GlobalHAB - the International SCOR-IOC Science Program on Harmful Algal Blooms. Activities 2020-2021 and Plans for 2021-2022

The partial renovation took place on May 2020. It was conducted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, all the communication has been conducted by email and virtual meetingsThe GlobalHAB Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) acknowledges the financial and logistic support received from SCOR and IOC during the 2020-2021 period and for the activities postponed to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemicsPeer reviewe

GlobalHAB (IOC-UNESCO and SCOR): Latinamerica contribution to the international coordination for sound knowledge of HABs to manage their impacts

12th International Phycological CongressThe Global Harmful Algal Blooms (GlobalHAB, www.global hab.info) Program is aimed at fostering international cooperative research directed toward improving the prediction of harmful algal bloom (HAB) events in aquatic ecosystems, and providing sound knowledge for policy- and decision-making to manage and mitigate HAB impacts in a changing planet. GlobalHAB is sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). GlobalHAB was launched in 2016 and will last for 10 years. The GlobalHAB scientific objectives are focused on the research of taxonomic, ecological and toxicology knowledge gaps, on the effects of climate change on HABs and their biogeographic distribution, the implementation of HABs observing systems, and overall, to promote aquatic food and water safety and security. The GlobalHAB program has an international nature, and collaborates with international entities and programs that share objectives on HABs research, management and mitigation, as was already done by the former program GEOHAB. In particular, scientists from Latin America were active participants in GEOHAB and today Latin America is key in the implementation of GlobalHAB. Extreme HAB events affecting aquaculture sites and natural environments, Sargassum beachings, HABs monitoring programs, ciguatera fish poisoning, toxin transfer through the food webs, are examples of topics where scientists in Latin America are very active and thus, contribute to the implementation of GlobalHAB. Scientists are invited to participate in GlobalHAB by designing and endorsing scientific activities linked to the goals of GlobalHAB, and by participating in other international activitiesThe GlobalHAB (www.globalhab.info) international program is funded by IOC UNESCO and SCORPeer reviewe

GlobalHAB, 2017. Global Harmful Algal Blooms, Science and Implementation Plan

62 pagesHarmful algal blooms (HABs) are proliferations of certain noxious and/or toxic micro- and macro-algae and cyanobacteria, regardless of their con-centration, with negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and human health and wellbeing. [...]International Programme Sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. [...] Primary support for this report and the workshops on which it was based was provided by the US National Science Foundation (grants OCE 12-1243377 and OCE-1546580) through SCORPeer Reviewe

GlobalHAB (IOC-UNESCO and SCOR) program: International coordination to assess and minimize the risks of harmful algal blooms impacts to human health and the oceans

International Symposium Human Health & the Ocean in a Changing World, 2-3 December 2020, Monte-Carlo, MonacoThe Global Harmful Algal Blooms (GlobalHAB, www.globalhab.info) programme is aimed at fostering and promoting international cooperative research directed toward improving the understanding and prediction of harmful algal blooms (HABs) events in aquatic ecosystems, and providing sound knowledge for policy- and decision-making to manage and mitigate HAB impacts in a changing planet. GlobalHAB is sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). GlobalHAB was launched in 2016 and will last for 10 years. Among the different scientific objectives, GlobalHAB addresses in particular the impacts of HABs on Human and Animal Health. The overall aim is to increase interdisciplinary collaborations among scientists with medical, veterinary, public health, economics and social science expertise to help: I) the integration of HAB problematics in the One- and Eco-health approach, ii) understand, assess and minimize the risks of the different human and animal diseases caused by phycotoxins in marine and freshwater habitats taking advantages of other scientific expertise and collaborations. This general aim is being implemented through specific objectives, including i) the implementation of the multiagency coordinated IOC-IAEA-FAO-WHO "Global Ciguatera Strategy", ii) the improved knowledge of the ecology, physiology, toxicity and toxin transfer mechanisms of benthic microalgal toxins through marine food webs, iii) collaborations with the European Food Safety Agency to develop strategies for risk assessment of emerging phycotoxins, iv) investigation of the impacts of climate change and anthropogenically driven changes on HAB dynamics and v) fostering joint epidemiology, risk and damage assessment, and ecological studies of HABs, aligned with other initiatives in the United States and Europe. GlobalHAB encourages the participation of the international community. Thus, scientists are invited to participate in GlobalHAB by designing scientific activities in keeping with the goals and objectives of GlobalHAB, by applying for endorsement of such activities, and by participating in framework activitie

GlobalHAB (IOC-UNESCO and SCOR): International coordination for sound knowledge of HABs to manage their impacts

The 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae (ICHA), From ecosystems to socio-ecosystems, 21-26 October 2018, Nantes, France.-- Networking activities around HABs: GlobalHAB, Global HAB Status report, ICES-WGs and other initiatives.-- 1 pageThe Global Harmful Algal Blooms (GlobalHAB, www.globalhab.info) Programme is aimed at fostering and promoting international cooperative research directed toward improving the understanding and prediction of HAB events in aquatic ecosystems, and providing sound knowledge for policy- and decision-making to manage and mitigate HAB impacts in a changing planet. GlobalHAB is sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). GlobalHAB was launched in 2016 and will last for 10 years. This presentation will summarize the scientific objectives included in the GlobalHAB Themes, which range from small-scale (e.g., cellular) subjects (e.g., biodiversity, adaptive strategies) to studies at ecosystem scale and climate change-related processes. GlobalHAB´s perspective is multidisciplinary, integrating physics, chemistry and biology, and addressing the impacts of HABs on the environment and human societies (including Health, Economy and Socio-cultural aspects). Improved observation within and across the different themes should result in better predictions of HAB events and contribute to the management of their impacts. Ongoing activities to implement these objectives sponsored or co-sponsored by GlobalHAB will also be presented. For instance, a >Best Practice Guidelines for the Study of HABs in the context of Climate Change> is been elaborated as a toolbox to enhance the ability to study the specific effects that climate change may have on the character, frequency and intensity of HABs. GlobalHAB is also participating in the intercomparison exercise on methods to sample harmful benthic dinoflagellates in coordination with IAEA, RAMOGE and NOAA. This illustrates the international nature of GlobalHAB with interaction with other entities (e.g. ICES, PICES, ISSHA, FAO, WHO) and programmes (e.g. GOOS, GO2NE, IPCC) that share objectives on HABs research, management and mitigation. GlobalHAB encourages the participation of the international community. Thus, Scientists are invited to participate in GlobalHAB by designing scientific activities in keeping with the goals and objectives of GlobalHAB, by applying for endorsement of such activities, and by participating in framework activitiesPeer Reviewe

GlobalHAB - the International SCOR-IOC Science Program on Harmful Algal Blooms. Activities 2019-2020 and Plans for 2020-2021

21 pages, figures, 4 tablesSince the last SSC meeting at the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV) in Villefranche-sur-mer (France) on April 10 and 11, 2018, the GlobalHAB SSC members worked on the implementation of the GlobalHAB activites by communication through email, virtual meetings, and meetings of opportunity (e.g. 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae, Nantes, France, October 21-26, 2018). Among other items, the SSC reviewed the status of ongoing activities, prioritized new activities. This saved funds to be used for specific activities and products.For 2020, GlobalHAB has received support from NOAA (se e section 5) to conduct a physical meeting. However, it has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the coordination continues through email and virtual meetingsThe GlobalHAB Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) acknowledges the financial and logistic support received from SCOR and IOC during the 2015-2019 period. The funds made possible the elaboration of the GlobalHAB Science and Implementation Plan, representation of the programme at international meetings and publications completing the work of the GEOHAB progra

Morphological and phylogenetic data do not support the split of <i>Alexandrium</i> into four genera

8 pages, 2 tablesA recently published study analyzed the phylogenetic relationship between the genera Centrodinium and Alexandrium, confirming an earlier publication showing the genus Alexandrium as paraphyletic. This most recent manuscript retained the genus Alexandrium, introduced a new genus Episemicolon, resurrected two genera, Gessnerium and Protogonyaulax, and stated that: “The polyphyly [sic] of Alexandrium is solved with the split into four genera”. However, these reintroduced taxa were not based on monophyletic groups. Therefore this work, if accepted, would result in replacing a single paraphyletic taxon with several non-monophyletic ones. The morphological data presented for genus characterization also do not convincingly support taxa delimitations. The combination of weak molecular phylogenetics and the lack of diagnostic traits (i.e., autapomorphies) render the applicability of the concept of limited use. The proposal to split the genus Alexandrium on the basis of our current knowledge is rejected herein. The aim here is not to present an alternative analysis and revision, but to maintain Alexandrium. A better constructed and more phylogenetically accurate revision can and should wait until more complete evidence becomes available and there is a strong reason to revise the genus Alexandrium. The reasons are explained in detail by a review of the available molecular and morphological data for species of the genera Alexandrium and Centrodinium. In addition, cyst morphology and chemotaxonomy are discussed, and the need for integrative taxonomy is highlightedSupport to DMA from the NOAA ECOHAB program (Grant #NA15NOS4780181) is gratefully acknowledged. Support to EG, AR, NS from the COPAs project (CTM2017-86121-R) is acknowledged. IGL and CJBS are COFFA-IPN and EDI-IPN fellowsWith the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)Peer reviewe