Bloom drivers of the potentially harmful dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Pavillard) Schiller in a south eastern temperate Australian estuary

Assessing the Use of Molecular Barcoding and qPCR for Investigating the Ecology of Prorocentrum minimum (Dinophyceae), a Harmful Algal Species

“…P. minimum blooms are most common in eutrophic coastal waters of the northern hemisphere; however, they have also been reported in tropical and subtropical regions globally [1,[7][8][9][10]. Although few studies have been conducted on P. minimum in Australia, it is known to occur in high abundances in some regions, with frequent blooms in the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales (NSW) [11]. In line with the global increase of HABs, P. minimum appears to have expanded its geographical range over the last 40 years [1,10,12].…”

Bloom-forming potentially toxic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum cordatum in marine plankton food webs

“…Similar bloom concentrations of P. cordatum (2×10 3 -2×10 4 cells mL -1 ) making up >90% of the total nanophytoplankton community occurred during Australian springs in 2003-2016 in a 15-meter deep site of the Berowra Creek (Australia); they also succeeded the Skeletonema sp. bloom (Ajani et al, 2018). Between the diatom and dinoflagellate blooms, the intermediate bloom of cryptophytes (ca.…”

“…Abrupt increase of P. cordatum cell abundance was most often registered when other phytoplankton groups declined (Taş and Yilmaz, 2015;Ajani et al, 2018), and thereafter the maximum concentration of dinoflagellates is achieved rather quickly, mainly in a thin superficial/upper layer (0-5 cm) in a coastal area. The Black Sea blooms dominated by P. cordatum were often paired with other dinoflagellate species (the so-called mixed dinoflagellate blooms) where the minor component could be either Heterocapsa triquetra, or the congeneric Prorocentrum micans (Nesterova, 2001).…”

“…It is likely that the highest concentrations of dinoflagellates observed during the red tide events are not only linked to the increase of the division rate of the cells in the conditions that are favorable for the species growth. Evidently, this also could be connected with excystation, cell ecdysis after stress, besides the specific ability of the actively swimming dinoflagellates to swarm in localities of the most favorable nutrient and light conditions forming the highest concentrations in the upper layers of the water column in patches and stripes in the absence of water mixing (Nesterova, 1979;Senicheva, 1990;Sukhanova et al, 1988;Witek and Pliński, 2000;Taş and Yilmaz, 2015;Ajani et al, 2018).…”

“…Episodes of human poisoning symptoms characteristic of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) occurred after consumption of the shellfish from the Obidos Lagoon (Portugal) (Silva and Sousa, 1981), and nausea and late gastrointestinal disorders similar in their nature and development to those of VSP (though less dramatic) after consumption of mussels from Norway (Tangen, 1983) were also attributed to the presence of P. cordatum in the harvesting areas. Still, no negative effects on humans or benthic fauna were reported to be associated with seasonal blooms of P. cordatum (up to 2×10 4 cells mL -1 ) in the oyster-growing river/estuary system of the Berowra Creek (Australia) during 2003(Ajani et al, 2018.…”