Diversity and Biogeographical Distribution of

Phytoplankton and Harmful Algae in Relation

to Nutrient Pollution

Presented by:

Albebson L. Lim

Image Source: M.Burford from R.M. Kudela et al., Harmful Algal Blooms, 2015.
PHYTOPLANKTON
• Autotrophic components of the plankton community

• Presence of chlorophyll and other accessory

pigments within their cells

• Largest group of primary producer in the ocean

• Base of the marine food web

Phytoplankton
Biological pump
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS)

• Phytoplankton species forming

high biomass and/or toxic
proliferation of cells and causing
harm to aquatic ecosystems
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABS)
Effects • Disruption of food web

• Fish killing by gill damage

• Contribution to low oxygen

“dead zones”

Toxins associated to several syndromes:

• Paralytic (PSP)
• Diarrheic (DSP)
• Amnesic (ASP)
• Ciguatera (CSP)
What Causes HABS?
Physicochemical Factors:
• Light
• Nutrients
• Temperature
• Salinity
• Water Circulation

Biological Factors:
• Competition
• Predation
• Natural succession

Anthropogenic Factors:
• Nutrient Pollution
• Alteration of water circulation dynamics
• Ballast waters
OBJECTIVES
• To determine the global distribution pattern of phytoplankton diversity and HABS occurrence

• To determine relationship of phytoplankton and HABs diversity with nutrient pollution

• To know how nutrient ratio affects the community structure of target organisms

• To assess the toxin diversity of common HABs in the Philippines

• To determine how HABs dictate the diversity of a marine environment

Significance
• Having proper management
policies for HABs events

• Predict HAB occurrence using

different environmental cues
How Are Phytoplankton And HABs Events distributed?

Areas of high phytoplankton diversity are where

blooms mostly occur
Collos, 2009; Peperzak, 2003.
How Are Phytoplankton And HABs Events distributed?

Hallegraef, 2010
Nutrient Ratios Dictate phytoplankton/HABS Community
Legend:
1975 - 1986

1987 - 1999

Post - 1999

Environment becoming phosphate limited

as time pass by; changes and shifts
observed in the community structure of
phytoplankton groups

Gilbert, et al., 2013

Nutrient Ratios Dictate phytoplankton/HABS Community
A C

B D
A – 1975 – 1982
B – 1982 – 1986
C – 1987 – 1995
D - post - 1995
Gilbert, et al., 2013
Food Web Changes

Gilbert, et al., 2013

Topography Affecting Nutrient pollution dynamics and Phytoplankton
Community

Gilbert, et al., 2013

Anthropogenic Factors Dictating
phytoplankton Diversity

Heil, et al., 2017

Harmful Algae Distribution (Temporal
Variation)
Legend:
Soluble Reactive Phosporus

Synechococcus

Alexandrium catenella

Skeletonema costatum

Decreased plankton levels after

Skeletonema bloom

Igatiadis and Gotsen, 2010

Harmful Algae Distribution

February bloom – decreased richness during bloom

followed by succession of other organisms
Handy, et al., 2009
“Dead” Zones
• Area which kills or drives off fish, crustaceans and
other sea life due to hypoxia

• Hypoxia – condition of oxygen depletion

• Usually linked with harmful algal blooms

Toxin Diversity
• a) PSP poisons from Alexandrium,
Gymnodinium, and Pyrodinium (carbamate
toxins)

• b) DSP poisons from Dinophysis and

Prorocentrum (okadoic acid or dinophysis toxin-
1)

• c) Domoic acid from Nitzschia

• d) Hemolysins from Amphidinium

• e) Anatoxin-a from Anabaena

• f) Ciguatoxin from Gambierdiscus

Hallegraef, 1993
Summary and Conclusions
• According to comparative data, blooms mostly occur on sites where phytoplankton diversity
is high. Increasing bloom events are also observed when plotted in a temporal scale.

• Nutrient pollution causes blooms to occur but the dynamics of the marine environment
should be considered to determine the location of the bloom.

• N:P ratio dictates the shifts in the growth of phytoplankton and algae. Changes in the food
web dynamics and community structure are expected because of this.

• Toxins involved in blooms are very diverse and vary within species.

• Bloom events would disrupt the normal diversity of an environment by producing “dead”
zones. After the bloom, succession of the organisms would happen.
References
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