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Publications (49)
Over recent decades, monitoring coastal areas has becoming a priority due to human population pressure. These areas constitute biodiversity enclaves where the increment in phytoplankton blooms have become a socio-ecological problem with severe impacts at global and regional scales. An important area they affect is the Patagonia Fjords, a complex an...
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...
Durvillaea incurvata is a brown macroalgae of ecological, social, and economic importance subjected to a drastic increase in harvesting pressure over the last decade in Chile. In this study, we performed an experimental transplantation of juveniles of D. incurvata, assessing the potential use as a restocking technique. Different types of restocking...
Outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning caused by the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella (Dinophyceae) are currently a serious global problem both from economic and food hygiene perspectives. In Chile, A. catenella was first recorded in 1972 and is currently the main harmful algae species in the country, in terms of seafood security. As...
Annual populations of Macrocystis pyrifera in Southern Chile have been the main focus of studies intending to understand how these populations can couple consecutive sporophytic generations. Research has included studying the population dynamics and gametophytic responses to environmental conditions and the role of recruitment, grazing, and the use...
Harmful algal blooms, in particular recurrent blooms of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), frequently limit commercial shellfish harvests, resulting in serious socioeconomic consequences. Although the PSP-inducing species that threaten the most vulnerable commercial species of shellfish ar...
The bloom-forming toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella was first detected in southern Chile (39.5–55° S) 50 years ago and is responsible for most of the area’s cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Given the complex life history of A. catenella, which includes benthic sexual cysts, in this study, we examined the potential link between...
The bloom-forming toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella was first detected in Southern Chile (39.5–55°S) 50 years ago and is responsible for most of the area’s cases of paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP). Given the complex life history of A. catenella, which includes benthic
sexual cysts, in this study we examined the potential link between l...
Alexandrium catenella is the main species that form harmful algae blooms (HABs) in southern Chile. Since its first record in 1972 in the Magallanes region this species apparently has increased its range distribution from south to north. In this study, we investigate the influence of the range expansions distribution on the A. catenella populations...
Alexandrium catenella, the main species associated with harmful algal blooms, has progressively increased its distribution through one of the most extensive and highly variable fjord systems in the world. In order to understand this successful expansion, we evaluated the effects of different salinities, light intensity, temperatures, nitrogen (N) f...
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of toxin-producing microalgae, mainly Alexandrium catenella, Dinophysis spp., and Pseudo-nitzschia australis, cause the severe illnesses referred to as paralytic, diarrheic, and amnesic shellfish poisoning. They therefore threaten the sustainable exploitation of bivalves, including in northern and southern Chile, sites o...
In southern Chile, Alexandrium catenella is the main species generating harmful algal blooms (HABs) and over time it has expanded its range since it was first recorded in the Magallanes region in 1972. In 2016 a severe bloom of an Alexandrium species occurred, which was notable for its intensity and geographical extent, extending into new areas to...
Finfish aquaculture is an activity that has experienced an explosive global development, but presents several environmental risks, such as high nitrogen outputs with potential eutrophication consequences. Therefore, the integration of seaweed aquaculture with the aim of decreasing nitrogen emissions associated with intensive salmon farming has been...
Resting cysts play an important role in the origin and initiation of Alexandrium dinoflagellate blooms in different coastal environments. Alexandrium catenella causes major economic impacts for the Chilean shellfish and fish farm industries, but the environmental conditions that regulate the encystment timing and cyst production rate in the seasona...
Kelp cultivation started in Japan, China and Korea, mainly for human consumption; new applications are still expanding. In Chile, three "wild" Lessonia species and Macrocystis pyrifera are under a strong and increasing pressure of exploitation mainly for alginate production and as a source of feed for abalone. Regulatory restrictions for kelp explo...
Annual populations of Macrocystis pyrifera in Southern Chile have been the main focus of studies intending
to understand how these populations can couple consecutive sporophytic generations. Research has included studying the population dynamics and gametophytic responses to environmental conditions and the role of recruitment, grazing, and the use...
Among the environmental factors that control the formation of toxic blooms in phytoplanktonic species, nutrients are considered fundamental. Alexandrium catenella strain AY2 was cultured during one month, in order to determine the specific growth rate, abundance and toxicity in different nutrients ratios. The three conditions studied were: nitrogen...
Since 1998, blooms of the epi-benthic dinoflagellate, Ostreopsis cf. ovata Fukuyo have been reported in the Arraial do Cabo area, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This dinoflagellate can produce one of the most lethal marine toxins, palytoxin (PLTX) and its analogues. In the study reported herein, the growth rate, cellular dimensions and toxin profile of tw...
Juvenile Northern scallops Argopecten purpuratus were exposed to cultures of the paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) producing dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catenella, or a non-toxic microalga as a control, T-iso. After 3 and 6 days of exposure to either A. catenella or T-iso, scallops were stimulated to elicit an escape response by exposing them to the...
Parasitoids belonging to Amoebophryidae (Marine ALVeolate Group II or MALV II) infecting dinoflagellates were investigated in Reloncavi Fjord (southern Chile) in the austral summer 2009. Of the 12 dinoflagellate species recorded during monthly sampling, Prorocentrum micans, Dinophysis acuminata, and Phalacroma rotundata were infected by Amoebophrya...
Morphological, toxicological and phylogenetic analyses, using the partial LSU gene and internal spacer (ITS) regions of the rDNA gene, were combined to evaluate the intraregional diversity of Alexandrium catenella occurring along the southern coast of Chile. Twenty-two strains isolated from different localities along the wide area of distribution o...
Morphological and phylogenetic analyses and sequencing of the partial LSU gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rDNA gene were combined to study toxic strains of Alexandrium tamiyavanichi Balech collected from northeastern Brazilian coastal waters. All specimens were identified with A. tamiyavanichi mainly based on the shape of...
In order to test their usability in vertical structured, integrated aquaculture approaches, the light acclimation characteristics of three commercially important red algal species of southern Chile were investigated. Light affinity, maximum photosynthesis and respiration rate were measured. Analyses of the non-photochemical quenching and pigment co...
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems are designed to mitigate the environmental problems caused by several forms of fed aquaculture. Gracilaria chilensis is commercially cultivated in Chile and experimental studies recommend it as an efficient biofilter in IMTA systems. Traditional bottom culture Gracilaria farms face production prob...
In 2007 salmon, mollusk and seaweed aquaculture production in Chile totaled 904 thousand tonnes, making the nation the leading marine aquaculture producer in the western world. Salmonids grown in open cage net pens account for over 73% of the production. This review summarizes the current status of Chilean aquaculture and proposes the establishment...
Seaweed production is a reality in Chile. More than ten species are commercially used to produce phycocolloids, fertilizers,
plant growth control products, human food or animal fodder and feed additives. These multiple uses of algae offer a number
of possibilities for coupling this activity to salmon, abalone and filter-feeder farming. In this cont...
The distribution, abundance and diversity of modern dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were investigated in sediments from the inshore seas of southern Chile (438089–548559 S) at eight sites from April 2004 to Janu-ary 2005. A total of 24 cyst types were recorded, of which 12 and five were identified at the species and genus lev-els, respectively. Din...
Production of seaweeds in Chile has fluctuated between 120,000 and 316,000 wet metric tons per year during the last ten years. The most important Phaeophyta are exploited for alginate production and as abalone feed. Among the Rhodophyta, Chilean production comes mainly from wild stocks, as at present cultivation on a commercial scale is restricted...
This study evaluates the hypothesis that spore coalescence may cause intraclonal variation. Spore coalescence might allow the occurrence of unitary thalli that in fact correspond to genetically different, coalesced individuals. Plant portions simultaneously derived from these chimeric individuals may exhibit dissimilar growth responses even when in...
The red alga Mazzaella laminarioides is an economically important species with an extended latitudinal distribution along the Chilean coast. Its populations form mid-intertidal stands, several meters wide, and therefore are differentially exposed to environmental variables that result in temporal and spatial variability in productivity. We evaluate...
The production of farmed salmonids in Chile reached 550 000 t in 2004. The industry is considered to be consolidated, but with potential for further expansion to the south into pristine coastal areas. The environmental impacts of the salmonid farming industry in Chile were reviewed in 1996, and evidence at that time did not suggest significant adve...
Exploitation of carrageenophytic seaweeds in Chile has increased significantly over the past few years. Gigartina skottsbergii is one of the species exploited and the harvesting pressure could have negative consequences on the sustainability of this resource. Although demand for raw material of G. skottsbergii continues to increase, basic knowledge...
Strain selection studies in Gracilaria chilensis detected significant levels of intra-clonal variation. These findings motivated more detailed studies on the causes and implications
of intra-clonal variation in these and other red algal species. Our results indicate that intra-clonal variation is common
among replicated units (e.g.: carpospores and...
Field farming of Gracilaria chilensis in Chile is mainly based on the regenerative capacity of thallus fragments. This study evaluates experimentally the effects
on growth of the few organismic determinants that the farmer is capable of effectively handling in the field. No differences
were found in the length increments of ramets with and without...
Many of the agar-producing species of Gelidium and Pterocladia live on calcareous substrata in habitats with strong water movement. The thalli may suffer fragmentation by hydrodynamic drag but the vegetative fragments may reattach through differentiation of bundles of colorless, elongated rhizoids produced by inner and outer cortical cells. These r...
The phenotypic plasticity often found in seaweed populations has been explained only from the perspective of inter-population or inter-individual differences. However, many seaweeds grow and propagate by fragmentation of genetically identical units, each with the capacity to function on its own. If significant differences in performance exist among...
Differences in susceptibility to epiphytes among algal species have been explained traditionally on the basis of various defense and escape mechanisms. Gracilaria chilensis exhibits inter-strain differences to susceptibility to epiphytes but such differences seem more related to stimulation of propagule attachment rather than to defense or escape m...
