of 1998. A sensitive ELISA method detected MC levels in whole lakewater, grazable phytoplankton fractions (\u3c30 mm), net phytoplankton (\u3e 375 µm), and isolated copepod and cladoceran (Daphnia sp.) samples. Whole lakewater (WLW) and net phytoplankton MC concentrations ranged between 9 and 165 ng MC L-1 and 0.2 and 2031 mg MC g-1-dry wt, respectively. Lakewater MC concentrations correlated with total epilimnetic phosphorus and total epilimnetic chlorophyll a concentrations and inversely with Secchi disk depth. The filter-feeding cladoceran (daphnid) and omnivorous copepod components of the zooplankton were separated and assayed independently for MCs. The cladoceran component accumulated between 7 and 2800 µg MC g-1-dry wt. in 10 of the lakes. The copepod component accumulated similar levels (4 and 2400 µg MC g-1 dry-wt.) in all lakes. Toxin accumulation by zooplankton directly correlated with lakewater and net phytoplankton MC concentrations. The highest levels were found in Silver Lake, a productive lake where Microcystis aeruginosa blooms frequently occur. It is particularly noteworthy that MC levels were also detected by ELISA methods in Russell Pond, a pristine, deep mountain lake of low productivity. The results emphasize the importance of including oligotrophic lakes and water supplies in monitoring programs for MCs to ensure the safety of animals and humans utilizing them for drinking and recreation