Naslov
Toxin producing Ostreopsis cf. ovata are likely to bloom undetected along coastal areas

Autori
Pfannkuchen, Martin ; Godrijan, Jelena ; Marić Pfannkuchen, Daniela ; Iveša, Ljiljana ; Kružić, Petar ; Ciminiello, Patrizia ; Dell’Aversano, Carmela ; Dello Iacovo, Emma ; Fattorusso, Ernesto ; Forino, Martino ; Tartaglione, Luciana ; Godrijan, Margareta

Izvornik
Environmental science & technology (0013-936X) 46 (2012), 10; 5574-5582

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Toxic dinoflagellates ; benthic toxic bloom ; Ostreopsis cf. ovata ; Palytoxin ; Ovatoxins

Sažetak
Mass appearances of the toxic dinoflagellate genus Ostreopsis are known to cause dangerous respiratory symptoms in humans exposed to aerosols. The outbreaks can appear in shallow marine waters of temperate regions around the globe. We followed a massive bloom event on a public beach on the northern Adriatic coast near Rovinj, Croatia. We identified the responsible species and the produced toxins as well as the dynamics of the event in respect to environmental conditions. Ostreopsis cf. ovata appeared in masses from September through October 2010 on a public beach near Rovinj, Croatia but stayed undetected by public health organizations. Respiratory symptoms were observed, whenever humans where exposed to substrate samples containing large numbers of Ostreopsis cells. During the mass abundance of O. cf. ovata also exposure to the aerosols on the beach evoked respiratory symptoms in humans. Our measurements showed high cell abundances and high toxin contents with a stable relative contribution of putative Palytoxin and Ovatoxins a-e. Artificial beach structures proved to dramatically reduce settling of the observed Ostreopsis biofilm. Blooms like those reported herein have a high potential to happen undetected with a high potential of affecting the health of coastal human populations. Increased monitoring efforts are therefore required to understand the ecology and toxicology of those bloom events and reduce their negative impact on coastal populations

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija, Kemija, Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA