Detected Species

Contact Us:

Mihaela D. Enache, Ph.D., Project Manager & Co-PI, Research Scientist I, Division of Science and Research, NJDEP (mihaela.enache@dep.nj.gov)

Ling Ren, Ph.D., PI, Research Assistant Professor, College of Science, George Mason University (lren2@gmu.edu)

Pseudo-nitzschia sp.

Morphology

Valves are lanceolate with pointed ends. The transapical axis is heteropolar. The cells have two laminar chloroplasts. Cells overlap at 1/3 of cell length.

Toxins and toxicity

Most species are potential producers of domoic acid (DA) and analogs. The toxins can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) Syndrome and affects seabirds, mammals, and even humans (Steidinger 2018 and references therein).

Distribution and Occurrence

Pseudo-nitzschia species are restricted to the marine environment; and most toxigenic species of Pseudo-nitzschia occur in coastal waters. In this study, Pseudo-nitzschia was detected in most SMPs (REF-1, REF-2, PGD-2, OMWM-1, and OMWM-2) in December – January.  

References

Hallegraeff, G. M., D. M. Anderson, A. D. Cembella, and H. O. Enevoldsen. 2004. Manual on harmful marine microalgae, 2nd rev. ed. UNESCO.

Steidinger, K.A. & Meave del Castillo, M.E. [Eds.] 2018. Guide to the Identification of Harmful Microalgae in the Gulf of Mexico, Volume I: Taxonomy. St. Petersburg, FL, 384 pp. http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/research/scientific-products/