Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Detection of Ostreopsis ovata from Eastern Sicily Coast Using SEM Microscopy Coupled to the Vibrio fischeri Test

Oliveri Conti G, Ledda C, Zuccarello M, Fiore M, Fallico R, Sciacca S and Ferrante M

Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically only a small number of phytoplankton species are involved. There is an increase of monitoring plans in the world resulting from the increased impact from these harmful algal blooms. The harmful algal blooms had already been identified in the Mediterranean since 1990 but their presence has intensified in recent years. In particular the harmful algal blooms of genus Ostreopsis are detected in Mediterranean Sea. Aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of O. ovata during 2008, 2009 and 2010 years in samples of seawater and macroalgae from Ionian coast by pattern recognition using scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis coupled with the Vibrio fischeri ecotoxicological test, to verify presence of toxicity. All samples of macroalgae observed by scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis showed an abundance of diatoms in the number and species. Only in three sampling sites the toxicity tests were positive (respectively 45%, 29% and 28%). Our data showed that the harmful algal blooms are not a very frequent problem for the Ionian coast, but they are occasional blooms and they not showed an immediate risk for economy related to the fish, shellfish and mussels.

To protect the exposed people’s health is necessary to continue the monitoring and complete the preventive action through an adequate public information.