6 - 17 January 2025

Multidisciplinary Approaches for the Study of Harmful Algal Blooms

Description:

Harmful algal blooms (HAB), commonly known as ‘red tides’, affect most coastal areas around the world. These dramatic microalgal blooms can negatively affect human health and coastal ecosystems, as some HAB-forming taxa produce toxins that can be transferred through the food chain or released directly into seawater, causing disease and even death of many species. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the distribution, magnitude, and frequency of HABs. This increase has been associated with greater economic losses, a larger number of affected organisms, and a greater diversity of toxic microalgae and toxins. This presents a complex challenge for scientific research and coastal resource management due to the diversity of species and their effects. At the Austral Summer Institute XXII, we will review tools for characterizing HAB to present a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to address the global problem of these events.

In this course, we will combine theoretical lectures and practical activities to review different approaches for the characterization of HAB, including: a) Imaging Flow CytoBot (IFCB) b) Metabarcoding (high-throughput sequencing of environmental samples) for the detection of harmful microalgal species in Coliumo Bay c) Cultivation techniques d) Toxin collection with passive samplers in Coliumo Bay (oceanographic buoy sensor) e) Toxin analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) f) Use of statistical models to contrast the biological information generated with in situ oceanographic conditions obtained from the oceanographic buoy in Coliumo Bay (Department of Oceanography), historical records, and remote sensors. The main objective of the course is to present a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to address the global HAB problem and to acquire the means to understand the variability of conditions leading to HAB.