3 research outputs found
Diversity and toxicity of Pseudo-nitzschia species in Monterey Bay : perspectives from targeted and adaptive sampling
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2018. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here under a nonexclusive, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license granted to WHOI. It is made available for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Harmful Algae 78 (2018): 129-141, doi:10.1016/j.hal.2018.08.006.Monterey Bay, California experiences near-annual blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia that can
affect marine animal health and the economy, including impacts to tourism and
commercial/recreational fisheries. One species in particular, P. australis, has been
implicated in the most toxic of events, however other species within the genus can
contribute to widespread variability in community structure and associated toxicity across
years. Current monitoring methods are limited in their spatial coverage as well as their
ability to capture the full suite of species present, thereby hindering understanding of
HAB events and limiting predictive accuracy. An integrated deployment of multiple in
situ platforms, some with autonomous adaptive sampling capabilities, occurred during
two divergent bloom years in the bay, and uncovered detailed aspects of population and
toxicity dynamics. A bloom in 2013 was characterized by spatial differences in Pseudo39
nitzschia populations, with the low-toxin producer P. fraudulenta dominating the inshore
community and toxic P. australis dominating the offshore community. An exceptionally
toxic bloom in 2015 developed as a diverse Pseudo-nitzschia community abruptly
transitioned into a bloom of highly toxic P. australis within the time frame of a week.
Increases in cell density and proliferation coincided with strong upwelling of nutrients.
High toxicity was driven by silicate limitation of the dense bloom. This temporal shift in
species composition mirrored the shift observed further north in the California Current
System off Oregon and Washington. The broad scope of sampling and unique platform
capabilities employed during these studies revealed important patterns in bloom
formation and persistence for Pseudo-nitzschia. Results underscore the benefit of
expanded biological observing capabilities and targeted sampling methods to capture
more comprehensive spatial and temporal scales for studying and predicting future
events.This work was
supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NA11NOS4780055, NA11NOS4780056, NA11NOS4780030) and a fellowship to H.
Bowers from the Packard Foundation
Multiple Stressors at the Land-Sea Interface: Cyanotoxins at the Land-Sea Interface in the Southern California Bight
Blooms of toxic cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems have received considerable attention in recent years, but their occurrence and potential importance at the land-sea interface has not been widely recognized. Here we present the results of a survey of discrete samples conducted in more than fifty brackish water sites along the coastline of southern California. Our objectives were to characterize cyanobacterial community composition and determine if specific groups of cyanotoxins (anatoxins, cylindrospermopsins, microcystins, nodularins, and saxitoxins) were present. We report the identification of numerous potentially harmful taxa and the co-occurrence of multiple toxins, previously undocumented, at several locations. Our findings reveal a potential health concern based on the range of organisms present and the widespread prevalence of recognized toxic compounds. Our results raise concerns for recreation, harvesting of finfish and shellfish, and wildlife and desalination operations, highlighting the need for assessments and implementation of monitoring programs. Such programs appear to be particularly necessary in regions susceptible to urban influence