Emerging harmful algal blooms caused by distinct seasonal assemblages of a toxic diatom.

Diatoms in the Pseudo-nitzschia genus produce the neurotoxin domoic acid. Domoic acid bioaccumulates in shellfish, causing illness in humans and marine animals upon ingestion. In 2017, high domoic acid levels in shellfish meat closed shellfish harvest in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island for the first and only time in history, although abundant Pseudo-nitzschia have been observed for over 60 years. To investigate whether an environmental factor altered endemic Pseudo-nitzschia physiology or new domoic acid-producing strain(s) were introduced to Narragansett Bay, we conducted weekly sampling from 2017 to 2019 and compared closure samples. Plankton-associated domoic acid was quantified by LC-MS/MS and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were identified using a taxonomically improved high-throughput rDNA sequencing approach. Comparison with environmental data revealed a detailed understanding of domoic acid dynamics and seasonal multi-species assemblages. Plankton-associated domoic acid was low throughout 2017-2019, but recurred in fall and early summer maxima. Fall domoic acid maxima contained known toxic species as well as a novel Pseudo-nitzschia genotype. Summer domoic acid maxima included fewer species but also known toxin producers. Most 2017 closure samples contained the particularly concerning toxic species, P. australis, which also appeared infrequently during 2017-2019. Recurring Pseudo-nitzschia assemblages were driven by seasonal temperature changes, and plankton-associated domoic acid correlated with low dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Thus, the Narragansett Bay closures were likely caused by both resident assemblages that become toxic depending on nutrient status as well as the episodic introductions of toxic species from oceanographic and climatic shifts.

Mitochondrial cob and cox1 genes and editing of the corresponding mRNAs in Dinophysis acuminata from Narragansett Bay, with special reference to the phylogenetic position of the genus Dinophysis.

Dinophysis acuminata cells were isolated from Narragansett Bay water samples in June 2005 using flow cytometry. Dinoflagellate-specific PCR primers were used to isolate small-subunit rRNA (18S rRNA), mitochondrial cytochrome b (cob), and cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) genes and the encoded cDNAs. Maximum-likelihood analysis of a concatenated data set of ribosomal DNA and cDNA sequences of cob and cox1 showed that D. acuminata was sister to Gonyaulacoids, but without strong bootstrap support. The approximately unbiased test could not reject alternative positions of D. acuminata. To gain better resolution, mRNA editing of cob and cox1 was inferred for D. acuminata and 13 other dinoflagellate species. The location and type of editing as well as the distribution pattern in D. acuminata were generally similar to those in other dinoflagellates except for two edited sites that are unique to this species. Bayesian analyses of a matrix that recorded the location and type of editing, and of a matrix that included the protein sequences of COB and COX1 with the editing data yielded tree topologies similar to the three-gene tree but again failed to resolve the phylogenetic position of D. acuminata. However, the density of edited sites in the D. acuminata mitochondrial genes, consistent with phylogenetic trees, indicated that Dinophysis is a derived dinoflagellate lineage, diverging after other lineages such as Oxyrrhis, Amphidinium, and Symbiodinium. We demonstrate that dinoflagellate-specific PCR coupled with flow cytometry can be a useful tool to analyze genes and their transcripts from a natural dinoflagellate population.

Chlorine dioxide as a treatment for ballast water to control invasive species: shipboard testing.

The efficacy of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) in eliminating organisms present in estuarine ballast water of a containership was determined under actual operating conditions by comparing the survival of planktonic communities present in waters of treated and control ballast tanks. Sampling was via ballast-tank hatches. The treatment (5 mg L(-1)ClO2 without pre-filtration) delivered by a prototype ClO2-generating system was generally effective against planktonic assemblages, although bacterial communities rebounded after a few days. Regardless of temperature, ClO2 was very effective against phytoplankton; the effect was immediate, without resurgence. Some zooplankters in the ≥ 50-µm fraction may survive the biocide, especially those able to find refuge within a protective coating (e.g., cysts, resting eggs, and shells) or in sediment. In order to boost efficacy, a pre-filtration step is recommended (now installed as standard equipment) to lower the intake of the ≥ 50-µm fraction and lessen the challenge posed by this size class.