A review on marine benthic dinoflagellates in Mexico

Abstract

Background: Mexican studies on marine benthic dinoflagellates (MBD) began in 1942 from the offshore region of Oaxaca, based on water column samples. Subsequently, in ten Mexican maritime states, both epibenthos and plankton samples have been collected, species have been cultured, and field and laboratory studies have been carried out. Goals: The objective of this contribution is to review the studies on MBD in Mexican waters for current status and future risk assessment. Methods: Available literature on MBD from Mexico published from 1942 to 2022 was analyzed. Results: A review of the studies on MBD is presented herein, subdivided into four sections: (1) taxonomic diversity (morphological and molecular), (2) benthic phycotoxin vectors and toxigenicity, (3) toxicity and (4) species interactions. A map of the location of field populations of MBD and a reference list of taxonomic and ecological studies on MBD in Mexico is provided. A taxonomic list of ca. 60 species, mainly of Prorocentrum, followed in number by Amphidinium, Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis, Coolia, and Sinophysis is presented. This list is accompanied by scanning electron microscopic images of 15 species. Knowledge of the toxigenicity of MBD is scarce, hence a reference table of known toxigenic species in Mexico and their respective associated syndromes is included. Conclusions: Studies on MBD in Mexico have slowly increased, probably due to the availability of a greater number of cultured strains, as well as to more extensive international collaborations. Confirmed links between benthic harmful algal bloom species and events associated with the etiology of toxic syndromes are rarely known in Mexico.

Pelagic copepod diversity (Crustacea: Copepoda) in the southern Caribbean: evidence of a pending assignment

“…The greatest diversity of marine copepods species in the Atlantic is found in the tropical and subtropical latitudes (Piontkovski & Landry, 2003;Rombouts et al, 2009;Wilson, 1942), a pattern also valid for other pelagic groups like: fish, ostracods, decapods and euphausiids (Angel, 1993). The SCA is considered the area with the highest nutrient input in the TNWA because of the widespread upwelling processes along its coastline (Castellanos et al, 2002;Correa-Ramírez et al, 2020;Okolodkov, 2003;Rueda-Roa et al, 2018;Villamizar & Cervigón, 2017), which adds to the huge nutrient input from the Orinoco and Amazon rivers (Muller-Karger & Varela, 1990;Rueda-Roa et al, 2018). This condition may promote species diversity because of the increased energy flow of these ecosystems (Saiz et al, 2007).…”

“…The Southern Caribbean (SCA) is a Marine Ecoregion of the World (MEOW) that belongs to the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic province (TNWA) or "Greater Caribbean" (Spalding et al, 2007(Spalding et al, , 2012. The SCA ecoregion is characterized by its high productivity, a condition resulting from prevalent coastal upwelling processes and nutrient inputs from the Orinoco and Amazon rivers (Castellanos et al, 2002;Muller-Karger & Varela, 1990;Okolodkov, 2003;Rueda-Roa et al, 2018). It includes the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of several Caribbean countries including: Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and part of Colombia (La Guajira Peninsula).…”

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of the Benthic Dinoflagellate Amphidinium from Coastal Waters of Mexico

“…To date, six species of Amphidinium have been reported from Mexico with SEM images provided for A. theodorei from Bahía de la Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS) (reviewed in [23]); only A. carterae and A. operculatum were previously illustrated [24]. Most of the current taxonomic record of Amphidinium species from the coastal waters of Mexico is based solely on morphological characterization.…”

“…Most of the current taxonomic record of Amphidinium species from the coastal waters of Mexico is based solely on morphological characterization. Molecular sequence data have been published only for two species (A. operculatum and A. carterae) [23]. The research herein presents the morphological identification of Amphidinium species from four regions of the coast of Mexico via LM and SEM.…”