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New Pfiesteria Species Among Findings Presented at Tasmania Conference

A new species of the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria has been identified by Drs. Howard Glasgow and JoAnn Burkholder of North Carolina State University and colleagues. The species, which has been found in the Albemarle-Pamlico and Chesapeake estuaries of the eastern U.S., is morphologically and genetically distinct from its infamous cousin, Pfiesteria piscicida, which has caused massive fish kills and human illnesses in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, but displays identical behavior and life-cycle traits.

The report of the species¹ discovery and description was just one of a number of papers presented at the Ninth International Conference on Algal Blooms, held in Hobart, Tasmania, February 6-11. Among the numerous other papers presented at the conference were studies which:

- Documented the key role in herbivorous copepods in transferring algal toxins through the marine food web. The copepods are able to withstand the high toxin levels they accumulate through ingesting phytoplankton; less toxin-resistant species which eat copepods then succumb to the toxins¹ effects.

- Addressed some of the measures that can be taken to reduce the spread of harmful algal species as a result of ballast water discharge. Unknown numbers of phytoplankton species are accidentally brought on board ocean-going vessels in ballast water, and then released at the end of the vessels¹ journeys, allowing toxic or otherwise harmful algae to become established in environments where they did not previously occur.

- Identified a new form of human shellfish poisoning in Europe ? azaspiracid poisoning, or AZP -- caused by toxic phytoplankton.

- Considered whether blooms of certain harmful algal species could promote growth of tumors in at least some marine wildlife species.

- Discussed the possible impact of salmon aquaculture on harmful algal blooms.

So-called Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) ? commonly, although not always accurately, referred to as "red tides" ? are natural phenomena. However, in recent years, there have been concerns that they may be spreading and becoming more frequent in many coastal environments around the globe.

For further information: All the abstracts from the Conference are available at: http://www.utas.edu.au/docs/plant_science/HAB2000/

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