Variability of dinoflagellates and their associated toxins in relation with environmental drivers in Ambon Bay, eastern Indonesia

Sem Likumahua; M Karin de Boer; Bernd Krock; Salomy Hehakaya; La Imu; Annegret Müller; Thomas Max; Anita G J Buma

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110778

Variability of dinoflagellates and their associated toxins in relation with environmental drivers in Ambon Bay, eastern Indonesia

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Jan:150:110778. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110778. Epub 2019 Dec 4.

Authors

Sem Likumahua¹, M Karin de Boer², Bernd Krock³, Salomy Hehakaya⁴, La Imu⁴, Annegret Müller³, Thomas Max³, Anita G J Buma⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ocean Ecosystems, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands; Centre for Deep Sea Research-LIPI, Jl. Y. Syaranamual Guru-guru Poka, 97233 Ambon, Indonesia.. Electronic address: s.likumahua@rug.nl.
² Department of Ocean Ecosystems, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands; Beta Science Shop, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
³ Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
⁴ Centre for Deep Sea Research-LIPI, Jl. Y. Syaranamual Guru-guru Poka, 97233 Ambon, Indonesia.
⁵ Department of Ocean Ecosystems, Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, the Netherlands.

PMID: 31910525
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110778

Abstract

The aim of the present work was to unravel which environmental drivers govern the dynamics of toxic dinoflagellate abundance as well as their associated paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) and pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2) in Ambon Bay, Eastern Indonesia. Weather, biological and physicochemical parameters were investigated weekly over a 7-month period. Both PSTs and PTX2 were detected at low levels, yet they persisted throughout the research. Meanwhile, DSTs were absent. A strong correlation was found between total particulate PST and Gymnodinium catenatum cell abundance, implying that this species was the main producer of this toxin. PTX2 was positively correlated with Dinophysis miles cell abundance. Vertical mixing, tidal elevation and irradiance attenuation were the main environmental factors that regulated both toxins and cell abundances, while nutrients showed only weak correlations. The present study indicates that dinoflagellate toxins form a potential environmental, economic and health risk in this Eastern Indonesian bay.

Keywords: Dinophysis miles; Gymnodinium catenatum; Harmful algae; PSTs; Pectenotoxin-2; Toxic dinoflagellate.

MeSH terms

Bays
Dinoflagellida*
Environmental Monitoring
Indonesia
Marine Toxins*
Shellfish

Substances

Marine Toxins