Environmental, human health and socioeconomic impacts of Ostreopsis spp. Blooms in the NW Mediterranean

Progress on the Link between Nutrient Availability and Toxin Production by Ostreopsis cf. ovata: Field and Laboratory Experiments

“…ovata bloom in the 2018 summer was monitored on the rocky beach of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, located on the Catalan coast of Spain (41°33.13′ N; 2°29.54′ E). Sampling for the characterization of the bloom was carried out following the regular monitoring procedures applied since 2007 in the area as described, for instance, in Vila et al (2016) and Berdalet et al (2022) [ 12 , 13 ].…”

“…While a direct link between the toxic compounds and human health problems has not yet been clearly demonstrated [ 8 ], the recurrent Ostreopsis spp. blooms seem to be the most plausible cause of the respiratory diseases reported in certain beaches [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. This fact, along with the detection of OVTXs and isoPLTXs in some marine fauna of the Mediterranean Sea [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], has encouraged active monitoring to prevent impacts on the health of beach users as well as intensive research to elucidate the factors influencing the blooms and toxicity of Ostreopsis [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Joint FAO-IOC-IAEA technical guidance for the implementation of early warning systems for harmful algal blooms

“…The accumulated experience in Italy, France, Spain and Algeria and some simultaneous epidemiology and ecology studies (Vila et al, 2016;Berdalet et al, under review) constitute a basis for the design of coordinated human health and Ostreopsis monitoring as part of the EWS. Note that while in Italy, France and Monaco alerts are determined based on the cell abundances in the water and/or in the benthos, in Catalonia, alerts are set by the combination of the abundances and reported cases of human health disorders (Berdalet et al, 2022).…”

“…Microscopy cell counts were conducted at the research centres but can also be done by trained personnel and citizens if microscopes are available (for example, Surfrider Foundation https://surfrider.eu/en/). This protocol has been successfully tested in Catalonia and France during the summers 2019 and 2020 and is described by Vila et al (2022).…”

Multiply charged ion profiles in the UHPLC-HRMS analysis of palytoxin analogues from Ostreopsis cf. ovata blooms

“…For this reason, the recurrence of Ostreopsis proliferation in touristic areas in summer and the potential risk of food poisoning have raised concern and incentivized monitoring to prevent impacts on human health. 17,21 The biogeographic expansion of Ostreopsis spp., likely linked to climate change and anthropic pressures on the coasts, is also a matter of study, 22 especially aer the important bloom episodes in the Bay of Biscay (France) affecting between 700 and 3000 people in 2021. 23 Methodological advances in the last few decades have allowed the efficient and reliable development of extraction and analytical determination methods (chromatography and mass spectrometry) for the most common phycotoxins (saxitoxin, domoic acid, lipophilic toxins, and microcystins) whose presence in seafood and drinking water is strictly controlled by European regulations.…”