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First record of red macroalgae bloom in Southern Atlantic Brazil

March 2016
ALGAE 31(1):33-39

DOI:10.4490/algae.2016.31.3.5

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CC BY-NC 3.0

Authors:

Thaís Massocato

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Paulo Antunes Horta

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

José Bonomi Barufi

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Blooms of macroalgae have grown over the planet in recent decades as a possible result of eutrophication of coastal waters. Visually, a bloom forming can be identified by dominant presence of an organism at the expense of others. In mid-January 2014, a forming bloom of red algae was detected on the beach of Garopaba, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. This aroused the interest of tourists and locals as well as the scientific community. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize and quantify the photosynthetic floating organisms contributing to this phenomenon. In addition, we qualitatively compared algal composition of the bloom to those deposited in the post-beach area and the adjacent rocky shore community. Five sampling points in random patches of floating material were defined. At each point, five replicates were taken with a cube of 32,768 cm(3), resulting in a total of 25 samples. Samples were collected in the inner area enclosed by a PVC quadrate of about 900 cm(2) from the shore and the specimens found in post-beach zone ( wrack). Twenty-four taxa of macroalgae were found in the bloom, with Aglaothamnion uruguayense as the dominance one. Ten taxa were found on shore. Only four taxa were found in the post-beach area. The biomass estimated for A. uruguayense in the floating material was 8.35 tons with an estimated area of 52,770 m(2). It is possible that this huge biomass value of the bloom is related to the local nutrient intake, and our results reinforce the necessity of coastal integrative management initiatives.

Study area indicating places of collection in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Left and right images indicate location of Garopaba, SC, Brazil and details of Garopaba Center Beach and Vigia Beach, respectively (source: GoogleEarth © ).

…

General aspect of red algal bloom and sampling procedures. (A) Floating algae at Garopaba Center Beach. (B) Cube used for sampling floating material in bloom at Garopaba Center Beach. Note the cube corners made from PVC tubing and the sides were filled with canvas screen with 0.5 mm porosity. (C) Appearance of algal material deposited on the sand of Vigia Beach. (D) PVC Square (30 × 30 cm) utilized to collect samples at the Vigia Beach (wrack and rocky shore zones).

…

. Contribution of different species present to floating algal biomass at Garopaba Center Beach

…

Organisms identified in three environments (bloom floating species at Garopaba Center Beach, wrack material at Vigia Beach, and Vigia Beach rocky shore community of Garopaba, Santa Catarina)

…

Figures - uploaded by Paulo Antunes Horta

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http://dx.doi.org/10.4490/algae.2016.31.3.5

Open Access

Note

First record of red macroalgae bloom in Southern Atlantic Brazil

Mateus S. Martins, Thaís F. Massocato, Paulo A. Horta and José Bonomi Baruﬁ*

Botany Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário de Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900,

Brazil

Blooms of macroalgae have grown over the planet in recent decades as a possible result of eutrophication of coastal

waters. Visually, a bloom forming can be identiﬁed by dominant presence of an organism at the expense of others. In

mid-January 2014, a forming bloom of red algae was detected on the beach of Garopaba, Santa Catarina State, Brazil.

This aroused the interest of tourists and locals as well as the scientiﬁc community. Thus, the objective of this study was

to characterize and quantify the photosynthetic ﬂoating organisms contributing to this phenomenon. In addition, we

qualitatively compared algal composition of the bloom to those deposited in the post-beach area and the adjacent rocky

shore community. Five sampling points in random patches of ﬂoating material were deﬁned. At each point, ﬁve replicates

were taken with a cube of 32,768 cm3, resulting in a total of 25 samples. Samples were collected in the inner area enclosed

by a PVC quadrate of about 900 cm² from the shore and the specimens found in post-beach zone (wrack). Twenty-four

taxa of macroalgae were found in the bloom, with Aglaothamnion uruguayense as the dominance one. Ten taxa were

found on shore. Only four taxa were found in the post-beach area. The biomass estimated for A. uruguayense in the ﬂoa-

ting material was 8.35 tons with an estimated area of 52,770 m2. It is possible that this huge biomass value of the bloom is

related to the local nutrient intake, and our results reinforce the necessity of coastal integrative management initiatives.

Key Words: abundance; Aglaothamnion uruguayense; bloom; Garopaba; red algae

INTRODUCTION

A bloom is a developing phenomenon due to the over-

growth of a species in the environment at the expense of

others (Cartensen et al. 2007). Such species can be either

macroalgae or microalgae. There are several studies re-

lated to algal blooms from an international perspective.

Algal diversity inside a bloom can be explained by prefe-

rences of herbivory activity (Lotze et al. 2000). They can

be assigned as red, green, or brown tides, according to the

color of the predominant organism, with “green tides” as

the most common one. They have been reported in the

coast of several European countries (Scanlan et al. 2007),

North America (Nelson et al. 2008), and Asia (Liu et al.

2010, Kang et al. 2015). In some places, macroalgae can

ﬂoat freely on the beaches (Piriou et al. 1991, Merceron

and Morand 2004).

In Brazil, several blooms have been detected. They are

predominantly made up of microalgae with impacts on

coastal management, resulting in ﬁsh kills and changes to

food webs (Freitas et al. 1992). In addition, they can cause

human poisoning by direct or indirect ingestion of toxins.

Many of these phenomena have been linked to anthropic

activities such as discharges from industrial and domes-

tic sewages (Figueiredo et al. 2004).

Blooms of seaweeds are different from the microal-

Received February 17, 2016, Accepted March 5, 2016

*Corresponding Author

E-mail: jose.bonomi@gmail.com

Tel: +55-48-37214765, Fax: +55-48-37218545

This is an Open Access article distributed under the

terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Com-

mercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which

permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction

in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[Epub ahead of print]

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http://dx.doi.org/10.4490/algae.2016.31.3.5 2

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bloom formation was initially detected in the city of

Garopaba (total population of 18,000 inhabitants) loca-

ted in the south of Santa Catarina State, Brazil (Fig. 1).

Samples were taken in three different environments in-

cluding Garopaba Center Beach and a nearby pocket be-

ach called Vigia Beach. First, samples were taken from the

ﬂoating bloom material (Fig. 2A). Then, algal materials

were sampled from the rocky shore near the bloom and

from post-beach zone organisms compounding wracks.

For the ﬂoati ng organisms, ﬁve points were selected ran-

domly, covering an area of 500 m in linear length.

Samplings of the Garopaba Center Beach were per-

formed on 29 January 2014. Floating materials were ob-

tained with a 32,768 cm³ cube built with PVC pipes and

surrounded by canvas of approximately 0.5 mm in poro-

sity (Fig. 2B). The cube was positioned into the water, at

various depth (0.5 m to 1.20 m). The open side was placed

toward the ﬁnal last wave. It was remained in this position

for about 3 s. Then the cube was suspended, bringing the

ﬂoating organisms from the bloom. The materials were

inserted into plastic bags and frozen at -20°C. Algae were

collected at 5 points in the bloom. There were 5 replicates

at each point, resulting in a total of 25 samples.

Considering the difﬁculty in acessing the Garopaba

Center Beach rocky shores, we performed qualitative col-

lections on the neighbouring rocky shore of Vigia Beach

on January 28, 2014. For this purpose, six 900 cm2 qua-

drats were sampled in the wrack (Fig. 2C & D). Six qua-

drats were also sampled from the rocky shore. The ma-

gae blooms in at least three aspects. First, they have no

direct chemical toxicity. Second, they have a broader

range of ecological effects involved. Third, these forma-

tions extend for a longer period of time (Hay and Fenical

1988). They may remain in place for years to decades. For

example, in the Peel Harvey Estuary in Western Australia,

a Cladophora sp. bloom lasted for twelve years or more

(Gordon and McComb 1989). In Waquoit Bay, Massachu-

setts, Cladophora sp. and Gracilaria sp. bloom has been

present for over 20 years (Valiela et al. 1992). Kapraun

and Searles (1990) have also reported problems caused in

North Carolina (USA) due to overgrowth of ﬁlamentous

alga Polysiphonia sp. (Ceramiales) that had not been re-

cognized in that area. Lapointe and Bedford (2010) have

indicated that the proliferation of non-native macroalgae

in areas of coral reefs is threatening native species and the

local dynamic ecosystem.

In the summer of 2013-2014, there was a macroalgae

bloom forming in the city of Garopaba, Santa Catarina

State, Brazil. It aroused the interest of tourists and locals

as well as the scientiﬁc community. The aim of this study

was to characterize and quantify photosynthetic organis-

ms present in this bloom that appeared to be ﬂoating in

the water column. Moreover, the ﬂora of a neihgbouring

rocky shore was evaluated to test the hypothesis that the

algae present in this bloom could be part of the local ﬂo-

ra. In addition, as algal material was deposited on the

sand beach, sampling was also conducted in these are-

as to compare their compositions to those of the ﬂoating

species and local rocky shore ﬂora.

Fig. 1. Study area indicating places of collection in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Left and right images indicate location of Garopaba, SC, Brazil

and details of Garopaba Center Beach and Vigia Beach, respectively (source: GoogleEarth©).

[Epub ahead of print]

Martins et al. Red Algae Bloom in Brazil

3http://e-algae.kr

Software PRIMER 7 was utilized to analyze the diffe-

rences between the data of dry biomass of the collection

points associated with taxonomic composition. Permu-

tational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANO-

VA) and similarity percentages analysis (SIMPER) were

applied to assess the main species contributing to the

phenomenon.

RESULTS

Tw en t y s e ve n t a xa w e r e i d e n t iﬁ e d i n th e b l o om , i n c lu -

ding three species of bryozoans (Bugula neritina, Mem-

braniporopsis tubigera, and Amathia sp.). Ten taxa were

recorded from the Vigia Beach rocky shore. Only four

species were represented in the wrack material (Ta b l e 1).

In addition to bryozoans, other non-algae such as crus-

taceans, hairs, and even plastic objects were also found

occasionally in the collected samples. However, they were

neglected, because represented only small and slight por-

tions that would not allow appropriate identiﬁcation, wi-

thout signiﬁcant inﬂuence to the total bloom biomass.

Filamentous red alga Aglaothamnion uruguayense

showed the highest relative abundance in the bloom. It

accounted for 87.1% of the biomass, followed by Hypnea

musciformis with 3.88%, and Pterocladiella capillacea

with 3.15% of the biomass. The remaining taxa presented

lower percentages in these samples (Fig. 3).

terials collected on the shore and wrack were also frozen

at -20°C.

Samples were thawed, sorted, and identiﬁed according

to Joly (1967), Cordeiro-Marino (1978), and Pedrini (2011,

2013). Algae were placed in a stove at 40°C until constant

weights were achieved. The weight was recorded as dry

biomass using an analytical balance (fa2104n model; Bio-

precisa, Curitiba, PR, Brazil). After this step, a portion of

the material representing of each taxon was deposited at

the Herbarium FLOR (Department of Botany herbarium,

Florianópolis) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.

To estimate the algal biomass present in the bloom on

the beach of Garopaba center, we used the Eq. (1) where

 was the individual density per point, m was the average

biomass of the collection points (g), and v was the cube

volume collection (m³). Average density of ﬂowering (X)

were calculated from all Eq. (1) density values (), and to-

tal bloom dry biomass (TBDW) were calculated using Eq.

(2). For this parameter’s calculation, a conservative esti-

mation was taken into account, considering a bloom thi-

ckness of 0.1 m (average depth, h). The area detectable by

the naked-eye (A) was delimited using Google Earth Pro

software.

 = m

(1)

TBDW = X · (A · h)(2)

Fig. 2. General aspect of red algal bloom and sampling procedures. (A) Floating algae at Garopaba Center Beach. (B) Cube used for sampling

ﬂoating material in bloom at Garopaba Center Beach. Note the cube corners made from PVC tubing and the sides were ﬁlled with canvas screen

with 0.5 mm porosity. (C) Appearance of algal material deposited on the sand of Vigia Beach. (D) PVC Square (30 × 30 cm) utilized to collect sam-

ples at the Vigia Beach (wrack and rocky shore zones).

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Overall, the biomass found at each of collection points

were statistically different (PERMANOVA, Pseudo-F4,20 =

8.538, p = 0.001), indicating heterogeneity in the bloom.

Based on SIMPER analysis, the contribution of species

in the bloom at each point could be veriﬁed. The main

species that contributed to the bloom biomass at any of

the ﬁve points was A. uruguayense (Ta b l e 2). The biomass

estimated for this species in the ﬂoating material was 8.35

tons with an estimated area of 52,770 m2.

Ta bl e 1 . Organisms identiﬁed in three environments (bloom ﬂoating species at Garopaba Center Beach, wrack material at Vigia Beach, and

Vigia Beach rocky shore community of Garopaba, Santa Catarina)

Taxa Bloom Garopaba

Center Beach

Vigia Beach

wrack

Vigia Beach

rocky shore

Rhodophyta

Aglaothamnion uruguayense (W. R. Taylor) N. E. Aponte,

D. L. Ballantine & J. N. Norris ×- -

Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) J. V. Lamouroux × × ×

Pterocladiella capillacea (S. G. Gmelin) Santelices & Hommersand × × ×

Pterosiphonia parasitica (Hudson) Falkenberg ×-×

Centroceros clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne ×-×

Plocamium brasiliense (Greville) M. A. Howe & W. R. Taylor ×- -

Gracilaria sp. Greville ×- -

Jania rubens (Linnaeus) J. V. Lamouroux ×-×

Jania cubensis Montagne ex Kützing ×-×

Bryothamnion sp. Kützing ×- -

Arthrocardia sp. Decaisne ×-×

Grateloupia sp. C. Agardh ×- -

Gelidium sp. J. V. Lamouroux ×- -

Cheilosporum sp. (Decaisne) Zanardini ×- -

Cryptopleura ramosa (Hudson) L. Newton ×- -

Chlorophyta - -

Ulva sp. Linnaeus × × ×

Codium sp. Stackhouse × × -

Chaetomorpha sp. Kützing ×- -

Ulva sp. Link 1820 - ×

Cladophora sp. Kützing ×- -

Phaeophyceae - -

Sargassum sp. C. Agardh ×-×

Dictyota sp. J. V. Lamouroux ×- -

Dictyopteris sp. J. V. Lamouroux ×- -

Padina sp. Adanson ×- -

Bryozoa - -

Amathia sp. Busk ×- -

Bugula neritina Linnaeus ×- -

Membraniporopsis tubigera Osburn ×- -

×, taxon occurrence; -, not observed.

Fig. 3. Percentage of total dry biomass found in the floating

material of Garopaba Center Beach bloom during summer 2014.

Dry biomass

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Martins et al. Red Algae Bloom in Brazil

5http://e-algae.kr

mentous species such as Cladophora sp. and Chaetomor-

pha sp. Other species containing different types of cellu-

lar organization have already been reported (Morand and

Briand 1996, Nelson et al. 2003, Lapointe et al. 2005, Tei-

chberg et al. 2010). In the case of Garopaba bloom, the

main species recorded, i.e., A. uruguayense, also shows a

simple morphology with branched uniseriate ﬁlaments.

Bloom formation of H. musciformis in Florida, USA

has been recorded in areas where there is enrichment in

organic matter (Lapointe and Bedford 2007). Dailer et al.

(2012) have shown that H. musciformis is an opportunis-

tic macroalga that can physiologically respond to excess

nutrients in a similar way as Ulva spp. in areas near the

coast of Maui affected by anthropogenic enrichment of

nutrients. These studies have demonstrated that many

taxa found in the samples of Garopaba are already re-

cognized as members of populations present in blooms

whose formation is due to the eutrophication of coastal

waters. This seems to be the case for A. uruguayense. Pe-

dersen and Borum (1996) have concluded that opportu-

nistic macroalgae have fast growth and high nutrient up-

take content (nitrogen and phosphorus), suggesting that

Garopaba Center Beach is an eutrophic environment.

This condition can be assigned following the historic data

of balneability conditions of the zone. Balneability data

for Garopaba Center Beach provided by the Santa Catari-

na State Environmental Foundation (FATMA) has shown

that this beach is qualiﬁed as improper for bathing or so-

cial utilization (CONAMA 274/2000).

Other alternatives to the elucidation of this problem

involving the bloom in the city of Garopaba may be rela-

ted to the operation of currents, local oceanographic con-

ditions, and / or decline in populations of predators. No

related studies regarding the ﬁrst two parameters have

been found. In the case of predation, different studies

suggest that the productivity of the system and higher

trophic level consumers can jointly control the produc-

tion of algae, suggesting that the effect of nutrients on the

growth of algae blooms also depends on the top-down

force (Worm et al. 2002).

DISCUSSION

The macroalgal bloom of Garopaba, Santa Catarina,

occurred in the summer season in 2014. It was primarily

consisted of A. uruguayense. This study is the ﬁrst report

of this species as a dominant species in an algae bloom

phenomenon in the marine environment. This species

has been proposed as one of the eight most common spe-

cies on Santa Catarina Island of Brazil by Batista (2012).

The occurrence of A. uruguayense has been repor-

ted in Cuba ( Taylor 1960), Brasil (Taylor 1960), Uruguay

(Taylor 1960), Florida, USA (Littler et al. 2008), and Ar-

gentina (Boraso de Zaixso 2013), all of them are limited

to the Atlantic Ocean. The predominant ﬁlamentous alga

A. uruguayense in the ﬂoating material was not found in

samples of wrack nor on the near rocky shore. Sampling

of the post-beach area and the Vigia Beach rocky shore

showed a reduced number of taxa, suggesting that this

deposition may have taken place only with signiﬁcantly

robust sized algae. Another possible explanation for this

absence is that the sampling points might be too small.

The constant presence of bryozoans in these samples

suggests the importance of understanding other aspects

of a forming bloom. M. tubigera has been found and des-

cribed in plastic and drifting algae (Taylor and Monks

1997), providing evidence of rafting as a mechanism of

dispersal. Although it is currently unclear where M. tubi-

gera is originally native, it is already considered as inva-

sive in many places where it dwells today. According to

the variety of possible dispersion methods, it is expected

that M. tubigera can reach new locations in other parts of

the oceans in a short period of time (Vieira and Migotto

2014).

Most macroalgae blooms consists of one or two spe-

cies, suggesting that they are more sensitive to excess

nutrients than other macroalgae in the area (Dailer et

al. 2012). In temperate and tropical regions, increasing

eutrophication can lead to the accumulation of biomass

of opportunistic macroalgae of Chlorophyta with simple

morphologies, including Ulva sp., Codium sp., and ﬁla-

Table 2. Contribution of diﬀerent species present to ﬂoating algal biomass at Garopaba Center Beach

Taxa Contribution (%) / Collection point

12345

Aglaothamnion uruguayense 98.78 96.55 97.21 87.66 89.74

Hypnea musciformis 0.93 2.48 0.85 4.25 2.94

Pterocladiella capillacea 0.16 0.23 0.53 3.50 2.76

Others 0.12 0.74 1.40 4.60 4.56

Data were recorded from ﬁve collection points and calculated following similarity percentages analysis (SIMPER).

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http://dx.doi.org/10.4490/algae.2016.31.3.5 6

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anisms, and link to eutrophication. Limnol. Oceanogr.

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to nutrient enrichment in Hawaii, USA. Harmful Algae

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F. J. M. & Pereira, M. J. 2004. Microcystin-producing

blooms: a serious global public health issue. Ecotoxicol.

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M. F. & Monteiro, C. K. 1992. Possible microbial source of

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trophic Australian estuary and its interpretation using a

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utilization of waste algal consortium for extraction of al-

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Paul o, 461 pp.

Kang, E. J., Kim, J. -H., Kim, K., Choi, H. -G. & Kim, K. Y. 2015.

Re-evaluation of green tide-forming species in the Yel-

The destination of algae biomass is a problem for

coastal communities. They are likely to thrown out fre-

quently. However, it can also have intrinsic economic

value (Carmichael et al. 2000, Gupta et al. 2012). In the

case of the Garopaba bloom, the dominant species A.

uruguayense may have a high concentration of acces-

sory photosynthetic pigments, phycocyanin, and phyco-

erythrin (Martins 2013). In addition, this species has high

protein content (Barbarino and Lourenço 2005). There-

fore, it is possible to use it as a food supplement (Martins

2013). Silva (2008) has suggested that the primary poten-

tial of these pigment molecules is that they can be used

as natural dyes. However, a growing number of investiga-

tions have found that they have health properties, includ-

ing pharmaceutical applications (Glazer 1994).

In summary, the marine macroalgal bloom on Garo-

paba Center Beach of Santa Catarina consisted of twenty-

four algal taxa. It also included three species of bryozoans.

This bloom was considered to be composed of heteroge-

neous biomass strains. This is the ﬁrst time that A. uru-

guayense, a turf forming species, is found to be dominant

in this type of phenomenon. However, other minor ma-

croalgae have been described previously as participants

in bloom forming. Little is known about the food chain, or

the local ocean circulation that might have inﬂuenced the

sampling sites and the bloom formation on the Garopaba

Center Beach. However, the absence of appropriate sewa-

ge treatment, as observed in many other countries arou-

nd the world, is related to this phenomenon. In addition,

the described environmental transformation resulted in

loses of health quality of coastal areas. Our results rein-

force the urgence of coastal integrate management initia-

tives including continuous monitoring efforts, in order to

anticipate such phenomena and seek workable solutions

to use this biomass as a resource to beneﬁt of the city.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Antonio João, Erica H. Ricardo, Lu-

ana Silva, Manuela B. Batista, Pablo Riul, and Wellington

Gonçalves for their technical support, including sample

collection, identiﬁcation, and statistic analysis.

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[Epub ahead of print]

Primary Producers

Chapter

Sep 2023

The main primary producers of sandy beaches are unicellular algae usually hidden by their microscopic size but sometimes reaching high density in patches visible to the naked eye. These patches are among the largest known natural planktonic biomass and result from the accumulation of diatoms in the surf zone. Green patches of euglenophytes and brown patches of benthic diatoms form most of the microphytobenthic component, which grows on moist, nutrient-rich intertidal sand. Although the instability of sandy-beach sediment does not favor macroalgae growth, many beaches receive considerable biomass of these primary producers, which may grow on nearby rocky shores and bottoms, or even on offshore areas and are transported to the beach by waves and currents. The complex physical, chemical, and biological interactions that take place on sandy beaches can also favor the flowering of other algae, including harmful ones. As registered for most ecological processes on sandy beaches, primary production is physically controlled and mainly influenced by morphodynamic characteristics. In this chapter, we review the knowledge about the biodiversity, biomass, and primary production of microalgae in Brazilian sandy beaches, as well as the impacts of coastal eutrophication in these environments.

Macroalgal blooms affect the food web of tropical coastal ecosystems impacted by fisheries

Article

Jan 2023
MAR ENVIRON RES

Macroalgal bloom events have been frequent in recent years. Eutrophication and overexploitation fishing may favor blooms through nutrient availability and capturing top predators. We aim to investigate the drivers of the macroalgae blooms and their consequences on the food web of the two tropical coastal ecosystems: Porto do Mangue (with high macroalgae production) and Baía Formosa (control environment, without macroalgae), both exploited by artisanal fisheries in northeastern Brazil. The food webs are modeled using the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) approach. Our results suggest that fishing did not favor macroalgae blooms but rather the high concentration of nutrients added to the semi-arid conditions. Furthermore, the macroalgae bloom showed low trophic impact, so much of their biomass is transferred into detritus. However, when it decomposes, this accumulation of matter alters the structure and functioning of the ecosystem, affecting its main fish resources: shrimp and piscivorous fish. Investigating blooms is key to management.

Stranding events of drift organisms (Arribadas) in southern Brazil and the spread of invasive bryozoan in South America

Article

Nov 2022
MAR POLLUT BULL

The accumulation of drift organisms (Arribadas, constituted by benthic microalgae, macroalgae and bryozoans) on Central Beach in Balne´ario Camboriú (SC) has drawn attention since the early 2000s. However, historical surveys suggest an ancient phenomenon that has been increasing in intensity, promoted by urbanization and the eutrophication of the bay in recent years, leading to changes in the taxonomic composition. Previously, these Arribadas were comprised of two species of benthic microalgae (Amphitetras antediluviana and Biddulphia biddulphiana) and the bryozoan Arbocuspis ramosa. However, since 2019, a substantial increase in biomass has been observed on the beach and the dominance of the macroalgae Bryopsis plumosa strongly suggests an increase in the load of organic matter and nutrients in the bay. Recently (2022) the presence of a new invasive bryozoan species (Amathia alternata) was detected, highlighting the need to continue investigating the Arribadas to monitor the ecological evolution of this process.

Variability of Nutrients and Trace Metals Tissue Content in Two Pelagic Sargassum (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae) Species from South Florida Compared with Global Data

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2021

The pelagic Sargassum bloom might be responding to nutrient enrichment of ocean waters; and the massive amount of biomass might be an opportunity to commercialize this resource. Safe use needs to be tested due to the metals' biosorption ability of Sargassum. Here we present nutrient and trace metal tissue content of pelagic Sargassum collected in South Florida. Samples of S. fluitans, and S. natans collected from three localities in the Biscayne area were cleaned, dried for 48 h at 68 o C, and ground. Analysis were conducted at analytical facilitates at FIU. Mean N tissue content was 1.08 + 0.23 and mean P was 0.0348 ± 0.0122. No deficit of nutrient content compared to global mean values for macrophytes were detected. The C:N ratio of 43.15 + 7.43, and the C:P ratio of 3175 ± 1039 show a high content of C relative to N and P. The N:P ratio of 66+24.35 show a limitation of P content relative to N. The stoichiometric C:N:P ratio of 3175 ±1039: 66±24.35:1 of the South Florida samples compared to the global average of 1,106:38:1 demonstrate a large content of C and N. We suggest that an increase on C availability together with N should be explored as potential causes triggering this macroalgal mega bloom. A high variability in metal concentrations was found, it is noteworthy that arsenic was found in high concentrations in all samples ranging from 73 up to 120 ppm. The characteristic presence of alginates in brown algae, particularly in Sargassum, increases the affinity of species of this genus for trace metals. Variability might reflect individual physiological conditions as well as metals' availability along the trajectory of these pelagic species along the Atlantic. We suggest requesting estimations of tissue metal concentrations before approving Sargassum for human or animal consumption.

Human Health and Ocean Pollution

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2020

Background: Pollution – unwanted waste released to air, water, and land by human activity – is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today. It is responsible for an estimated nine million premature deaths per year, enormous economic losses, erosion of human capital, and degradation of ecosystems. Ocean pollution is an important, but insufficiently recognized and inadequately controlled component of global pollution. It poses serious threats to human health and well-being. The nature and magnitude of these impacts are only beginning to be understood. Goals: (1) Broadly examine the known and potential impacts of ocean pollution on human health. (2) Inform policy makers, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, and the global public of these threats. (3) Propose priorities for interventions to control and prevent pollution of the seas and safeguard human health. Methods: Topic-focused reviews that examine the effects of ocean pollution on human health, identify gaps in knowledge, project future trends, and offer evidence-based guidance for effective intervention. Environmental Findings: Pollution of the oceans is widespread, worsening, and in most countries poorly controlled. It is a complex mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, and sewage. More than 80% arises from land-based sources. It reaches the oceans through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition and direct discharges. It is often heaviest near the coasts and most highly concentrated along the coasts of low- and middle-income countries. Plastic is a rapidly increasing and highly visible component of ocean pollution, and an estimated 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the seas each year. Mercury is the metal pollutant of greatest concern in the oceans; it is released from two main sources – coal combustion and small-scale gold mining. Global spread of industrialized agriculture with increasing use of chemical fertilizer leads to extension of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) to previously unaffected regions. Chemical pollutants are ubiquitous and contaminate seas and marine organisms from the high Arctic to the abyssal depths. Ecosystem Findings: Ocean pollution has multiple negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and these impacts are exacerbated by global climate change. Petroleum-based pollutants reduce photosynthesis in marine microorganisms that generate oxygen. Increasing absorption of carbon dioxide into the seas causes ocean acidification, which destroys coral reefs, impairs shellfish development, dissolves calcium-containing microorganisms at the base of the marine food web, and increases the toxicity of some pollutants. Plastic pollution threatens marine mammals, fish, and seabirds and accumulates in large mid-ocean gyres. It breaks down into microplastic and nanoplastic particles containing multiple manufactured chemicals that can enter the tissues of marine organisms, including species consumed by humans. Industrial releases, runoff, and sewage increase frequency and severity of HABs, bacterial pollution, and anti-microbial resistance. Pollution and sea surface warming are triggering poleward migration of dangerous pathogens such as the Vibrio species. Industrial discharges, pharmaceutical wastes, pesticides, and sewage contribute to global declines in fish stocks. Human Health Findings: Methylmercury and PCBs are the ocean pollutants whose human health effects are best understood. Exposures of infants in utero to these pollutants through maternal consumption of contaminated seafood can damage developing brains, reduce IQ and increase children’s risks for autism, ADHD and learning disorders. Adult exposures to methylmercury increase risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. Manufactured chemicals – phthalates, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals, many of them released into the seas from plastic waste – can disrupt endocrine signaling, reduce male fertility, damage the nervous system, and increase risk of cancer. HABs produce potent toxins that accumulate in fish and shellfish. When ingested, these toxins can cause severe neurological impairment and rapid death. HAB toxins can also become airborne and cause respiratory disease. Pathogenic marine bacteria cause gastrointestinal diseases and deep wound infections. With climate change and increasing pollution, risk is high that Vibrio infections, including cholera, will increase in frequency and extend to new areas. All of the health impacts of ocean pollution fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations in the Global South – environmental injustice on a planetary scale. Conclusions: Ocean pollution is a global problem. It arises from multiple sources and crosses national boundaries. It is the consequence of reckless, shortsighted, and unsustainable exploitation of the earth’s resources. It endangers marine ecosystems. It impedes the production of atmospheric oxygen. Its threats to human health are great and growing, but still incompletely understood. Its economic costs are only beginning to be counted. Ocean pollution can be prevented. Like all forms of pollution, ocean pollution can be controlled by deploying data-driven strategies based on law, policy, technology, and enforcement that target priority pollution sources. Many countries have used these tools to control air and water pollution and are now applying them to ocean pollution. Successes achieved to date demonstrate that broader control is feasible. Heavily polluted harbors have been cleaned, estuaries rejuvenated, and coral reefs restored. Prevention of ocean pollution creates many benefits. It boosts economies, increases tourism, helps restore fisheries, and improves human health and well-being. It advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These benefits will last for centuries. Recommendations: World leaders who recognize the gravity of ocean pollution, acknowledge its growing dangers, engage civil society and the global public, and take bold, evidence-based action to stop pollution at source will be critical to preventing ocean pollution and safeguarding human health. Prevention of pollution from land-based sources is key. Eliminating coal combustion and banning all uses of mercury will reduce mercury pollution. Bans on single-use plastic and better management of plastic waste reduce plastic pollution. Bans on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have reduced pollution by PCBs and DDT. Control of industrial discharges, treatment of sewage, and reduced applications of fertilizers have mitigated coastal pollution and are reducing frequency of HABs. National, regional and international marine pollution control programs that are adequately funded and backed by strong enforcement have been shown to be effective. Robust monitoring is essential to track progress. Further interventions that hold great promise include wide-scale transition to renewable fuels; transition to a circular economy that creates little waste and focuses on equity rather than on endless growth; embracing the principles of green chemistry; and building scientific capacity in all countries. Designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will safeguard critical ecosystems, protect vulnerable fish stocks, and enhance human health and well-being. Creation of MPAs is an important manifestation of national and international commitment to protecting the health of the seas.

Review: Human Health and Ocean Pollution

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2020

Pollution – unwanted waste released to air, water, and land by human activity – is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today. It is responsible for an estimated nine million premature deaths per year, enormous economic losses, erosion of human capital, and degradation of ecosystems.Ocean pollution is an important, but insufficiently recognized and inadequately controlled component of global pollution. It poses serious threats to human health and well-being. The nature and magnitude of these impacts are only beginning to be understood. The review paper (1) Broadly examine the known and potential impacts of ocean pollution on human health. (2) Inform policy makers, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, and the global public of these threats. (3) Propose priorities for interventions to control and prevent pollution of the seas and safeguard human health.

Human Health and Ocean Pollution

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2020

Ulva lactuca blooms through the eyes of fishers: Threats to vulnerable coastal communities

Article

Oct 2024

Electrochemical (Bio)sensors for Toxins Control in the Marine Environment

Chapter

Feb 2023

The effects of climate change and human-caused pollution affect the oceans’ ecosystems through factors such as warming and acidification. These effects cause the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce marine toxins (MTs) (e.g. Tetrodotoxin, Palytoxin, Ciguatoxin, Brevetoxin), which are a serious threat to human health and a vital concern for the fishery industry. HABs also expand and consequently occur with increasing frequency in previously unaffected areas. Traditional methods for toxin analysis, despite being reliable, are laborious and expensive, and require highly specialized equipment only available in centralized laboratories. Therefore, fast and portable analytical sensors, enabled to perform in situ analysis, have emerged to circumvent these problems. Biosensors, which show high selectivity because of the use of a recognition element, represent these attractive alternatives, resulting in exceptional miniaturized devices that meet the required analytical performances. This chapter focuses on electrochemical (bio)sensors for the detection of emerging MTs. First, the importance and sources of these MTs are summarized and then, the concept of electrochemical biosensors, their main components and detection techniques, are briefly explained. Finally, an overview of the reported (bio)sensors for these toxins is included, highlighting their main characteristics regarding construction, analytical features, and applications.

The role of inputs of marine wrack and carrion in sandy-beach ecosystems: a global review

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022
BIOL REV

Sandy beaches are iconic interfaces that functionally link the ocean with the land via the flow of organic matter from the sea. These cross-ecosystem fluxes often comprise uprooted seagrass and dislodged macroalgae that can form substantial accumulations of detritus, termed 'wrack', on sandy beaches. In addition, the tissue of the carcasses of marine animals that regularly wash up on beaches form a rich food source ('carrion') for a diversity of scavenging animals. Here, we provide a global review of how wrack and carrion provide spatial subsidies that shape the structure and functioning of sandy-beach ecosystems (sandy beaches and adjacent surf zones), which typically have little in situ primary production. We also examine the spatial scaling of the influence of these processes across the broader land-and seascape, and identify key gaps in our knowledge to guide future research directions and priorities. Large quantities of detrital kelp and seagrass can flow into sandy-beach ecosystems, where microbial decom-posers and animals process it. The rates of wrack supply and its retention are influenced by the oceanographic processes that transport it, the geomorphology and landscape context of the recipient beaches, and the condition, life history and morphological characteristics of the macrophyte taxa that are the ultimate source of wrack. When retained in beach ecosystems, wrack often creates hotspots of microbial metabolism, secondary productivity, biodiversity, and nutrient remineralization. Nutrients are produced during wrack breakdown, and these can return to coastal waters in surface flows (swash) and aquifers discharging into the subtidal surf. Beach-cast kelp often plays a key trophic role, being an abundant and preferred food source for mobile, semi-aquatic invertebrates that channel imported algal matter to predatory invertebrates, fish, and birds. The role of beach-cast marine carrion is likely to be underestimated, as it can be consumed rapidly by highly mobile scavengers (e.g. foxes, coyotes, raptors, vultures). These consumers become important vectors in transferring marine productivity inland, thereby linking marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Whilst deposits of organic matter on sandy-beach ecosystems underpin a range of ecosystem functions and services, they can be at variance with aesthetic perceptions resulting in widespread activities, such as 'beach cleaning and grooming'. This practice diminishes the energetic base of food webs, intertidal fauna, and biodiversity. Global declines in seagrass beds and kelp forests (linked to global warming) are predicted to cause substantial reductions in the amounts of marine organic matter reaching many beach ecosystems, likely causing flow-on effects for food webs and biodiversity. Similarly, future sea-level rise and increased storm frequency are likely to alter profoundly the physical attributes of beaches, which in turn can change the rates at which beaches retain and process the influxes of wrack and animal carcasses. Conservation of the multi-faceted ecosystem services that sandy beaches provide will increasingly need to encompass a greater societal appreciation and the safeguarding of ecological functions reliant on beach-cast organic matter on innumerable ocean shores worldwide.

Elementos para el estudio de las macroalgas de Argentina.

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Se describen los elementos para el estudio de las macroalgas de Argentina indicados en el curso posgrado sobre identificación de macroalgas marinas bentónicas dictado durante la VIII Jornadas de Ciencias del Mar (Comodoro Rivadavia, Diciembre de 2012). Se encuentra disponible la versión digital (ISBN 978-987-1937-14-1) de similar contenido.

Membraniporopsis tubigera (Osburn, 1940) (Bryozoa) on floating substrata: evidence of a dispersal mechanism in the western Atlantic

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2014

Re-evaluation of green tide-forming species in the Yellow Sea

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2014

Green tides occur every year in the Yellow Sea (YS), and numerous investigations are proceeding on various aspects of the phenomenon. We have identified bloom-forming species collected from diverse locations in the YS using morphological traits and the chloroplast gene for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL). Morphological and rbcL sequence data analyses characterized the blooming species on both sides of the YS as belonging to the Ulva linza-procera-prolifera (LPP) complex clade or U. prolifera of earlier reports. However, U. procera within the LPP complex must be regarded as synonym of U. linza. Moreover, U. prolifera in free-floating samples collected from the Qingdao coast in 2009 was clearly in a distinct clade from that of the blooming species. Therefore, U. linza is the main green tide alga in the YS and has the procera-morphology. The green drift mats in the southeastern part of the YS (southwest sea of Korea) consisted predominantly of U. linza and rarely of U. compressa or U. prolifera.

Macroalgas (Ocrófitas Multicelulares) Marinhas do Brasil

Book

Full-text available

Jul 2013

Alexandre De Gusmão Pedrini

Este terceiro volume da Série Flora Marinha do Brasil abrange a biodiversidade tanto de macroalgas pardas quanto de microalgas marinhas do fundo do nosso litoral. Reunindo 13 autores de universidades do Nordeste ao Sul do Brasil, este livro apresenta 23 gê-neros de algas pardas macroscópicas bastante comuns no litoral brasileiro, incluindo: a) descrição detalhada da morfologia e reprodução dos corpos dessas plantas; b) informações de utilidade humana e ambiental sobre importantes espécies dos gêneros; c) número de espécies marinhas do gênero no planeta; d) distribuição geográfica nos estados brasilei-ros e no mundo; e) farta ilustração das espécies representativas; f) chaves morfológicas para a identificação de cada gênero; g) glossário técnico com mais de 300 termos de interesse no estudo das algas; h) literatura emblemática sobre algas pardas marinhas brasileiras, com ênfase em impor-tantes obras essencialmente nacionais, que permitem a determinação segura das espé-cies de cada gênero. Em suma, este livro é indispensável a leigos que desejem identificar, com segurança, a flora marinha do litoral brasileiro, pois inclui as recentes atualiza-ções da nomenclatura internacional. Pelo seu cará-ter didático, é dirigido a biólogos, botânicos, pro-fessores de biologia, botânica e biologia marinha, oceanógrafos, engenheiros de pesca, engenheiros ambientais, ecólogos, consultores socioambientais, educadores ambientais, gestores ambientais, dentre outros.

Marine Algae of the Eastern Tropical and Subtropical Coasts of North America

Article

Nov 1961

Rodoficeas Bentônicas Marinhas do Estado de Santa Catarina

Article

Jan 1978

M. Cordeiro-Marino

A New Cheilostome Bryozoan Genus Pseudoplanktonic on Molluscs and Algae

Article

Jan 1997

The little-known bryozoan Membranipora eburnea HINCKS is redescribed and designated the type species of the new genus Jellyella. The twinned ancestrula of this malacostegan-grade cheilostome places it within the Membraniporidae, along with Membranipora and Biflustra. Jellyella is distinguished by the presence of intricately branched processes (spinules) projecting into the zooidal chambers, and a calcitic skeletal ultrastructure of transversely arranged, elongate spindles. The ''Gulf weed bryozoan,'' Membranipora tuberculata (BOSC), is also assigned to the new genus as Jellyella tuberculata. Both species of Jellyella seem primarily to encrust floating substrates: based on available museum material, J. eburnea usually grows on drifting shells of dead individuals of the cephalopod Spirula but can also be found as an epizoan of the floating gastropod Janthina and on algae; J. tuberculata is normally an epiphyte of Sargassum. Collections of Spirula shells from beaches around the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans are commonly encrusted by J. eburnea but very seldom by any other bryozoans. Jellyella is therefore interpreted as a rare example of a pseudoplanktonic genus among the typically benthic bryozoans.

Responses of bloom forming and non-bloom forming macroalgae to nutrient enrichment in Hawai’I, USA

Article

May 2012
HARMFUL ALGAE

Macroalgal blooms of Ulva lactuca and Hypnea musciformis have been problematic in shallow coastal waters around agricultural and urbanized regions of Maui, Hawai‘i for decades. Observations have highlighted the correspondence between these blooms and elevated nutrient levels from the adjacent land-use, however little evidence exists regarding the effects of nutrient enrichment on the blooming and non-blooming macroalgae in the area. To determine if elevated nutrient levels influence H. musciformis physiology, we conducted a nutrient enrichment (+N, +P, and +N+P) experiment and measured growth, photosynthetic status, and pigment absorbance. Phycobilin pigments were significantly reduced in the no addition and +P treatment and maintained in those with N additions, suggesting that H. musciformis can use phycobilins to store N. We conducted a second, larger experiment with additions of secondarily-treated wastewater effluent on the bloom forming species Acanthophora spicifera, H. musciformis, and U. lactuca and the common non-bloom forming species, Dictyota acutiloba. All samples were initially depleted of potential N stores and measured for growth, photosynthetic status, and N uptake rates; H. musciformis and U. lactuca were also assessed for micro nutrient uptake, % tissue N, and δ15N values. Growth rates of D. acutiloba, H. musciformis, and U. lactuca increased with increasing % wastewater effluent addition and concentrations of TN and NO3− and those of the bloom forming species were 2-fold higher. All species increased photosynthetic capacity and saturation irradiance with increasing % wastewater effluent addition and concentrations of TN and NO3−. U. lactuca was the most sensitive to low N conditions, evidenced by declines in light capturing efficiency. All species utilized a substantial amount of N over 24 h. H. musciformis and U. lactuca also (1) utilized micro nutrients: iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, (2) decreased % tissue N in low N conditions, (3) increased % tissue N in response to elevated N conditions, and (4) expressed elevated δ15N values with increasing additions of wastewater effluent. These results demonstrate that in Hawai‘i, the bloom forming species H. musciformis and U. lactuca, have similar physiological responses to decreased and increased nutrient levels.

Growth and production of the green alga Cladophora montagneana in a eutrophic Australian estuary and its interpretation using a computer program

Article

May 1989
WATER RES

The shallow, eutrophic Peel-Harvey estuary developed massive populations of a green alga, Cladophora montagneana, forming extensive free-living mats on the floor of this estuary. Growth rates of confined populations were measured in the field for 2 successive years. Experimentally-derived relationships describing growth and photosynthesis as a function of light, temperature and inorganic nutrients were used to develop a computer program to interpret the performance of this alga in the field. Growth was strongly seasonal, with a maximum in summer (up to 1.3% d−1), and ceased in winter. Net production in the mat was low, up to 3.4 g (dry wt) m−2d−1, with only the surface layer photosynthetically active because of self-shading. Similar seasonal trends, but faster growth rates (maximum 2.7% d−1) were obtained with algae transferred to shallower waters in Peel Inlet, where light intensity was greater. Cladophora transferred from Peel Inlet to Harvey Estuary grew little or not at all, consistent with its absence in this part of the estuary. Computer simulations of growth using real environmental data emphasise the importance of light, and self-shading in particular, in controlling productivity.

Drift Rhodophyte Blooms Emerge in Lee County, FL: Evidence of Escalating Coastal Eutrophication

Article