Distribution, occurrence and biotoxin composition of the main shellfish toxin producing microalgae within European waters: A comparison of methods of analysis

Abstract

Highlights Use of a multiplex biosensor for harmful algal toxin monitoring efforts in Europe. Toxin and species data compared for seawater samples (n= 256). Biosensor and RNA microarray more sensitive than light microscopy. Capability of being employed as an early warning detection system.  Advanced solutions to algal biotoxin monitoring. AbstractHarmful algal blooms (HABs) are a natural global phenomena emerging in severity and extent. -74% for all three toxin families illustrating that one individual testing method may not be an ideal solution. An efficient early warning monitoring system for the detection of toxic HABs could therefore be achieved by combining both the multitoxin SPR biosensor and RNA microarray.

Time series and beyond: multifaceted plankton research at a marine Mediterranean LTER site

“…The detection and quantification of species that are difficult to identify with morphology-based methods have been a goal for many years at LTER-MC, where a number of different attempts have been made to introduce adequate methods (McDonald et al 2007a, b, Barra et al 2013, Santamaria et al 2015, McNamee et al 2016. The direct access to molecules that are diagnostic for the individual taxa has opened a whole new range of possibilities for the study of microbial life, which has been scarcely known hitherto because of incomplete sampling, difficult cultivation and inadequate identification tools.…”

Monitoring Lipophilic Toxins in Seawater Using Dispersive Liquid—Liquid Microextraction and Liquid Chromatography with Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

“…When the episodes of phytoplankton blooms occur in areas where shellfish are cultured or areas for fisheries, or even in bathing waters, they can lead to environmental, health, and economic problems. In recent years, there have been several cases of phytoplankton proliferation along the coasts of Europe [3], particularly in intensive shellfish culture areas, including Spain (e.g., Andalusia [4], Galicia [5], the Valencia Community [6], and Murcia [7]). The increase in water temperature, changes in salinity, and water dissolved nutrients stoichiometry in coastal waters, mainly due to agricultural run-off or urban wastewater discharges, are some of the factors suggested for an increase in the proliferation of potentially toxic phytoplankton, thus increasing the concentration of toxins in aquatic environments [8].…”

Direct evidence for toxin production byPseudo-nitzschia plurisecta(Bacillariophyceae) and extension of its distribution area

“…Indeed, there have been recent improvements in coastal monitoring effort (Lelong et al, 2012), and development of laboratory tools for species identification (electron microscopy and molecular analyses) and high-sensitivity toxin detection, all of which have become more accessible in terms of costs, facilities and trained personnel. Available methods for toxin detection include the analytical chemistry method LC-MS/MS, more affordable and widespread screening using the biochemical method of ELISA assay that nevertheless requires confirmation by chemical analysis, and the recent but more costly multitoxin Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR biosensor), (de la Iglesia et al, 2013;McNamee et al, 2016). As a consequence of bloom frequency and scientific progress over recent years, novel species have been identified and their toxicity demonstrated, e.g., Pseudo-nitzschia simulans Li,…”