The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans in China: A review of its distribution and role in harmful algal blooms

Li Xiaodong; Lu Weijing; Jiang Fan; Chen Ziqin; Chang Yang; Wang Ziyang; Yan Tan; Li Jing; Wang Weicheng; Chen Xinhua

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115415

The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans in China: A review of its distribution and role in harmful algal blooms

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Sep;194(Pt B):115415. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115415. Epub 2023 Aug 25.

Authors

Li Xiaodong¹, Lu Weijing², Jiang Fan², Chen Ziqin², Chang Yang³, Wang Ziyang³, Yan Tan⁴, Li Jing⁵, Wang Weicheng², Chen Xinhua⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province 350002, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province 350002, China.
³ College of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province 350002, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266071, China; Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266071, China; Centre for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
⁵ Fujian Key Laboratory on Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Marine Biodiversity, Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province 350002, China; Fuzhou Institute of Oceanography, Fuzhou 350108, China.

PMID: 37634317
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115415

Abstract

The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans is often reported as a worldwide HAB species and caused severe financial losses to local aquaculture. In this review, we summarized the temporal and geographical distribution of its HABs in China, as well as its position in the plankton structure. Increasing N. scintillans HABs, both frequency and coverage, have broken out in almost all Chinese coastal regions mainly from April to June, with short-term and small coverage blooms as the primary type. The HAB period seems to shift with age and latitude. Recently, increasing abundance and dominance of N. scintillans were also reported in plankton communities in Chinese coastal waters, with multiple environmental factors related. In particular, trophic relationships may play an important role in its dominance and outbreaks of HABs. However, how N. scintillans became a dominant species in China and the mechanisms responsible for its HABs require further study.

Keywords: Harmful algal blooms; Noctiluca scintillans; Plankton structure; Succession.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aquaculture
China
Dinoflagellida*
Harmful Algal Bloom
Nutritional Status
Plankton