Harmful Algal Blooms. A scientific summary for policy makers

What is a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)? Photosynthetic algae support healthy aquatic ecosystems by forming the base of the food web, fixing carbon and producing oxygen. Under certain circumstances, some species can form high-biomass and/or toxic proliferations of cells (or “blooms”), thereby causing harm to aquatic ecosystems, including plants and animals, and to humans via direct exposure to water-borne toxins or by toxic seafood consumption. Ecosystem damage by high-biomass blooms may include, for instance, disruption of food webs, fish-killing by gill damage, or contribution to low oxygen “dead-zones” after bloom degradation. Some species also produce potent natural chemicals (toxins) that can persist in the water or enter the food web, leading to illness or death of aquatic animals and/or human seafood consumers

Biometría en Gelidium sesquipedale (Rhodophyta). Segunda parte.

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Biometría en Gelidium sesquipedale (Rhodophyta). Primera parte.

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Core research project: harmful algal blooms in upwelling systems

Global Ecology and Oceanography of Hatmful algal Blooms (GEOHAB): synthesis open science meeting, Paris, France, 24-26 April 2013The Core Research Project: HABs in upwelling systems was initiated by means of an Open Science Meeting in Portugal in November 2003. Eight key questions were formulated to address our understanding of the ecology and oceanography of HABs in upwelling systems. These questions related to the identification of adaptive strategies that characterize HAB species in upwelling systems, including seeding strategies, the influence of small-scale physical processes and nutrient supply in affecting HAB population dynamics, the role of genetic predisposition versus environmental conditions in toxin production, the influence of coastal morphology and bathymetry in determining the distribution of HABs, the relative importance of cross-shelf and along-shore advection for HABs, and the linkages of HAB events and climate. Following a comparative review of the ecology and oceanography of HABs in upwelling systems through publication of a special issue of Progress in Oceanography in 2010 we highlight further advances in addressing the above questions. We specifically examine achievements in terms of the overall goal of GEOHAB of prediction supported by observation and modelling systems. The comparative approach, as endorsed by GEOHAB, is considered to have added value to regional or national science programmes. Furthermore the CRP is deemed to have provided effective direction to HAB research in upwelling systems over the past decade which has improved the availability of comparable data. Prediction of HABs nevertheless remains limited by ecological complexity. However increasingly realistic hydrodynamic models with high spatial resolution now lay the groundwork for better prediction through incorporation of better resolved ecological properties and processesN

Screening marine natural products for new drug leads against trypanosomatids and malaria

42 páginas, 15 figuras, 1 tabla.Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) represent a serious threat to humans, especially for those living in poor or developing countries. Almost one-sixth of the world population is at risk of suffering from these diseases and many thousands die because of NTDs, to which we should add the sanitary, labor and social issues that hinder the economic development of these countries. Protozoan-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths every year. Visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease or sleeping sickness are among the most lethal NTDs. Despite not being considered an NTD by the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria must be added to this sinister group. Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. The treatment of this disease has been losing effectiveness year after year. Many of the medicines currently in use are obsolete due to their gradual loss of efficacy, their intrinsic toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance or a lack of adherence to treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent and global need for new drugs. Despite this, the scant interest shown by most of the stakeholders involved in the pharmaceutical industry makes our present therapeutic arsenal scarce, and until recently, the search for new drugs has not been seriously addressed. The sources of new drugs for these and other pathologies include natural products, synthetic molecules or repurposing drugs. The most frequent sources of natural products are microorganisms, e.g., bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae and plants, which are able to synthesize many drugs that are currently in use (e.g. antimicrobials, antitumor, immunosuppressants, etc.). The marine environment is another well-established source of bioactive natural products, with recent applications against parasites, bacteria and other pathogens which affect humans and animals. Drug discovery techniques have rapidly advanced since the beginning of the millennium. The combination of novel techniques that include the genetic modification of pathogens, bioimaging and robotics has given rise to the standardization of High-Performance Screening platforms in the discovery of drugs. These advancements have accelerated the discovery of new chemical entities with antiparasitic effects. This review presents critical updates regarding the use of High-Throughput Screening (HTS) in the discovery of drugs for NTDs transmitted by protozoa, including malaria, and its application in the discovery of new drugs of marine origin.Financial support from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, AEI, FEDER, UE)[MINECO: AGL2016-79813-C2-1R and SAF2017-83575-R], the Junta de Castilla y León co-financed by FEDER, UE[LE020P17] to RBF and DBT, New Delhi [BT/IN/Spain/39/SM/2017-18] to MS are gratefully acknowledged. MAB(LE051-18) and DSC (LE020P17) are supported by a scholarship from the Junta de Castilla y León co-financed byFSE. MMV is supported by the Spanish “Ramon y Cajal” Programme Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness(Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad; MMV, RYC-2015-18368). We thank University of Leon for providingfunding to cover publication expenses

GEOHAB 2012. Global Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms, GEOHAB Core Research Project: HABs in Benthic Systems.

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