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Thursday March 13 2025 at 10am GMT+1 (5pm Malaysia time)

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C.P. Leaw1, N.S. Kassim1, K.S. Hii1, S.T. Teng2, K. Mertens3, M. Iwataki4, H. Gu5, P.T. Lim1

Diversity of tropical benthic harmful dinoflagellates: integrating molecular and morphological analyses with natural and artificial substrate sampling methods

1 Bachok Marine Research Station, IOES, University of Malaya, Malaysia
2 Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
3 Ifremer, France
4 University of Tokyo, Japan
5 Third Institute of Oceanography, China

 

Harmful algal blooms in the benthic system (BHAB) are a major environmental problem that has increased worldwide. While systematic cell-based BHAB monitoring for risk assessment and early warning systems have been recommended, implementation of a standardized sampling method is challenging owing to the benthic nature of these harmful microalgal taxa. This presentation will explore findings from recent studies1,2 that combine morphological and molecular analyses to assess the diversity of benthic harmful dinoflagellates in tropical reefs. The study focuses on the comparative efficacy of artificial versus natural substrate sampling methods in capturing benthic harmful dinoflagellates using DNA metabarcoding. The universal rDNA barcodes enabled fine-resolution detection of BHAB taxa, particularly Gambierdiscus and Ostreopsis, which are challenging to identify by light microscopy. Further, the approach allowed precise identification of the toxic ribotypes of O. cf. ovata. The findings demonstrate the potential of integrating these methods for improved monitoring.

 

To cite:

  1. Kassim NS, Lee LK, Hii KS, Mohd Azmi NF, Baharudin SN, Liu M, Gu H, Lim PT, Leaw CP. 2025. Molecular diversity of benthic harmful dinoflagellates on a tropical reef: Comparing natural and artificial substrate sampling methods using DNA metabarcoding and morphological analysis. Harmful Algae 142: 102795.
  2. Gu H, Wang Y, Derrien A, Hervé F, Wang N, Pransilpa M, Lim PT, Leaw CP. 2022. Two toxigenic Ostreopsis species, O. cf. ovata and O. siamensis (Dinophyceae), from the South China Sea, tropical Western Pacific. Harmful Algae 113: 102206.