Fany del Carmen Merino-Virgilio’s research while affiliated with Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute and other places

Background: In the coastal waters of the northern Yucatan Peninsula, in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, numerous pelagic algal blooms have been recorded in the 21st century. In August 2010, an unknown small-sized Peridiniales species caused an intense bloom in the Sisal marina. In subsequent years, it was occasionally found at other sites along the Yucatan coast. Goals: The main objective of the present study was to name this dinoflagellate as a new species and determine its ecological preferences. Methods: Phytoplankton blooms were monitored from August 2011 to September 2014. Fixed cells of the studied species were examined in a JEOL JSM-7600F scanning electron microscope. Its ecological preferences were evaluated using multivariate permutational analysis and generalized additive models (GAM). Results: The name Durinskia yucatanensis (Dinophyceae: Peridiniales) with the thecal plate formula Po X 4’ 2a 6” 5c 4s(?) 5”’ 2”” is proposed for a previously recorded Kryptoperidiniaceae species from the northern Yucatan coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen positively correlated with cell abundances for both the exposed coast and marinas, especially in July-August, characterized by high water temperature (31-32 °C). Chlorophyll-a was the only parameter that presented significant spatio-temporal variability among years, months, and sampling sites. The GAM showed that temperature and salinity can predict changes in abundance in different study zones (exposed coast and marinas). The highest values were observed in the Progreso-Chicxulub area along the exposed coast in 2011 and only at Dzilam in marinas during all studied years. Conclusions: The species appears to prefer eutrophic conditions typical for marinas along the northern coast of Yucatan.

A small, photosynthetic Peridiniales species caused an intense bloom (up to 37,500,000 cells/l) in the marina of Sisal on the northern Yucatan Peninsula coast, SE Gulf of Mexico, in August 2010. The salinity was 32.4, and the water temperature was 29.5 oC. The cells were 12.5-23.7 µm long (19.02±2.03 µm), 8.7-18.7 µm wide (15.45± 2.19 µm) and 7.5-12.5 µm deep (dorsoventral length; 9.63±1.21 µm), the length/width ratio was 1.17±0.13 and the width/depth ratio 1.83±0.22 (n=200). The species had a thecal plate formula of Po, X, cp, 4', 2a, 6", 5c, PC, 4s, 5"', 2"". The taxon was assigned to the family Kryptoperidiniaceae, although a second (eukaryotic) nucleus was not observed, sharing its thecal features with both Kryptoperidinium and Durinskia. In subsequent years, it was occasionally found at other sites along the Yucatan coast and possibly represents a recent invasion of the southern Gulf of Mexico, preferring semi-enclosed water bodies.

Eutrophication causes the major impact in the coastal waters of the state of Yucatan. In general, loss of water quality and biological communities and massive development of toxic microorganisms are some of the consequences of this phenomenon. To reveal changes in species composition and cell abundance of the taxocoenosis of epibenthic dinoflagellates before and after a harmful algal bloom event in the water column that lasted about 150 days (August–December 2011) in the Dzilam – San Crisanto area (northern Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Gulf of Mexico) were the main objectives of the present study. In August 2011 and September 2012, sampling along 20 transects perpendicular to the coastline along the entire northern Yucatan coast, starting from 20 sampling sites from El Cuyo in the east to Celestún in the west, at a distance of 50, 150 and 250 m from the coast, was carried out. Physicochemical characteristics measured before and after the bloom were within the ranges previously reported in the study area. Salinity was the most stable characteristic, with mean values of 36.25 and 36.42 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Phosphates were the only parameter that showed a wide range with higher values before the bloom (0.03–0.54 μM/l). A total of 168 macrophyte (seaweeds and seagrasses), sponge and sediment samples (105 in 2011 and 63 in 2012) that included associated microphytobenthos were taken by snorkeling from 0.7 to 5 m depth. Six substrate types were distinguished: Chlorophyta, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, Angiospermae (seagrasses), Demospongiae (sponges) and sediment. Chlorophytes dominated the collected samples: 38 samples in 2011 and 23 in 2012. Avrainvillea longicaulis f. laxa predominated before the bloom and Udotea flabellum after it. In total, 25 epibenthic dinoflagellate species from 11 genera were found. The genus Prorocentrum was the most representative in terms of the number of species. The highest total dinoflagellate cell abundances were observed in the sites with different types of macrophytes (up to 2441 cells/g substrate wet weight in 2011 and up to 1068 cells/g in 2012). The lowest cell densities were observed in the areas with scarce or no macrophytes on sandy seafloor. Before the bloom, Prorocentrum rhathymum (up to 4995 cells/g) and P. cf. sipadanensis (up to 5275 cells/g) were the most abundant, and after the bloom the latter was dominant (up to 3559 cells/g); in 2012, both variety of substrates and dinoflagellate cell abundance diminished. A canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant relationships between the physicochemical variables and epiphytic/benthic dinoflagellate species either before or after the bloom. The pelagic bloom resulted in the loss of substrate for epiphytic dinoflagellates, which caused replacement of the dominant species and a decrease in cell abundance of the whole taxocoenosis.

The ecology and floristics of the marine benthic diatoms are barely studied in Mexico. For the Yucatán Península, there are practically no studies dealing with these topics. The objective of this study is to present new records of benthic diatoms and their distribution in the northern coast of the Yucatán Península; descriptions based on light and electron microscopy are also provided. In order to achieve this, we examined phytoplankton samples from various localities and from Thalassia testudinum blades on Dzilam de Bravo. With the exception of Synedrosphenia cuneata and Cocconeis maxima the remainder species were found both on phytoplankton and T. testudinum samples, thus suggesting that re-suspension processes of benthic diatoms are occurring in the area. The most abundant species was Climaconeis aff. coxii. The number of new records from a few samples emphasizes the need to continue and intensify the study of benthic diatoms in the Yucatán Península.

The ecology and floristics of the marine benthic diatoms are barely studied in Mexico. For the Yucatán Península, there are practically no studies dealing with these topics. The objective of this study is to present new records of benthic diatoms and their distribution in the northern coast of the Yucatán Península; descriptions based on light and electron microscopy are also provided. In order to achieve this, we examined phytoplankton samples from various localities and from Thalassia testudinum blades on Dzilam de Bravo. With the exception of Synedrosphenia cuneata and Cocconeis maxima the remainder species were found both on phytoplankton and T. testudinum samples, thus suggesting that re-suspension processes of benthic diatoms are occurring in the area. The most abundant species was Climaconeis aff. coxii. The number of new records from a few samples emphasizes the need to continue and intensify the study of benthic diatoms in the Yucatán Península.