Domoic acid (DA), a neuroexcitatory amino acid, was detected in batch culture of the newly recognized species Nitzschia navis‐varingica Lundholm et Moestrup. The production of DA by this diatom was confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The diatom was collected from a shrimp‐culture pond in Do Son, Vietnam. The production of DA (1.7 pg·cell−1) is within the levels reported for Pseudo‐nitzschia multiseries (Hasle) Hasle. The DA production started during the late exponential growth phase and reached a maximum during the early stationary growth phase. Maximum DA levels in the axenic culture decreased to about half that of the nonaxenic culture (0.9 pg·cell−1 vs. 1.7 pg·cell−1), suggesting that DA production by the new species is influenced by bacteria.

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Recently, we have been witnessing a critical level of a the degradation of the marine environment and depletion of fish stocks in the South China Sea. This has many adverse consequences on the politics, economics of the countries in the region as well as on the socio-economic life of the coastal population. One of the activities that has been causing serious damage to the marine environment and living resources of the South China Sea is the large-scale land reclamation and artificial island construction undertaken by China in the Spratly and Paracel islands recently. These activities have caused severe harm to the precious coral reef environment and thus, violated the obligation to preserve and protect fragile ecosystems and the habitat of depleted, threatened or endangered species under the international law of the sea The paper explores the impact of China"s large-scale land reclamation and artificial island construction activities on the marine biodiversity of the South China Sea, explains what the legal obligation under the international law of States to protect and preserve the marine environment is and suggests a number of options in order to bring a halt to such activities and restore the damaged marine ecosystem. The paper puts particular emphasis on the cooperation drivers torwards a healthy, prosperous and peaceful South China Sea, which also contribute to the management and possibly, resolution of the current disputes in this region.

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