Harmful algal blooms on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica: Toxicology and its effects on the ecosystem and public health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51481/amc.v45i4.120Keywords:
mareas rojas, floraciones algales nocivas, dinoflagelados, toxicologíaAbstract
Justification and Objectives: The first cases of intoxication due to Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB) in Costa Rica were re-ported in 1990. However, towards the end of 1999 a drastic increase of poisoned people was observed, especially along our pacific coast. There is lack of information regarding the problems of HAB. Due to the impact of HAB on public health, local tourism, and the ecosystem, it is necessary to describe toxic species and their toxins to apply adequate control and preventive measures.
Methods: Water samples were taken in various locations along the costa Rican pacific coast with the aim of detect in potentially toxic and harmful species of microalgae. Species identification was carried out morphologically by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. These findings were compared with current literature and the potential toxin of the-se microalgae was proposed as well as the methods of toxicological analysis and the clinical findings of those affected.
Results: Recently, an increase in the number of HAB producing microalgae species has been observed in Costa Rica. This study reports these findings together with ones from those of other authors related to HAB producing species in Cos-ta Rica. In few algal bloom samples, large intracellular bacillary bacteria were found, mainly within the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum micans. This relation may be associated with the toxicity of the algae.
Discussion:It is believed that the increase in coastal zone pollution and the transportation of species by means of ships ballast water may be the cause of the appearance of these microalgaes. The presence of 26 dinoflagellates, 8 diatoms and1 cyanobacteria, all potentially harmful in HAB events, was currently demonstrated along the pacific coast of Costa Rica. These microalgae are capable of producing toxins which maycause: paralysis, amnesia, diarrheia, and neurotoxicity poisonings, ciguatera and Tamandré fever. It is important tha thealth personnel be knowledgeable regarding HAB event sand to implement an effective monitoring and program control in Costa Rica in order to protect the population.
Downloads
References
Hallegraeff G.M., Anderson D.M., Cembella A.D. Manual of HarmfulMarine Microalgae. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission(UNESCO). 1995, 565pp.
Sar E.; Ferrario M.E, Reguera B. Floraciones Nocivas en el Cono SurAmericano. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Vigo, España, 2002,311pp.
Vargas-Montero M., Freer E. Descripción morfológica y ultraestructu-ral de floraciones algales nocivas en el Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica ysu impacto en la salud. Rev Cost de Ciencias Médicas. 2002 ; 23
John U., Quilliam M.A., Medlin L., Cembella A.. Spirolide productionand photoperiod-dependent growth of the marine dinoflagellate Ale-xandrium ostendeldii. Proccedings of Harmful Algae Blooms, NinthConference Tasmania, Australia. 2000, 234pp.
Karnovsky M.J. Aformaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high os-molarity for use in electrón microscopy. Jour. of Cell Biol. 1965;27:137A.
Hargraves P., Víquez R. The dinoflagellates red tide in Golfo de Nico-ya, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 1981; 29(1):31-38.
Hargraves P., Víquez R. Spatial and temporal distribution of phyto-plankton in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Bull. Mar. Sci. 1985;37:577-585.
Mata L., Abarca G., Marranghello L., Víquez R. Intoxicación paralíti-ca por mariscos (IPM) por Spondylus calcifercontaminado con Pyrodi-nium bahamense, Costa Rica, 1989-1990. Rev. Biol.Trop.1990; 38:129-136.
Whyte J. N., Haigh N., Ginther G., Keddy J. First record of blooms ofCochlodinium sp. (Gymnodiniales, Dinophyceae) causing mortality toaquacultured salmon on the west coast of Canada. Phycologia, 2001;40: 298-304.
Fukuyo Y,Takano H, Chihara M. et al. Red Tide Organisms in Japan.Uchida, Japan, 1990. pp.405.
Gusmán H.M., Cortés J., Glynn P.W., Richmond R.H.. Coral mortalityassociated with dinoflagellate blooms in the eastern Pacific (Costa Ri-ca and Panamá). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 1990; 60:209-303.
Víquez R., Hargraves P.Annual cycle potentially harmful dinoflagella-tes in the Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica. Bull Marine Sci 1995; 57: 467-475.
Vargas-Montero M., Freer E. First Report of Pyrodinium bahamensevar. compressumand bahamense(Dynophyta: Peridinae) forming tog-heter a red tide at the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Proccedings of the""4th International Conference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety"", Santia-go de Compostela, España, Junio 2002.
Morales A., Víquez R., Rodríguez K., Vargas M. Primer registro de unamarea roja producida por Lingulodinium polyedrum(Gonyaulacales:Dinophyta) en Bahía Culebra, Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica. Rev.Biol.Tropl. 2001; Supl.49: 19-23.
5 .Va rgas-Montero M., Freer E. Harmful Algae blooms of toxigenic diatomP s e u d o - N i t z s ch i a(B a c i l l a r i o p h y c e a e) in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Ri-ca. Rev. Biol. Trop. 2002. En prensa Volumen especial Grupo ANCA.
Vargas-Montero M., Freer E. Floraciones Algales Nocivas de Ciano-bacterias (Oscillatoriaceae) y dinoflagelados (Gymnodiniaceae) en elGolfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 2002. En prensa.
Anderson D.M., Andersen P., Bricelj V.M., Cullen J.J., Rensel J.E. Mo-nitoring and Management Strategies for Harmful Algal Blooms inCoastal Waters, APEC ·201-MR-01.1. Asia Pacific Economic Program,Singapore, and Interguvernamental Oceanographyc Commission Tech-nical Series, Paris. 2001; No. 59,. 268 pp.
Cortés-Altamirano R. Las Mareas Rojas. A.G.T. Editor, S. A. México,D.F. 1998, 161pp.
Suárez B., Guzmán L. Mareas Rojas y Toxinas Marinas, FloracionesAlgales Nocivas. Santiago de Chile, 1999, 77 pp.
Landsberg J. The Effects of Harmful Algae Blooms on Aquatic Orga-nisms. En: Stickney R. Reviews in Fisheries Science. New York: Fishe-ries Science; 2002; 10:113-390.
Herderson R., Ritchie J.M., Strichartz G.R. The binding of labelled sa-xitoxin to the Sodium Channel in nerve membranes. J. Physiol. 1973;235:783-804.
Murata M, Kumagai JS, Lee JS et al. Isolation and structure of yesso-toxin, a novel polyether compound implicated in diarrhetic shellfishpoisoning. Tetrahedron. 1987;28:5869-5872.
Yasumoto T., Murata M., Oshima Y., Sano M., Matsumoto G.K.,Clardy J. Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins. Tetrahedron 1985; 41:1019-1025.
Yasumoto T., Murata M., Lee J.-S., Torigoe K... Polyether toxins pro-duced by dinoflagellates. In Natori, S., K. Hashimoto & Y. Ueno (eds),Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins. Elsevier,Amsterdam 1989; 375-382.
Cembella A.; Shumway S.E, Lewis N.I. Anatomical distribution andspatio-temporal variation of paralytic shellfish toxin composition intwo bivalve species from the Gulf of Maine. Journal of Shellfish Re-search.1995; 12:389-403.
6 .Bates S.S, Léger C., Satchwell M., Boyer G.L. The effects of iron ondomoic acid production by P s e u d o - N i t z s chia multiseries. Proccedingsof Harmful Algae Blooms, Ninth Conference Tasmania, Australia. 2000
Román Y., Alfonso A., Louzao C., de la Rosa L.A., Leira F., VieitesJ.M., Vieites M., Ofuji K., Satake M., Yasumoto T., Botana L. Azaspi-racid-1, a potent, monopoptotic new phycotoxin with several cell tar-gets. Cellular Signallin2002; 14: 1-14.
Cembella A., Bauder A., MacKinnon S., Quilliam M., Richard D., Wal-ter J., Windust A. Spirolides:Emerging Phycotoxins in Plankton andShellfish from the North Atlantic. Proccedings of the ""4thInternationalConference on Molluscan Shellfish Safety"", Santiago de Compostela,España, Junio 2002.
Vargas-Montero M. Análisis ultraestructural de algunas especies de di-noflagelados marinos presentes en el Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica. Te-sis. Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica, 2001, 101pp.
James K.J, Furey A., Satake M., Yasumoto T.. Azaspiracid poisoning(AZP): a new shellfish toxic syndrome in Europe. Proccedings ofHarmful Algae Blooms, Ninth Conference Tasmania, Australia. 2000
Andrew F., John D., Kane M.. Proccedings of Harmful Algae Blooms,Ninth Conference Tasmania 2000.
Vargas-Montero M., Freer E. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Outbreaksin Costa Rica. Proccedings of the ""XthInternational Conference onHarmful Algae"", St. Pete Beach, Florida, Octubre 2002.
Ishida Y. I., Yoshinaga M.C., Kim, Uchima A. Possibility of bacterialcontrol of harmful algal blooms. En M.T. Martins, M.I.Z. Sato, J.M.Tiedje, L.C.N. Hagler, J. Progress in Microbial Ecology. S.B.M/ICO-ME, Brazil, 1997, pp.495-500.
Doucette G.J., Kodama M., Franca S., Gallacher S.. Bacterial interac-tions with harmful algal bloom. Species bloom ecology, toxigenesis,and cytology. NATOASI Series, Vol. G41. Physiological Ecology ofHarmful Algal Blooms. 1998
Glibert P.M., Pitcher G. Global Ecology and Oceanography of harmfulalgal blooms. Science Plan. An International Programme sponsored bythe Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO). 2001, 86 pp.
Valverde J. Floraciones algales en el Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica, Im-plicaciones en Salud Pública. Tesis UCR. 1999, 98 pp. 37.La Gaceta, 6 de marzo 2001
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2008 Acta Médica Costarricense
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Los autores que publican en la revista Acta Médica Costarricense pueden distribuir, copiar, remezclar, retocar, leer, descargar, imprimir, buscar y crear a partir de su obra de modo no comercial, indicando los créditos a la revista y sus autores y compartir su obra en las mismas condiciones. Para ello se aplica la licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
