By Name

Causative Organism	Syndrome	Affected Areas
Alexandrium spp.	Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)	U.S. west coast including Alaska New England coastal states Canada Chile Brazil Europe South Africa Asia Australia New Zealand
Dinophysis spp.	Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP)	Europe Japan Atlantic Canada South Africa Chile Thailand New Zealand Australia
Gambierdiscus toxicus	Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP)	Hawaii Gulf of Mexico Puerto Rico Caribbean Australia many Pacific islands
Gymnodinium catenatum	Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)	U.S. west coast New England coastal states Canada Chile Brazil Europe South Africa Asia Australia New Zealand
Karenia brevis Karenia brevisulcatum	Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP)	U.S. Gulf coast New Zealand
Karlodinium veneficum	fish kills	U.S. mid Atlantic coast US southeast coast US Gulf coast Australia South Africa
Lyngbya	Swimmer's itch Dermatitis	Australia Florida Worldwide throughout the tropics and subtropics
Pfiesteria piscicda Pfiesteria spp.	Possible estuary-associated syndrome (PEAS)	North Carolina Maryland Delaware
Prorocentrum lima	Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP)	Europe Japan Atlantic Canada South Africa Chile Thailand New Zealand Australia
Protoperidinium crassipes	Azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (AZP)	England Scotland Ireland France Spain Morocco Norway
Pseudo-nitzchia spp.	Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP)	U.S. west coast including Alaska Georges Bank Atlantic Canada Chile United Kingdom Australia New Zealand
Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum	Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)	U.S. west coast including Alaska New england coastal states Canada Chile Brazil Europe South Africa Asia Australia New Zealand

Fish Killing Species

Causative Organism	Syndrome	Affected Areas
Heterosigma akashiwo	Fish kills	Puget Sound  British Columbia Chile  Scotland Spain Japan China Tasmania  New Zealand
Karlondinium veneficum	fish kills	U.S. mid Atlantic coast US southeast coast US Gulf coast Australia South Africa

Last updated: May 16, 2013

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The Harmful Algae Page is supported by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research Coastal Ocean Program (NOAA/CSCOR/COP) grant to the National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dr. Don Anderson, Director.