Toxicity episodes in mollusks from marine coastal waters of the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) associated to toxigenic algae (March 2008-March 2013)

Abstract

Toxicity episodes in mollusks from marine coastal waters of the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) associated to toxigenic algae (March 2008-March 2013). Since a project of monitoring toxigenic microalgae and toxins in shellfish started in 2008, carried out along the coast betweenSan Clemente del Tuyú and Mar Azul (Northern Zone) and Bahía Anegada (Southern Zone) of the Province of Buenos Aires, four outbreaks of toxicity for paralytic shellfish toxins (PSP) and eight outbreaks for lipophilic shellfish toxins (DSP/not determined) were recorded. The results were used as technical tool from which the implementing authority (Dirección Provincial de Pesca of the Ministerio de Asuntos Agrarios of the Provincia de Buenos Aires) founded eleven decisions to impose closures and one sanitary alert to the consumption, extraction and commercialization of shellfish. Three of the PSP outbreaks occurred in the Northern Zone associated with Gymnodinium catenatum. The fourth episode occurred in Puerto Quequén associated with Alexandrium tamarense. In the same areathere were three DSP toxicity events, and associated species were Dinophysis acuminata and D. caudata. The remaining five episodes of toxicity for lipophilic toxins occurred in the Southern Zone, in one or more of the three sanitary areas classified as A by SENASA, and none of them could be associated with any of the known toxigenic species.