Epiphytic dinoflagellates associated with ciguatera in the northwestern coast of Cuba

Abstract

The spatial and temporal abundance of epiphytic dinoflagellates associated with ciguatera was studied over two annual cycles (March 1999 to March 2000 and March 2001 to March 2002) in the northwestern coast of Cuba. From 14 species of macroalgae (Phaeophyta, Chlorophyta, and Rhodophyta), 1340 samples were obtained identifying seven species as potentially noxious; five of them are new reports for Cuba's phytobenthos: Prorocentrum belizeanum Faust, P. concavum Fukuyo, P. mexicanum Tafall, Coolia monotis Meunier, and Ostreopsis lenticularis Fukuyo. ANOVA/MANOVA analysis showed significant spatial differences: lower cell abundance near the shoreline adjacent to a river inlet and higher cell abundance in the deepest area. Prorocentrum lima (Ehrenberg) Dodge 1975 was found mainly on Phaeophyta followed by Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Gambierdiscus toxicus was found mainly on Phaeophyta followed by Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta. All the species reported in the study area were mainly on Padina spp. (Phaeophyta). Acanthophora spicifera (Rhodophyta) did not host dinoflagellate species. Environmental conditions in summer (higher temperature, more nutrients, greater water transparency, and low wind intensity) are suitable for macroalgae development, which serves as a substrate for potentially harmful dinoflagellates, and possibly the main vector for spreading ciguatera along the coast of Cuba. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(2): 299-310. Epub 2006 Jun 01.

Growth of eight Gambierdiscus (Dinophyceae) species: Effects of temperature, salinity and irradiance

“…In contrast, Parsons and Preskitt (2007) surveyed seven sites in Hawaii and found that salinities from $27 to 33 were equally conducive to Gambierdiscus growth. Additional studies have noted that Gambierdiscus cells are excluded from the rainy (lee) side of many islands, near river mouths and elsewhere when salinities are low (Yasumoto et al, 1980;Taylor and Gustavson, 1986;Delgado et al, 2006). However, the magnitude of the salinity change necessary to limit Gambierdiscus abundance remains uncertain (Carlson and Tindall, 1985;Taylor, 1985).…”

Madanidinium loirii gen. et sp. nov.(Dinophyceae), a new marine benthic dinoflagellate from Martinique Island, Eastern Caribbean

“…On the western side, studies were carried out on the Belize coast (e.g. Faust & Gulledge, 2002;Faust, 2009), and around Mexican and Cuban coasts (Hernández-Becerril & Almazán Becerril, 2004;Delgado et al, 2006). The southern Caribbean sea has only been investigated by Grzebyk et al (1998) who collected samples from a Panamanian island and Rodriguez et al (2010) who made a survey at San Andrés Island (Caribbean Colombia).…”

Harmful Algal Blooms in Benthic Systems: Recent Progress and Future Research

“…Again, laboratory experiments report species-specific and strain-specific responses to salinity ranges. In the field, maximum cell abundances are found at salinities of 30 to 39, and are very low in river plumes (salinity values 25-35; e.g., Delgado et al, 2006;Blanfuné et al, 2015). However, because low salinities are associated with land runoff and potential nutrient supply, discrimination of the individual roles of these two factors is difficult.…”