Are Alexandrium catenella Blooms Spreading Offshore in Southern Chile? An In-Depth Analysis of the First PSP Outbreak in the Oceanic Coast

The blooms of Alexandrium catenella, the main producer of paralytic shellfish toxins worldwide, have become the main threat to coastal activities in Southern Chile, such as artisanal fisheries, aquaculture and public health. Here, we explore retrospective data from an intense Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning outbreak in Southern Chile in Summer–Autumn 2016, identifying environmental drivers, spatiotemporal dynamics, and detoxification rates of the main filter-feeder shellfish resources during an intense A. catenella bloom, which led to the greatest socio-economic impacts in that area. Exponential detoxification models evidenced large differences in detoxification dynamics between the three filter-feeder species surf clam (Ensis macha), giant barnacle (Austromegabalanus psittacus), and red sea squirt (Pyura chilensis). Surf clam showed an initial toxicity (9054 µg STX-eq·100 g−1) around 10-fold higher than the other two species. It exhibited a relatively fast detoxification rate and approached the human safety limit of 80 µg STX-eq·100 g−1 towards the end of the 150 days. Ecological implications and future trends are also discussed. Based on the cell density evolution, data previously gathered on the area, and the biology of this species, we propose that the bloom originated in the coastal area, spreading offshore thanks to the resting cysts formed and transported in the water column.

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Publication Details

Journal
Fishes
Published
2024-08-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9090340
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Marine Toxins and Detection Methods
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.00

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article

Are Alexandrium catenella Blooms Spreading Offshore in Southern Chile? An In-Depth Analysis of the First PSP Outbreak in the Oceanic Coast

Cristina Hernández, Rosa Isabel Figueroa, Andrés Marín, Gonzalo Álvarez et al.
4 citations
Fishes
Marine Toxins and Detection Methods
1.00
article

Are Alexandrium catenella Blooms Spreading Offshore in Southern Chile? An In-Depth Analysis of the First PSP Outbreak in the Oceanic Coast

Cristina Hernández, Rosa Isabel Figueroa, Andrés Marín, Gonzalo Álvarez, Edwin J. Niklitschek, Sergio A. Rosales, Pamela Carbonell, Leila Basti, Patricio A. Díaz, Daniel Varela, Manuel Díaz, Carlos Molinet, Miriam Seguel, Bárbara Cantarero
article en
4 citations

Abstract

The blooms of Alexandrium catenella, the main producer of paralytic shellfish toxins worldwide, have become the main threat to coastal activities in Southern Chile, such as artisanal fisheries, aquaculture and public health. Here, we explore retrospective data from an intense Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning outbreak in Southern Chile in Summer–Autumn 2016, identifying environmental drivers, spatiotemporal dynamics, and detoxification rates of the main filter-feeder shellfish resources during an intense A. catenella bloom, which led to the greatest socio-economic impacts in that area. Exponential detoxification models evidenced large differences in detoxification dynamics between the three filter-feeder species surf clam (Ensis macha), giant barnacle (Austromegabalanus psittacus), and red sea squirt (Pyura chilensis). Surf clam showed an initial toxicity (9054 µg STX-eq·100 g−1) around 10-fold higher than the other two species. It exhibited a relatively fast detoxification rate and approached the human safety limit of 80 µg STX-eq·100 g−1 towards the end of the 150 days. Ecological implications and future trends are also discussed. Based on the cell density evolution, data previously gathered on the area, and the biology of this species, we propose that the bloom originated in the coastal area, spreading offshore thanks to the resting cysts formed and transported in the water column.

FishesVol. 9(9)
Abu Dhabi University (AE), Austral University of Chile (CL), United Arab Emirates University (AE), Emirates Foundation (AE), Universidad Católica del Norte (CL), San Sebastián University (CL), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (ES), Universidad de Los Lagos (CL), Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (CL), Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (CL), Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (JP), WorldFish (MY)
National Science Foundation, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agenția Națională pentru Cercetare și Dezvoltare, Xunta de Galicia, Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias, CHIST-ERA
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
Marine Toxins and Detection Methods
1.00
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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