title: Distribution of Alexandrium fundyense and A. pacificum (Dinophyceae) in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.
abstract: This study characterizes the distribution of two closely related, causative species of paralytic shellfish poisoning – Alexandrium fundyense and A. pacificum – within the Yellow Sea (YS) and Bohai Sea (BS). These two Alexandrium species are distinguished for the first time in a regional field study using species-specific, quantitative PCR (qPCR) based assays. Both qPCR assays target the large subunit ribosomal DNA gene and were used to analyze net-concentrated phytoplankton samples collected in May 2012. A. fundyense was mainly distributed in YS, while A. pacificum was confined to an area adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary. The different distribution of the two species is interpreted as evidence of their distinct bloom ecology. Expanded efforts implementing these assays offer the ability to discriminate the dynamics of A. fundyense and A. pacificum blooms and provide a more sound basis for monitoring toxic Alexandrium species in this region.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China. Electronic address: rcyu@qdio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Ren-Cheng
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Chun
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
authors.forename: Fan-Zhou
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Jiang
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010839:Phytoplankton; D012623:Seawater / Q000469:parasitology*; D057096:Shellfish Poisoning
keywords: Alexandrium spp.; Bohai Sea; Harmful algal bloom; Quantitative PCR (qPCR); Yellow Sea