Co-occurrence of <i>Dinophysis tripos</i> and pectenotoxins in Argentinean shelf waters

The species Dinophysis tripos is a widely distributed marine dinoflagellate associated with diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) events, which has been recently identified as a pectenotoxin (PTX) producer. In two sampling expeditions carried out during austral autumns 2012 and 2013 along the Argentine Sea (≈38–56° S), lipophilic phycotoxins were measured by tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC–MS/MS) in size-fractionated plankton samples together with microscopic analyses of potentially toxic phytoplankton. PTX-2, PTX-11 and PTX-2sa were recurrently detected in the 50–200 μm fractions, in association to D. tripos. PTX-2 was also widely distributed among the 20–50 μm fractions, mostly related to Dinophysis acuminata. Okadaic acid or its analogs were not detected in any sample. This is the first report of D. tripos related to PTX in the Argentine Sea and the first record of PTX-11 and PTX-2sa for this area. The morphological variability of D. tripos, including the presence of intermediate, small and dimorphic cells, is described. Also, the micro- and mesoplanktonic potential grazers of Dinophysis spp. were explored.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Use of pigmentary centers Sympterygia bonapartii (Chondrichthyes Rajidae) as a tool of pollution bioanalytical

Los centros pigmentarios (CPs)se han documentado en anfibios y peces. En estos últimos, aparecen después de la primera alimentación y consisten en la acumulación de pigmentos en células fagocíticas que se asocian con sinusoides y/o centros linfoides en el bazo,el hígado y el pronefros. Han sido utilizados como bioindicadores de contaminación en los peces. La raya marmorada, Sympterygia bonapartii (Müller & Henle, 1841), es un componente habitual del estuario de Bahía Blanca, ecosistema que ha sufrido diferentes presiones de impacto ambiental a lo largo de los últimos 15 años. Se trata de un condrictio bentónico ovíparo que desova en el estuario a fines de primavera y verano. Por sus hábitos bentónicos se lo considera un buen modelo para monitorear el impacto antropogénico en el ecosistema estuarial. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue ensayar la utilización de los CPs de bazo e hígado de Sympterygia bonapartii como bioindicadores de calidad ambiental, bajo un modelo de tratamientocontrol, tomando a la Bahía San Blas como área control de referencia. Se detalló la estructura histológica de los CPs presentes en el bazo e hígado de S. bonapartii. Luego se compararon las posibles diferencias cuali y cuantitativas en los CPs debido a factores ambientales y no ambientales. Se analizaron un total de 52 ejemplares, 27 (20 hembras y 7 machos) se capturaron en el estuario de Bahía Blanca y 25 (16 hembras y 9 machos) en Bahía San Blas.The pigments centres (CPs) have been documented in amphibious and fi sh. On these last ones, they appear after the fi rst feeding and consist in pigments accumulation of phagocytic cells that associate with sinusoid and/or lymphoid centres on spleen, liver and the pronefros. These have been used as pollution bioindicators on fi sh. The skate, Sympterygia bonapartii (Müller & Henle, 1841), is a usual specimen from Bahía Blanca’s estuary, ecosystem that has suff ered diff erent environmental impact for the past 15 years. This is a bentonic oviparous condictrius which lays eggs in the estuary at the end of spring and summer. Due its bentonic habits, it’s considered a fi ne model to monitor the men’s impact on the estuarial ecosystem. The main objective of this research was to rehearse the use of the spleen and liver’s CPs of Sympterygia bonapartii as environmental bioindicators. This was made following a model of control treatment that takes Bahía San Blas as a referential control area. The histological structure of CPs in spleen and liver of S. bonapartii was determined. After this analysis, the possible qualitative and cuantitative diff erences due to environmental or no environmental infl uences were compared. A number of 52 individuals were analyzed from which 27 (20 females and 7 males) were brought from Bahía Blanca’s estuary. The other 25 individuals (16 females and 9 males) were captured in Bahía San Blas.Fil: Uibrig, Román Armando. Universidad Nacional del Sur; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Galeano, Noelia Adelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Schwerdt, Carla Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Mas, Javier Diego. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Sartuqui, Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Guagliardo, Silvia Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Acebal, María Florencia. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Paolillo, Melisa Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Tanzola, Rubén Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; Argentin

Co-occurrence of Dinophysis tripos and pectenotoxins in Argentinean shelf waters

The species Dinophysis tripos is a widely distributed marine dinoflagellate associated with diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) events, which has been recently identified as a pectenotoxin (PTX) producer. In two sampling expeditions carried out during austral autumns 2012 and 2013 along the Argentine Sea (�38–568 S), lipophilic phycotoxins were measured by tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC–MS/MS) in size-fractionated plankton samples together with microscopic analyses of potentially toxic phytoplankton. PTX-2, PTX-11 and PTX-2sa were recurrently detected in the 50– 200 mm fractions, in association to D. tripos. PTX-2 was also widely distributed among the 20–50 mm fractions, mostly related to Dinophysis acuminata. Okadaic acid or its analogs were not detected in any sample. This is the first report of D. tripos related to PTX in the Argentine Sea and the first record of PTX- 11 and PTX-2sa for this area. The morphological variability of D. tripos, including the presence of intermediate, small and dimorphic cells, is described. Also, the micro- and mesoplanktonic potential grazers of Dinophysis spp. were explored

The effect of untreated sewage discharge in food availability, egg production, and female survival of the copepod Acartia tonsa in a southwestern Atlantic estuary

Estuarine copepods are considered ecological relevant components in the marine trophic webs and have high phenotypic plasticity and adaptability to face the environmental variations coastal marine ecosystems typically show. This work aims to assess the Acartia tonsa food availability, egg production, and female survival in an urban-industrial sewage discharge site (Canal Vieja, CV) and a non-disturbed site by sewage (Bahía del Medio, BM) from the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina. Acartia tonsa females and microplankton samples, used as natural food, were taken during the austral warm season 2008–2009. The experimental incubations of the females were performed in a laboratory simulating the in situ environmental conditions. The microplankton showed different composition and abundance values between both studied sites. The survival of females showed significant differences between the sites, but the egg production did not show clear differences between them. A positive correlation was found among egg production, diatom, and tintinnid-ciliate abundances. A low female survival (16.5%) was observed when high ammonium concentrations (35.15μM) were recorded at CV. The concentration of nitrogenous nutrients, especially ammonium, along with pH and turbidity, were the drivers explaining the variation in the reproductive performance and survival of A. tonsa. Our findings further understand the reproductive performance, plasticity, and survival of key planktonic organisms in polluted coastal areas.Fil: Barnech Bielsa, Guadalupe. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologia de los Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Berasategui, Anabela Anhi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Dutto, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Uibrig, Román Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Hoffmeyer, Monica Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentin

Dinámica de los ciliados mixótrofos en dos zonas de un estuario templado y turbio en Sud América, Argentina

Mixotrophy is a feeding strategy by which some organisms combine autrotrophic and heterotrophic activities. The seasonal dynamics of the five most common mixotrophic ciliates were studied monthly in surface layers of the inner and middle zone of the Bahía Blanca estuary, a nutrient-rich, shallow and highly turbid environment in Argentina, from January to December 2009. Temperature, salinity, turbidity and chlorophyll a were recorded, as well as the abundance and biomass of Strombidium capitatum, Strombidium acutum, Cyrtostrombidium sp., Lohmanniella oviformis and Tontonia appendiculariformis. The highest mixotrophic ciliate abundance was recorded during the austral winter (June-July) in the inner zone, meanwhile in the middle zone of the estuary the presence of these ciliates was almost null. The highest chlorophyll contribution derived from mixotrophic ciliates to total chlorophyll a ranged from 6% in the inner zone to 23% in the middle zone, both registered in autumn. The low abundance of mixotrophs in the middle zone of the estuary during the winter, as is usually observed in other coastal ecosystems, could be explained through a higher grazing pressure in this zone (top-down control) by mesozooplankton (e.g., copepods) in comparison to the inner zone. The secondary bloom of phytoplankton consistently observed during the last summers dominated by small sized diatoms and nanoplankton phytoflagelates, could have sustained the high abundance of mixotrophic ciliates registered in the middle zone in autumn and summer.La mixotrofía es una estrategia de alimentación por medio de la cual un organismo combina la autotrofia y la heterotrofia. La dinámica estacional de cinco ciliados mixótrofos comúnmente presentes en las aguas superficiales de la zona interna y media del estuario de Bahía Blanca, Argentina, rico en nutrientes, somero y con alta turbidez, se estudió mensualmente desde enero a diciembre de 2009. Se registraron los valores de temperatura, salinidad, turbidez y clorofila a, así como también la abundancia y biomasa de Strombidium capitatum, Strombidium acutum, Cyrtostrombidium sp., Lohmanniella oviformis y Tontonia appendiculariformis. La abundancia más alta de los mixótrofos se registró en el invierno en la zona interna, mientras que en la zona media del estuario la presencia de estos ciliados fue casi nula. La contribución más alta de clorofila proveniente de los mixótrofos a la clorofila a total fue 6% en la zona interna y 23% en la zona media (ambas estimaciones registradas en otoño). La baja abundancia de mixótrofos en la zona media del estuario durante el invierno, como usualmente es observado en otros sistemas costeros, podría ser explicada por una presión de pastoreo elevada en esta zona (control de tipo “top-down”) por parte de mesozooplancton (e.g., copépodos), en comparación con la zona interna. La floración secundaria del fitoplancton observada durante los últimos veranos, dominada por diatomeas de pequeño tamaño y fitoflagelados del nanoplancton, podría haber sustentado la alta abundancia de ciliados mixótrofos que se registró en la zona media en otoño y verano.Fil: Pettigrosso, Rosa Elsa. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Maximiliano Darío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Uibrig, Román Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Dutto, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Morales, María. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Hoffmeyer, Monica Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Bahía Blanca; Argentin

Co-occurrence of <i>Dinophysis tripos</i> and pectenotoxins in Argentinean shelf waters

The species Dinophysis tripos is a widely distributed marine dinoflagellate associated with diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) events, which has been recently identified as a pectenotoxin (PTX) producer. In two sampling expeditions carried out during austral autumns 2012 and 2013 along the Argentine Sea (≈38–56° S), lipophilic phycotoxins were measured by tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC–MS/MS) in size-fractionated plankton samples together with microscopic analyses of potentially toxic phytoplankton. PTX-2, PTX-11 and PTX-2sa were recurrently detected in the 50–200 μm fractions, in association to D. tripos. PTX-2 was also widely distributed among the 20–50 μm fractions, mostly related to Dinophysis acuminata. Okadaic acid or its analogs were not detected in any sample. This is the first report of D. tripos related to PTX in the Argentine Sea and the first record of PTX-11 and PTX-2sa for this area. The morphological variability of D. tripos, including the presence of intermediate, small and dimorphic cells, is described. Also, the micro- and mesoplanktonic potential grazers of Dinophysis spp. were explored.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The impact of sewage effluents on the fecundity and survival of Eurytemora americana in a eutrophic estuary of Argentina

The present study shows the results of laboratory experiments addressing the effects of different water qualities on E. americana's fecundity and survival. The study was carried out with cultured females, incubated under different water qualities and controlled conditions during ten days (7 ± 2 °C, 14 h light, salinity of 32 ± 2, Tetraselmis sp. and Nannochloropsis sp. as food). Four treatments were established: P = subsurface water from sewage plume of Bahía Blanca city, D = the dissolved phase of P, I = bottom water in the sewage discharge point of Bahía Blanca city, and C = water from the low-impacted area of Monte Hermoso, used as a control treatment. Egg production, number of nauplii, number of faecal pellets, survival and fertility-state of females were evaluated. The differences and relationships among copepod factors, environmental variables and pollutants levels (cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, chrome and ammonium-phosphate dissolved), were analysed among treatment using non-parametric multivariate analysis. The copepod factors showed a negative association with pollutants levels and the turbidity. No mortality was observed in C, P and D treatments, whereas 100% mortality was observed in treatment I. Females from C, showed the highest egg production (22.6 ± 6.5 egg/female.clutch), as well as gonads regeneration and a second egg laying. Egg production, number of nauplli and faecal pellets were similar for P and D treatments, but significantly lower than those registered in C. In P treatment, only 40% of females showed regeneration of their gonads for a second egg laying (12.4 ± 2.9 egg/female.clutch) and in D treatment, no female regenerated their gonads for a second egg laying (12.5 ± 3 egg/female.clutch). The results indicate that bioavailable contaminants from dissolved phase of sewage effluent reduce the fertility in Eurytemora americana, while the bottom water at the sewage discharge site is undoubtedly lethal for this species.Fil: Berasategui, Anabela Anhi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Biancalana, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Fricke, Anna Lena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Severini, Melisa Daiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Uibrig, Román Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Dutto, María Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Marcovecchio, Jorge Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Calliari, Danilo Luis. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Hoffmeyer, Monica Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentin

Digeneos parásitos de Porichthys porosissimus (Teleostei: Batrachoididae) en el estuario de Bahía Blanca

En el presente estudio se eligió como modelo de hospedador a Porichthys porosissimus por ser habitante permanente del estuario de Bahía Blanca. Los objetivos fueron: describir las especies de digeneos y analizar cambios respecto de reportes previos. Se examinaron 200 ejemplares de P. porosissimus. El análisis de los datos se realizó utilizando estimadores poblacionales de rutina y tests no paramétricos. Las especies registradas fueron: Aponurus laguncula Looss, 1907, Lecithochirium cfr. microstomum, Parahemiurus cfr. merus, Stomachicola sp., Opecoeloides feliciae Martorelli, 1992 y un espécimen no determinado perteneciente a la familia Bucephalidae. La especie más prevalente, abundante, dominante y única componente de la comunidad de digeneos fue A. laguncula. El pez estudiado permanece asociado al sedimento limoarenoso, en el cual depositan elementos contaminantes de origen antropogénico. Las poblaciones de digeneos adultos y metacercarias en los peces muestran tendencias a incrementar en medios eutrofizados y sometidos a descargas de contaminantes urbanos. Tal es la principal presión de impacto ambiental que viene experimentando el estuario de Bahía Blanca. De aquí que la misma puede explicar las variaciones temporales en la abundancia y riqueza específica de digeneos registrada en el presente análisis.The aims of the present study were to describe the morphology of the digenean parasites recorded in P. porosissimus and to analyse the temporary fluctuations in their communities. Two hundred hosts were examined between May 2008 and April 2011. The parasites were extracted from the stomachs of fish. The data analysis was performed using non-parametric tests. Six species of digenean parasites were recorded: Aponurus laguncula Looss, 1907, Lecithochirium cfr. microstomum, Parahemiurus cfr. merus, Stomachicola sp., Opecoeloides feliciae Martorelli, 1992 and an unidentified specimen belonging to the family Bucephalidae. The most prevalent, abundant, dominant and unique species of the digenean community was A. laguncula. Its abundance did not reflect any significant differences in respect to the host’s sex. There was no correlation between the parasitic abundance of this species and the condition factor of the fish. Although the life cycle of this species has not yet been elucidated, it appears to colonize the host via a trophic pathway. Three of the six species recorded were immature worms reflecting that conditions in the stomach of P. porosissimus were unsuitable for the reproductive stage. The present study showed an increase in the digenean species richness as well as in the parasitic abundances of P. porosissimus in respect to previous surveys carried out from 1997. The fish is a permanent resident of the Bahía Blanca estuary which lives associated with the silty-sandy sediments containing various anthropogenic pollutants It is known that both adult digeneans and metacercariae from fish tend to increase in eutrophic environments, e.g. untreated sewage effluent in coastal environments. This environmental impact may partly explain the increasing trend in the abundance and species richness of the digeneans observed.Fil: Acebal, María Florencia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Guagliardo, Silvia Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Schwerdt, Carla Belén. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; ArgentinaFil: Galeano, Noelia Adelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Paolillo, Melisa Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Mas, Javier Diego. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Sartuqui, Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Uibrig, Román Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Tanzola, Rubén Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin