First report of a massive bloom of Alexandrium minutum (Dinophyceae) in middle North Atlantic: a coastal lagoon in S. Jorge Island, Azores

Mariana Santos; Pedro Reis Costa; Filipe Mora Porteiro; Maria Teresa Moita

doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.08.065

First report of a massive bloom of Alexandrium minutum (Dinophyceae) in middle North Atlantic: a coastal lagoon in S. Jorge Island, Azores

Toxicon. 2014 Nov:90:265-8. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.08.065. Epub 2014 Aug 28.

Authors

Mariana Santos¹, Pedro Reis Costa², Filipe Mora Porteiro³, Maria Teresa Moita²

Affiliations

¹ IPMA, I.P. - Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere, Avenida de Brasília s/n, 1449-006 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: mariana.santos@ipma.pt.
² IPMA, I.P. - Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere, Avenida de Brasília s/n, 1449-006 Lisbon, Portugal.
³ Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources, Regional Directorate of Marine Affairs - Rua Cônsul Dabney, Colónia Alemã, Apartado 140, 9901-014 Horta, Azores, Portugal.

PMID: 25175013
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.08.065

Abstract

This is the first report of a bloom of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum in the Azores Archipelago (Northeastern Atlantic Ocean). In September 2013, high cell concentrations (1.3 × 10(7) cells L(-1)) of this species were recorded in Santo Cristo coastal lagoon causing an orange-brown water discoloration, death of small pelagic fish and toxification of shellfish resources (Ruditapes decussatus). Levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in clams exceeded 30 times the regulatory limit, and were associated with the intoxication of four people.

Keywords: Alexandrium minutum; Azores; Fish kills; Food poisoning; Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; Saxitoxin.

MeSH terms

Animals
Atlantic Ocean
Dinoflagellida / growth & development*