Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Chris C. Lim, Jeonggyo Yoon, Kelly Reynolds, Lynn B. Gerald, Andrew P. Ault, Seulkee Kleo, Michelle L. Bell
Summary: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing globally, and the relationship between HAB aerosols and human health remains unclear. This review synthesizes current knowledge and identifies gaps in understanding this relationship. Some HAB aerosols have been linked to respiratory outcomes, but direct measurements of aerosol or toxin concentrations are lacking, and epidemiological studies are limited. Further research is needed to explore the health effects of other HAB species, dose-response relationships, effects of concurrent exposures, the impact of long-term exposures, and disparities in vulnerable populations.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Hyun-Jung Kim, Gaeul Jeoung, Kang Eun Kim, Joon Sang Park, Donhyug Kang, Seung Ho Baek, Chol Young Lee, Hansoo Kim, Sungho Cho, Taek-Kyun Lee, Seung Won Jung
Summary: This study investigated the co-variance between common free-living bacteria and Cochlodinium polykrikoides harmful algal blooms (HABs) and their metabolic functions in the Southern Sea of South Korea. It was found that in high-severity HABs, inorganic phosphorous and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were strongly correlated with C. polykrikoides density. The relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria also increased when C. polykrikoides blooms intensified. Functional analysis showed that chemoheterotrophy-related functions were more common in high-severity sites of HABs than in other groups. The occurrence of HABs highlighted their interactions with bacteria and affected the bacterial community structure and metabolic functions.
Article
Limnology
Anneke Kristin Purz, Dorothee Hodapp, Stefanie Devi Moorthi
Summary: This study investigates the spatial dynamics of harmful algal blooms along a nutrient gradient in an artificially assembled phytoplankton community. Results show an increase in total algal biovolume and decrease in community evenness with higher nutrient concentrations. The harmful dinoflagellate Alexandrium was able to disperse through all flasks and dominate the community at low nutrient concentrations.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuetong Zhao, Hui Zhang, Qianqian Zhang, Zhishuai Qu, Alan Warren, Di Wu, Xiangrui Chen
Summary: Three Dysteria species were collected and studied based on their morphology, infraciliature, and molecular data. A new species, D. paracrassipes, was identified and found to be very similar to D. crassipes in most features, except for the preoral kinety. The genetic diversity between D. crassipes populations was high, indicating potential cryptic species. Additionally, morphological differences were observed in populations of D. brasiliensis, despite having identical molecular sequences.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Zhishuai Qu, Hongbo Pan, Jun Gong, Congcong Wang, Sabine Filker, Xiaozhong Hu
Summary: In this study, we review the taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology of cyrtophorian ciliates in China, providing a comprehensive understanding of their classification and evolutionary history. We provide a species checklist, an illustrated identification key, and molecular data for the study of phylogeny. Our findings suggest that the separation of the stomatogenesis zone from the left kineties is a key evolutionary event in cyrtophorian ciliates, leading to the formation of an independent sexual organelle.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kelly Luis, Philipp Koehler, Christian Frankenberg, Michelle Gierach
Summary: This study explores the use of TROPOMI's red SIF for detecting Karenia brevis, comparing it with the standard remote sensing HAB indicator MODIS-Aqua. The results show that red SIF provides more spatiotemporal fluorescence information than nFLH and can be used for detection under cloudy conditions, which improves early warning systems for harmful algal blooms.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Donald Scavia, Yu-Chen Wang, Daniel R. Obenour
Summary: Ecological models are important for predicting ecosystem responses to stresses, and their reliability depends on long records, skill assessments, and quantifying uncertainty. This study focuses on Lake Erie harmful algal blooms and enhances a Bayesian model using new information and a larger dataset. The model explains a significant portion of the variability in bloom size and performs better than previous forecasts.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Aini Hannani Naqiah Abdul Manaff, Kieng Soon Hii, Zhaohe Luo, Minlu Liu, Ing Kuo Law, Sing Tung Teng, Mohd Fadzil Akhir, Haifeng Gu, Chui Pin Leaw, Po Teen Lim
Summary: A large-scale sampling was conducted in the South China Sea to investigate the molecular diversity and distributions of microeukaryotic protists, focusing on potentially harmful microalgal (HAB) species along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The study discovered various protistan molecular units, including previously unreported HAB taxa, and revealed interesting spatial distribution patterns. The molecular information obtained provides an updated HAB species inventory and a toolset for HAB monitoring and management decisions in the region.
Article
Microbiology
Congcong Wang, Yue Hu, Alan Warren, Xiaozhong Hu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate genetic diversity and species identification within the ciliate order Euplotida using nuclear ribosomal and mitochondrial genes. Results showed that the CO1 gene had higher resolution in separating congeners compared to the SSU rRNA gene, and genetic distances differed significantly at the species level. The presence of more cryptic species was suggested by high genetic divergences observed, with the CO1 gene showing potential as a useful marker for species identification within Euplotes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen Song, Huixin Jiao, Juan Yang, Danxu Tang, Tingting Ye, Lu Li, Lei Yang, Lifang Li, Weibo Song, Saleh A. Al-Farraj, Hunter N. Hines, Weiwei Liu, Xiao Chen
Summary: This study provides an updated hypothesis for the evolutionary history of oligotrichs and choreotrichs based on new evidence obtained by expanding sampling of molecular information across multiple gene loci. The results reveal consistency between morphological taxonomy and an updated phylogenetic system for these two subclasses of marine planktonic ciliates.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xin Cao, Zhong Guo, Hualong Wang, Yuelei Dong, Songhui Lu, Qing-Yu He, Xuesong Sun, Gong Zhang
Summary: Harmful algal blooms are a global threat to marine ecosystems and human health. This study used translatome sequencing to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the Prorocentrum donghaiense algae. Through analyzing the translatome and proteome, the study found that up-regulation of energy and material production pathways in phosphor-rich conditions led to exponential growth of the algae in HABs. The researchers also demonstrated that mild translation delay using low concentrations of cycloheximide can control algal blooms without harming other aquatic organisms or humans.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Subhendu Chakraborty, Stefanie D. Moorthi, Rajat Karnatak, Ulrike Feudel
Summary: The study reveals that the toxic substances produced by toxic phytoplankton suppress the grazing population, giving both phytoplankton species an advantage and leading to irregular patterns in their seasonal growth. The dynamics of toxic phytoplankton blooms become more irregular and severe in the presence of high toxic effects, while non-toxic phytoplankton show annual blooms.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Haihua Wu, Haixing Chang, Nianbing Zhong, Yuting Tang, Yuqi Gong, Wenbo Wu, Jian Liu, Taikun Yin, Gang Li, Shih-Hsin Ho
Summary: This study developed a cheap and eco-friendly cationic straw by etherifying wheat straw, which can efficiently dispose of harmful algal blooms (HABs). By aggregating HABs cells through charge neutralization, the cationic straw achieved a high harvesting efficiency. Unlike traditional salt-based flocculants, the HABs harvesting process with the cationic straw is a spontaneous and exothermic process mainly driven by physical forces.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew Neal Waters, Mark Brenner, Jason Hilleary Curtis, Claudia Suseth Romero-Oliva, Margaret Dix, Manuel Cano
Summary: Research has found that harmful cyanobacteria blooms and cyanotoxin production occurred during periods of ancient Maya occupation, suggesting that human activities may have negatively impacted water quality in the past.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Liu, W. Glamore, B. Tamburic, A. Morrow, F. Johnson
Summary: The study explores the applicability of using multiple satellites data for detecting harmful algal blooms in small to medium waterbodies. It finds that the available satellite bands are crucial for determining detection algorithms, recommending the integration of regular sampling activities and remote sensing for monitoring and managing these waterbodies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)