Author: Lilly E. L.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISSN: 1464-3774
Source: Journal of Plankton Research, Vol.24, Iss.5, 2002-05, pp. : 443-452
Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.
Abstract
In 1998, the toxins responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) were detected in Thau Lagoon, France. The causative organism was identified as Alexandrium tamarense, a member of the ‘tamarensis’ species complex. This dinoflagellate was first observed in the lagoon in 1995 by a monitoring programme following more than a decade with no observations of this species. The species is thus new to these waters, but its origins were unknown. In this paper, morphological and molecular data are analysed for two clonal cultures established from the 1998 bloom. These data are compared to results from Alexandrium isolates originating elsewhere in the world to infer an origin. Thecal plate morphology, restriction fragment length polymorphism, DNA sequencing and toxin analyses demonstrate that the Thau Lagoon strains are A. catenella, and are closely related to populations of A. catenella found in temperate Asia, specifically the Japanese Temperate Asian ribotype of the tamarense/catenella/fundyense species complex. They show no homology with strains from western European waters, including the Mediterranean. Until now, the Japanese Temperate Asian ribotype has not been reported outside the western Pacific. The most likely scenario is that A. catenella was introduced to Thau Lagoon via the ballast water of a ship docked at Sète, France, a shipping port in direct communication with the lagoon. This case provides a clear example of the dispersal of a toxic Alexandrium species, probably via human activities.
Related content
By Hamasaki Koji Horie Michiko Tokimitsu Sanae Toda Tatsuki
Journal of Plankton Research, Vol. 23, Iss. 3, 2001-03 ,pp. :