Dinámica espacio-temporal de organismos precursores de marea roja en la costa Pacífica de América del Norte y Centroamérica / Spatial-temporal dynamics of red tide precursor organisms at the Pacific coast of North and Central America

La región costera del Pacífico de Centro y Norte America ha sido afectada de manera frecuente por fenómenos que se denominan proliferaciones algales nocivas o en inglés, "Harmful Algal Blooms" (HAB). A pesar de la gran cantidad de efectos en la salud pública, las actividades económicas y el medio ambiente, aún existe una abrumadora carencia de información en el tema. Esto no permite establecer si las causas principales de este evidente aumento en el número e intensidad de los eventos son naturales o antropogénicas. La incrementada utilización de las zonas costeras para actividades humanas encuentra paralelo en el denominado cambio climático, lo que dificulta discriminar entre la posible influencia de estos dos fenómenos. Series de datos de larga duración en regiones reducidas, así como las observaciones esporádicas realizadas cuando se presenta algún evento, nos permite comparar regímenes climáticos, condiciones geográficas, disponibilidad de nutrientes (incluyendo la eutroficación) y parámetros oceanográficos que promueven o permiten el desarrollo y mantenimiento de las proliferaciones, haciendo evidentes cambios drásticos en la biodiversidad y la biogeografía de los organismos productores de HAB

The Pacific coast of Central and North America has long been and still is impacted by the flourishing of microalgal populations known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The organisms that have caused recent HABs episodes in the region are among others, Gymnodinium catenatum, Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, and recently Cochlodinium cf. catenatum. In spite of the accumulated effects on the human health, the economic activities and the environment, scarce information is available on the subject. The augmented use of coastal zones for human activities is also paralleled by increased awareness of global climate changes. Thus, it is not an easy task to discriminate anthropogenic or natural phenomena, or both, as the major driving forces. The long-term data sets available for limited regions, as well as some sporadic observations during notorious blooms, allowed us to discriminate major changes in the biodiversity and biogeography of HAB organisms. Main changes refer to number of events, covered area, duration and frequency, number of blooming species and appearance of not previously reported harmful taxa. The variables more clearly related to these dynamic phenomena, seems to be sea surface temperature and wind force, but it is not yet possible to weight their contributions. The participation of rain is not fully evaluated to date. The collaborative communication among small-budget monitoring operations in the region allowed to "pass the voice" about peaking concentrations of HAB organisms, diminishing the risk of poisoning

[Spatial-temporal dynamics of red tide precursor organisms at the Pacific coast of North and Central America]. / Dinámica espacio-temporal de organismos precursores de marea roja en la costa Pacífica de América del Norte y Centroamérica.

The Pacific coast of Central and North America has long been and still is impacted by the flourishing of microalgal populations known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The organisms that have caused recent HABs episodes in the region are among others, Gymnodinium catenatum, Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, and recently Cochlodinium cf. catenatum. In spite of the accumulated effects on the human health, the economic activities and the environment, scarce information is available on the subject. The augmented use of coastal zones for human activities is also paralleled by increased awareness of global climate changes. Thus, it is not an easy task to discriminate anthropogenic or natural phenomena, or both, as the major driving forces. The long-term data sets available for limited regions, as well as some sporadic observations during notorious blooms, allowed us to discriminate major changes in the biodiversity and biogeography of HAB organisms. Main changes refer to number of events, covered area, duration and frequency, number of blooming species and appearance of not previously reported harmful taxa. The variables more clearly related to these dynamic phenomena, seems to be sea surface temperature and wind force, but it is not yet possible to weight their contributions. The participation of rain is not fully evaluated to date. The collaborative communication among small-budget monitoring operations in the region allowed to "pass the voice" about peaking concentrations of HAB organisms, diminishing the risk of poisoning.

[Annual distribution and abundance of Ceratium dens (Peridinales: Ceratiaceae) in the Gulf of California, Mexico]. / Distribución y abundancia anual de Ceratium dens (Peridinales: Ceratiaceae) en el golfo de California, México.

Ceratium dens distribution in the Gulf of California was studied based on three oceanographic campaigns, monthly abundance (1995-96) and during three red tide events in Mazatlán Bay. 52 phytoplankton samples with a Bongo net and 64 microns mesh light, during the year 120 water samples with a van Dorn bottle were collected in two sampling stations and from three red tide events. All samples were counted by the inverted-microscope method. The results showed that C. dens was present in the upper Gulf of California and surroundings of Cabo San Lucas. Two peaks were observed during spring and autumn in Mazatlán Bay during 1995-1996. The highest densities (20-360 cells.-l-1) were observed in coastal areas, whereas the lowest densities (1-14 cells.-l-1) were recorded in the open sea. During red tide events in 1985, 1989 and 1997, 144,000-256,000 cells.-l-1, 100,000-400,000 cells.-l-1, and 189,000-592,000 cells.ul-l was observed, respectively. During the red tide events C. dens varied, although sometimes was replaced by Skeletonema costatum or Pseudonitzchia spp and Ceratium furca. C. dens, seems to prefer areas with high productivity.

[Presence of red tides along the eastern coast of the Gulf of California]. / Presencia de mareas rojas en la costa este del Golfo de California.

Records of the occurrence of red tides during the last 24 years in Guaymas and for the last 16 years in Mazatlán, on the coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico are presented here. The results indicate the presence of 4 dominant species in 34 red tides in Guaymas and 9 dominant species in 60 red tides in Mazatlán. The most common species is Mesodinium rubrum, while the toxic one is Gymnodinium catenatum. Noctiluca scintillans and Gonyaulax sp. were also present in Guaymas. In Mazatlán Scrippsiella trocoidea, Prorocentrum dentatum, Ceratium tripos var. ponticum, C. furca, Gymnodinium splendens and Gonyaulax triacantha were also present. Red tides occur frequently during winter in Guaymas and during the late winter and early spring in Mazatlán. Both periods coincide with the upwelling season in the region. The absence of the red tides is related to the "El Niño" phenomenon, which is significant in the Mazatlán area. Ciliates decrease 11.4%, while dinoflagellates increase from 1.6 to 3.8%. The duration period of red tides increase (5.6%) from 3 to 6 days, as compared with the records between 1979 and 1990.

[Red tides in México: a review]. / Mareas rojas en México: una revisión.

With the purpose to make a review on the red tides occurence at mexican coasts, previous studies were analyzed. Dinoflagellates seem to be the main cause of toxic events mainly Gonyaulax polygramma, Gymnodinium catenatum, Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum and Ptychodiscus brevis. There are other species which cause red tides but are not toxic. They are: Mesodinium rubrum, Gonyaulax triacantha, Noctiluca scintillans, Prorocentrum dentatum, Gymnodinium splendens, G. sanguineum, Ceratium tripos var. ponticum, C. furca, Scrippsiella trocoidea and Oscillatoria erythraea. The first of these is the most common cilliate of the Pacific coastlines and the last one is the most common cyanophyceae during the strong events of "El Niño". The magnitude is quite variable, from small stains of a hundred square meters to several square kilometers and its density ranges from 0.5 to 36 million cells/l. Their residence time goes from 1 or 2 days to as long as 5 months. The great densities are due to Prorocentrum dentatum and P. minimum, the latter is only observed in estuarine ponds for shrimp cultivation, they have not been related to poisoning episodes. New areas of the red tide occurrence have been recorded during the last decades, such as Acapulco Bay, Huatulco, Salinacruz and Puerto Madero. These localities and also Mazatlán, are the only regions in which paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) have registered fatal cases and in the Gulf of Mexico a great mortality of fishes has been noted due to ictiotoxin produced by Ptychodiscus brevis. On the other hand, at Yucatan and west coast of the Peninsula of California red tide events are little known.