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Targeted Research addresses specific objectives outlined in the GEOHAB Science Plan. Targeted Research may be solicited by the SSC as the need arises from Core Research Projects.
List of papers published based on GEOHAB endorsed research (download as End-note zip file)
ENDORSED PROJECTS:
Project title: Forecasts and Projections of Environmental and Anthropogenic Impacts on Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Ecosystems. Abstract: Our proposed project seeks to further the development and implementation of ecological forecast models with application to aquatic vectors of human and wildlife illness. A tremendous advantage in modelling and predicting HAB events in California is that the successional patterns can be “reset” as a function of short-term environmental conditions (e.g. upwelling/downwelling), providing short-term (days to weeks) predictability in addition to the underlying seasonal and interannual variability that can be used to identify HAB-favourable conditions. Our primary objectives are to implement existing HAB models from Santa Barbara and Monterey Bay previously developed as research exercises, to test and expand these existing models in other regions, to begin developing a similar modeling effort for paralytic shellfish poisoning, and to provide consistent field monitoring and validation data to adequately assess the model results. A metric of our success will be the development and transfer to our partners (HABMAP, CeNCOOS, SCCOOS, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science) of a web-based tool for forecasting probability of HAB events, tracking known blooms, and accessing the underlying data (environmental conditions, HAB monitoring data, satellite and model results) that are readily accessible by researchers, resource managers, and interested members of the public. This project will develop predictive (forecast) models for Pseudo-nitzschia in the California Current System. We expect that follow-on efforts will compare these results and models to other EBCs, in particular the Benguela Upwelling System. GEOHAB Framework activities such as the recent modeling workshop have been instrumental in the development of this project, and we anticipate continuing to work within the GEOHAB framework as it moves forward. Planned duration of activity from July 2010 to June 2015. Partners: Professor Raphael Kudela , Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. Tel/Fax: +1-831-459-3290/+1-831-459-4882, E-mail:
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. Clarissa Anderson (Researcher, UC Santa Cruz), Dave Caron (Professor, University of Southern California), Yi Chao (Professor, UCLA & JPL), Meredith Howard (Researcher, SCCWRP), Burt Jones (Research Professor, University of Southern California), Heather Kerkering (Coordinator, CeNCOOS), Gregg Langlois (Senior Environmental Scientist, California Department of Public Health).
Project title:
Understanding how pathogenic microorganisms overcome invasive, toxic red tides
Acronym: PARALEX
Start: July 2010
End: July 2013
Funding Programmes: French research agency's (ANR) 2009 programme, 'The Sixth Extinction: Quantifying biodiversity loss'.
Project
Budget:
Abstract:
he global phenomenon of ‘red tides’ has existed for several years and is due to a spectacular proliferation of microalgae that results from the impact of recent climatic changes on marine phytoplankton. These ‘red tides’ disrupt the marine environment by affecting habitat quality and reducing biomass. They also have an impact on human activities, such as coastal tourism, fishing and aquaculture. Most of the species responsible for such proliferations are dinoflagellates, microorganisms that are primary producers within marine phytoplankton. Some produce formidable toxins and neurotoxins that can trigger paralysis, diarrhoea or haemolysis. These phytotoxins build up in the food chain and can lead to serious poisoning in anyone consuming affected shellfish, crustaceans or fish. Numerous studies have led to a better understanding of and a greater ability to predict the environmental factors that encourage these algal blooms. In contrast, practically nothing is known of the factors that ensure that affected ecosystems will, given time, recover. Initial long-term monitoring suggests that some species capable of producing intense toxic blooms for several years are finally integrated into the phytoplankton at weaker cell concentrations, causing no further toxicity problems. Recent work raises the possibility that this regulation may be due to the presence of parasites, viruses, bacteria or microorganisms capable of infecting certain toxic microalgae and of regulating their populations. The main aim of the PARALEX project is to identify the natural parasites present in ecosystems contaminated by invasive and toxic microalgae in order to gain a better understanding of the role of these microorganisms in the recovery and stability of coastal marine ecosystems.
Partners:
Dr. Laure Guillou, Station Biologique de Roscoff
Dr. Patrick Gentien, Ifremer
Dr. Hervé Moreau, CNRS-Banyuls
Contact:
home page URL: www.sb-roscoff.fr/phyto
Project title:
The Biogeographical and Biodiversity Assessment of Toxic Benthic Dinoflagellate Stocks in the Pacific Ocean and Implications of Bioinvasion on Marine Food webs
Acronym:
Start: 2010
End: 2014
Homepage:
Funding Programmes: (Prospective) source(s): Invited participants and associates to assist where sources of funds may be found, on a national or regional basis with help from IOC/UNESCO & SCOR.
Project
Budget:
Abstract:
The negative impacts to human populations of benthic dinoflagellate toxins in tropical coastal fisheries products are well known, these impacts and increasing frequency are most felt in indigenous coastal populations that rely on fish for subsistence and export. At the most recent CFP workshop in Noumea 2008, led by SPC, most of the delegates of the island countries represented declared their CFP problem to be serious and needed help with monitoring, taxonomy and ecotoxicology etc, and that there was no funding to deal with the problem. Resolution and/or prevention of such impacts have been hampered by the complexity of toxin(s) chemistry, inadequate detection capabilities, and ambiguity related to the taxonomy and toxin production among dinoflagellate species/genera.
The prospective project (see research framework in appendix) would describe the biogeography of Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis and Prorocentrum species from at first the invited collaborators shared record of SEM Gambierdiscus work, that already has taken place from different localities.
Secondly, in a large number of localities throughout the Pacific, using up to date taxonomy tools/information and with a coordinated approach for "collections of opportunity" among various collaborating island nations, where sampling efforts and monitoring can be established, with the provision of postgraduate researchers or government staff(using a research through training approach) to undertake such monitoring and collections, a record of the organisms biogeography can be achieved. As has been done within Hawaii, we would establish a coordinated network of stakeholders to target geographically broad localities, arrange for appropriate sampling/preservation efforts, and then perform the taxonomic assessments to describe the relative abundances and distribution of these species.
To enable assessment of the role of ballast water in the bioinvasiveness of these genera, special efforts will be made to identify areas representing a wide range of ship access, and shipping intensity; for example, within the Hawaiian Archipelago we anticipate the coordination of sampling with both the Main Hawaiian Islands, and the uninhabited Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Results of this work is also expected to dovetail and leverage future planned work on toxic benthic dinoflagellates within GEOHAB, to be coordinated by this collaboration; and to involve scientists from beyond the Pacific: the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the archipelagos of Indonesia and the Philippines.
A third target of the work will be to collect dinoflagellate materials from some selected sites to isolate/culture and/or extract toxins and measure the MW of toxin material produced. Given that this effort will require substantial control over the collections, it is anticipated that the participant nations employ postgraduate research students for this collection and monitoring efforts, and where possible be coordinated with coral reef monitoring projects (such as Reef Check or NOAA’s coral reef monitoring program). We envisage correlating microalgal biogeography and ecotoxicology with coral cover, where coral monitoring coincides with microalgal collection.
The fourth target of this research will focus on the examination of food web effects of the extracted toxin material produced. Implementation of this facet will require considerable amounts of extracted toxic material. We anticipate using the growth rate of juvenile fish and/or shrimp as dependent ecosystem variables; we believe we may also have means to assess responses by corals to introduction of dinoflagellate toxins.
Partners:
Prof. Gustaaf Hallegraeff Plant Science, Uni. of Tasmania, Aust.
Dr Wayne Litaker, NOS/CCFHR, NOAA, NC, USA
Prof. Bill Aalsberberg Director, Institute of Applied Science, USP
Dr Steve Morton NOS/CCEHBR, NOAA, SC, USA
Dr Marie-Yasmine Bottein NOS/NCCOS, NOAA, SC, USA
Prof. Matti Lang Director, Entox, Uni. of Queensland, Aust.
Dr Ian Stewart Griffith University, Aust.
Dr Wasa Wickramasinghe Entox, University of Queensland, Aust.
Dr Glen Shaw School of Public Health, Griffith Uni. Aust.
Assoc. Prof. Norm Duke Centre of Marine Studies, UQ, Aust.
Dr Angela Capper Marine & Tropical Biology, JCU, Aust.
Assoc. Prof. Kirsten Heimann Marine & Tropical Biology, JCU, Aust.
Dr Patrick Holland Cawthron Institute, New Zealand
Prof. Takeshi Yasumoto Okinawa Science & Technology, Japan.
Dr Mike Batty Director, Marine Resources Division, SPC
Dr Lindsay Chapman Coastal Fisheries Manager, MRD, SPC
Dr Being Yeeting Reef Fisheries, MRD, Secretariat Pacific Community
Assoc. Professor Mike Holmes Dep. Director, Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS
Poasi Ngaluafe Department of Fisheries, Tonga
Dr Posa Skelton PACINET coordinator
Assoc. Prof. Ron Johnstone Centre of Marine Studies, University of Queensland
Dr Florence Boisson IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Monaco
Dr Pat Holland Cawthron Institute, New Zealand
Project title:
Life history transformations among HAB species, and the environmental and physiological factors that regulate them
Acronym: SEED
Start: 3/24/2005
End: 3/23/2008
Homepage:
Funding Programmes: SUSTDEV-2004-3.III.4.4 Harmful algal blooms in European marine and brackish waters Specific Targeted Research Project
Budget: 1500000 Euro
Abstract:
SEED aims to understand how and to what extent anthropogenic forces influence the non-vegetative stages of the life cycles of harmful algal species thereby contributing to the increase in harmful algal blooms in European marine, brackish and fresh waters. The overall objectives are to improve and extend our understanding of the transition between the different life history stages to identify the environmental and physiological factors that regulate those transitions, and hence the relative importance of anthropogenic vs. natural causes, and to integrate the recent acquire knowledge in the development of new simulation model or refining existing ones. This will allow improved prediction, mitigation and management strategies. The approach of SEED is comparative, from species to ecosystem level. It is imperative to recognize common patterns of response among species to facilitate the development of conceptual and numerical models of HAB dynamics. SEED will focus on an array of target HAB species, ranging from marine to brackish to fresh water organisms, and covering a broad range of phylogenetic types. SEED research is multifaceted, as the problems in life history transitions are complex and processes occur over a wide range of scales. SEED will combine field studies and laboratory experiments. Field work is centered on areas where ongoing monitoring programs and much baseline information about distribution of species and physical-chemical data already exists. The innovation is to implement the most appropriate research strategies to be applied to the non-vegetative phases which determine the success of HABs and their expansion due to anthropogenic forcing. Moreover, a mitigation strategy, analogous to sterile insect releases that are an effective element of agricultural pest control on land will be investigated for the dormancy stages of HAS.
Partners:
Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche
Finnish Institute Of Marine Research - Merentutkimuslaitos
Helsingin Yliopisto
Institut Ciencies Del Mar, Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Instituto Español De Oceanografía
Lunds Universitet
National University Of Ireland - Galway
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Tartu Uelikool
Contact:
D r. Esther Garcés
Institut Ciencias del Mar
Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia
Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37-49
E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya
Spain
Phone: 34 93 230 95 00
Fax: 34 93 230 95 55
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Project title:
ALEXARRAY – Genetic Regulation of Bloom Formation in the Toxic Marine Dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense.
Funding; Submitted to the European Commission under FP7 but not funded.
Contact:
Prof. Allan Cembella
AWI Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12. D-27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
Phone: 49 471 4831 1494
Fax: 49 471 4831 1425
acembella @ awi-bremerhaven.de
Project title:
Nutrients and ciguatera dinoflagellates: 3 regional studies
Start: 2003End: 2006
Funding Programmes: This program has been undertaken by a part-time, largely self funded PhD postgraduate (Mark Skinner). He obtained one grant of £3,000 was provided by the now defunct Commonwealth Science Council for the Cook Islands research with a permit from the Cook Islands Prime Ministers Office and the Dr Edward Koch Foundation provided AUS$30,000 for the Far North Queensland research with a permit from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The National Science Academy of Indonesia provided a permit for the Indonesian research.Abstract:.
Abstract for 1st study: “A HAB (Prorocentrum gillespii), Ciguatera Fish Poisoning and nutrients from Rarotonga, Cook Islands”. Ecological ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) studies in the past have largely ignored the potential for benthic microalgae from the sediment to contribute to toxins in the associated environment, largely concentrating on the macroalgae present and associated micro flora and ignoring this other niche. Ciguatera field studies have also concentrated on the dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus, well known to be the producer of ciguatoxin precursors but ignoring the potential of toxins from other dinoflagellate genera “Prorocentrum and Ostreopsis” (except for studies on Caribbean Ostreopsis) to be causative of CFP. This study concentrates on a harmful algal bloom (HAB) of Prorocentrum, on the sediment of a tropical high island fringing reef lagoon in the southern central Pacific Ocean which was described as a new species by SEM analysis. The field site, Muri lagoon was chosen, as the island of Rarotonga, has a very high occurrence of CFP. Sampling took place from November 2002 to September 2003 for microalgal abundance (Prorocentrum gillespii highest monthly count was 13,700 cells/g sand) and water samples were taken for nutrient analysis from the lagoon and catchment streams. Fish were collected from the actual lagoon site for toxin analysis both at the start and at the end of sampling. We surmise that the nutrients (over the critical limits for healthy coral reefs) are most likely responsible for the bloom of microalgae present and those toxins from this bloom could now be responsible for ongoing cases of CFP. Abstract for 2nd study “The first report of the abundance of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning benthic dinoflagellates and nutrients from Bali, Indonesia”. The destruction of coral reefs both by physical and man made causes may be responsible for Ciguatera fish poisoning outbreaks, due to the denuded reef surfaces becoming colonised by macro algae that are the preferred hosts of the dinoflagellate that causes the disease. Ciguatera field studies have concentrated on the dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus, well known to be the producer of ciguatoxin precursors but ignoring the potential of toxins from other dinoflagellate genera Prorocentrum and Ostreopsis, to be causative of CFP. All benthic Prorocentrum species, known to produce Okadaic Acid(OA) and its derivative dinophysistoxins (DTX), and water-soluble fast-acting toxins, examined for toxicity have been shown to be toxin producers. Toxic compounds produced by Ostreopsis species include Ostreotoxins (OTX) and Ostreocins, palytoxin analogues, and the potential harmful effects of Ostreopsis species on aquatic organisms (and ecological impacts) are unknown. CFP has largely occurred on the oceanic islands of the world’s tropical seas, it has only recently occurred in some places in the major archipelagoes of Indonesia and the Philippines. Study sites were identified that may produce ciguateric fish, associated with a degraded coral reef ecosystem: Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua (Southern Bali) reefs. These sites, that cover different niches of the coral reef ecosystem, due to the water movement at the site, were sampled on a monthly basis for over a year. As well as finding the genera Gambierdiscus (maximum density 30 cells/g wet wt. macroalgae), Ostreopsis (max. 2,860 cells/g wet wt.) and Prorocentrum (max. 75 cells/g wet.wt) at all sites, water column nutrient levels were found on the average to be higher than that recommended for a healthy coral reef. A factor that may play a part in the potential for toxicity at a site is the abundance of sea grass which is often present at coral reef ecosystems, around the major archipelagoes but often not so prevalent at ecosystems of the oceanic islands prone to CFP. Abstract of 3rd study, “The abundance of benthic toxic dinoflagellates causative of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning and nutrients from Green and Magnetic Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Far North Queensland, Australia”. Ciguatera field studies have concentrated on the dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus, well known to be the producer of ciguatoxin precursors but ignoring the potential of toxins from the genera Prorocentrum and Ostreopsis to be causative of Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP). There has been only one previous study of these three genera on the Great Barrier Reef. Whilst CFP is no longer a major concern to GBR authorities, largely due to the extension of green zones which no longer permits fishing in many areas, and the general public awareness of preventative measures against the disease (such as taking appropriate species, smaller size fish and small portions to be eaten), some cases still occur. Authorities, such as GBRMPA and coral reef scientists in general, should be concerned with what impact these toxic benthic dinoflagellate genera have on the coral reef ecosystem and their biodiversity as a whole and what role they may play in the succession of coral to macroalgae dominated reefs. This study reports on two of the most well known and most often visited islands of the GBR, Green and Magnetic islands and the abundance of toxic dinoflagellates (maximum densities of Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis and Prorocentrum were 41, 116, 112 at Green and 50, 200, 66 at Magnetic Islands, cells/g wet wt. macroalgae, respectively) present (including the presence of a previously unreported genera, Sinophysis a density of 13 at Green & 29 at Magnetic Islands; cells/g wet. wt. macroalgae) amongst macroalgae and the correlation with the concentration of nutrients present in the water column. Further studies in this program, to be written up, includes Gili Tragawan, a site chosen as a comparison to the sites at Bali which was sampled on a quarterly basis for more than a year and many additional sites were sampled on the GBR including inshore islands, Snapper, Low, Michelmas, Fitzroy and Normanby as well as the reefs Upolu, Norman, King and Thretford, at least three times over a year or more. Some correlations with nutrients are to be interpreted with sites from inshore to offshore, across the reef, and between sites inshore at varying distances from variable sized river plumes.
Contact:
Dr Richard Lewis
IMB, UQ, St. Lucia, Queensland , 4072, Australia .
Tel/Fax: (617) 3365 1964 (Tel); (617) 3365 1990 (Fax)
E-mail: r. lewis @ imb.uq.edu.au
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