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Unraveling the Environmental Threat of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs): Causes...
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Unraveling the Environmental Threat of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs): Causes and Impacts

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine and Freshwater Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 3510

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rafael Carballeira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, C/ Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
Interests: phycology; phytoplankton; diatoms; taxonomy; microbial ecology; ecosystem services
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vitor Gonçalves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Pólo dos Açores, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
2. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Interests: limnology; phycology; water quality; biodiversity & conservation; phytoplankton; diatoms; paleolimnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a growing concern for ecological and public health worldwide; however, the mechanisms that trigger this complex ecological phenomenon are still largely unknown. Therefore, unraveling them is crucial because of HABs’ far-reaching ecological and socio-economic impact. The abundance of information on HABs underscores the pressing need for a Special Issue dedicated to exploring their causes and impacts. HABs pose significant challenges to aquatic ecosystems and human health, making them the main goal for interdisciplinary research efforts due to the intricate mechanisms behind bloom formation, their enhancing factors, and the diverse array of impacts they impose. The articles in this Special Issue focus on key issues including ecological drivers that boost HABs, the environmental control of toxin production, and the impacts of HABs on public health or socioeconomic activities, with the aim of identifying the main research gaps and future directions for advancing our understanding of HABs and improving management practices and policies.

Dr. Rafael Carballeira
Dr. Vitor Gonçalves
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • harmful algal blooms
  • phytoplankton
  • microalgae
  • toxins
  • red tide
  • water quality
  • socioeconomic impacts
  • monitoring
  • mitigation strategies
  • ecosystem services

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6585 KiB  
Article
Regional and Longitudinal Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Blooms/Cyanobiome and Cyanotoxin Production in the Great Lakes Area
by Faizan Saleem, Jennifer L. Jiang, Enze Li, Kevin Tran, Adam Boere, Mahbuba Rahman, Athanasios Paschos, Judy A. Westrick, Arthur Zastepa, Thomas A. Edge and Herb E. Schellhorn
Toxins 2024, 16(11), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16110471 - 1 Nov 2024
Viewed by 756
Abstract
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are a diverse group of prokaryotic microorganisms that impact global biogeochemical cycles. Under eutrophic conditions, cyanobacterial species can produce cyanotoxins, resulting in harmful algal blooms (cHABs) that degrade water quality and result in economic and recreational losses. The Laurentian Great [...] Read more.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are a diverse group of prokaryotic microorganisms that impact global biogeochemical cycles. Under eutrophic conditions, cyanobacterial species can produce cyanotoxins, resulting in harmful algal blooms (cHABs) that degrade water quality and result in economic and recreational losses. The Laurentian Great Lakes, a key global freshwater source, are increasingly affected by these blooms. To understand the underlying mechanisms in cHAB formation, we investigated microcystin levels, cyanotoxin genes/transcripts, and taxonomic/microcystin metabarcoding across three sampling locations in the Canadian Great Lakes region, including Hamilton Harbour, Bay of Quinte, and Three Mile Lake (Muskoka), to observe the regional and longitudinal cyanobacterial dynamics. The results revealed a positive correlation between microcystin levels, the occurrence of cyanobacterial taxonomic/cyanotoxin molecular markers, and the relative widespread abundance of specific dominant cyanobacterial taxa, including Planktothrix, Microcystis, and Dolichospermum. The Cyanobium genus was not observed in Hamilton Harbor samples during late summer (August to September), while it was consistently observed in the Three Mile Lake and Bay of Quinte samples. Notably, Dolichospermum and saxitoxin genes were predominantly higher in Three Mile Lake (an inland lake), suggesting site-specific characteristics influencing saxitoxin production. Additionally, among the potential microcystin producers, in addition to Microcystis, Hamilton Harbour and Bay of Quinte samples showed consistent presence of less dominant microcystin-producing taxa, including Phormidium and Dolichospermum. This study highlights the complexity of cHAB formation and the variability in cyanotoxin production in specific environments. The findings highlight regional and site-specific factors that can influence cyanobacterial taxonomic and molecular profiles, necessitating the integration of advanced molecular technologies for effective monitoring and targeted management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unraveling the Environmental Threat of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs): Causes and Impacts)
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13 pages, 3203 KiB  
Article
Brevetoxin Aptamer Selection and Biolayer Interferometry Biosensor Application
by Bo Hu, Sheng-Qun Ouyang, Yu-Ping Zhu, Xiao-Ling Lu, Zhe Ning, Bing-Hua Jiao, Liang-Hua Wang, Hao-Bing Yu and Xiao-Yu Liu
Toxins 2024, 16(10), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16100411 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 867
Abstract
Brevetoxins (PbTxs) are very potent marine neurotoxins that can cause an illness clinically described as neurologic shellfish poisoning (NSP). These toxins are cyclic polyether in chemistry and have increased their geographical distribution in the past 2 decades. However, the ethical problems as well [...] Read more.
Brevetoxins (PbTxs) are very potent marine neurotoxins that can cause an illness clinically described as neurologic shellfish poisoning (NSP). These toxins are cyclic polyether in chemistry and have increased their geographical distribution in the past 2 decades. However, the ethical problems as well as technical difficulties associated with currently employed analysis methods for marine toxins have spurred the quest for suitable alternatives to be applied in a regulatory monitoring regime. In this work, we reported the first instance of concurrent aptamer selection of Brevetoxin-1 (PbTx-1) and Brevetoxin-2 (PbTx-2) and constructed a biolayer interferometry (BLI) biosensor utilizing PbTx-1 aptamer as a specific recognition element. Through an in vitro selection process, we have, for the first time, successfully selected DNA aptamers with high affinity and specificity to PbTx-1 and PbTx-2 from a vast pool of random sequences. Among the selected aptamers, aptamer A5 exhibited the strongest binding affinity to PbTx-1, with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 2.56 μM. Subsequently, we optimized aptamer A5 by truncation to obtain the core sequence (A5-S3). Further refinement was achieved through mutations based on the predictions of a QGRS mapper, resulting in aptamer A5-S3G, which showed a significant increase in the KD value by approximately 100-fold. Utilizing aptamer A5-S3G, we fabricated a label-free, real-time optical BLI aptasensor for the detection of PbTx-1. This aptasensor displayed a broad detection range from 100 nM to 4000 nM PbTx-1, with a linear range between 100 nM and 2000 nM, and a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 4.5 nM. Importantly, the aptasensor showed no cross-reactivity to PbTx-2 or other marine toxins, indicating a high level of specificity for PbTx-1. Moreover, the aptasensor exhibited excellent reproducibility and stability when applied for the detection of PbTx-1 in spiked shellfish samples. We strongly believe that this innovative aptasensor offers a promising alternative to traditional immunological methods for the specific and reliable detection of PbTx-1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unraveling the Environmental Threat of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs): Causes and Impacts)
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17 pages, 4829 KiB  
Article
Naturally and Anthropogenically Induced Lingulodinium polyedra Dinoflagellate Red Tides in the Galician Rias (NW Iberian Peninsula)
by Ricardo Prego, Roberto Bao, Manuel Varela and Rafael Carballeira
Toxins 2024, 16(6), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16060280 - 19 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1160
Abstract
Despite the fact that the first red tide reported on the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula was due to Lingulodinium polyedra, knowledge about their frequency and, particularly, about the environmental conditions contributing to bloom initiation is still scarce. For this reason, L. [...] Read more.
Despite the fact that the first red tide reported on the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula was due to Lingulodinium polyedra, knowledge about their frequency and, particularly, about the environmental conditions contributing to bloom initiation is still scarce. For this reason, L. polyedra bloom episodes were observed and studied in three Galician rias during the summer season based on the 1993–2008 record database period; additionally, samples were collected in summer 2008. Proliferations of L. polyedra occurred in the rias of Ares and Barqueiro in June and August, respectively, while in the Ria of Coruña, they persisted from the end of June to early September. Red tides developed when the surface temperature reached 17 °C, with “seasonal thermal window” conditions, and when salinities were ≥30, i.e., an “optimal salinity window”; when these parameters were lower than these thresholds, cyst germination decreased. A cyst transport mechanism from sediments to the surface must also exist; this mechanism was found to be natural (tidal currents) in the ria of Barqueiro or anthropogenic (dredging) in the rias of Ares and Coruña. Surface temperatures during summer were usually favorable for cyst germination (85 to 100%) during the 1993–2008 period; however, water temperatures below 10 m depth only rarely reached the 17 °C threshold (2 to 18%). During this 16-year period, dredging activities could explain 71% (Coruña) and 44% (Ares) of the recorded bloom events. When a bloom episode developed in early summer, favorable conditions did not lead to a new red tide, probably due to the lag period required by cysts for germination. Moreover, blooms did not develop when high densities of diatoms (>1,000,000 cells·L−1) remained in the water column as a result of summer upwelling pulses occurring in specific years. The temperature–sediment disturbance pattern found in this study provides a useful tool for the prevention of eventual risks resulting from red tides of this dinoflagellate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unraveling the Environmental Threat of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs): Causes and Impacts)
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