Understanding the dietary relationship between extensive Noctiluca bloom outbreaks and Jellyfish swarms along the eastern Arabian Sea (West coast of India) (original) (raw)
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Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid and Swezy is a bloom-forming marine dinoflagellate. Incidence of N. scintillans blooms and discolorations of water in the Indian seas have been reported by Prasad (1953) in Palk Bay, Subrahmanyan (1953) and Katti et al. (1988) in the Arabian Sea; Sargunam et al. (1989) in Kalpakkam coastal waters and by Naqvi et al. (1998) off Cochin. However, the causes for the occurrence of blooms are not well understood. It has been suggested that the formation of N. scintillans blooms is regulated by hydrographical and biological factors (Elbrachter & Qi, 1998). Miyaguchi et al. (2006) have also suggested that bloom formation by N. scintillans can be due to an increase in optimum hydrographical and biological factors. The availability of phytoplankton prey is an important factor affecting the abundance of N. scintillans (Elbrachter & Qi, 1998). The increased frequency of appearance of blooms throughout the world in the recent past, is a result of change in the marine planktonic ecosystems, mostly due to the anthropogenic activities in the coastal zone.
… Journal of Oceans …, 2010
A red tide of heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans was observed off Kochi (Southwest coast of India) along with a multi species diatom bloom generated by upwelling induced eutrophic conditions during south west monsoon in August 2008. Spread over an area of ea 5 km 2 the bloom was recorded as viscous fluid of tomato soup consistency. Noctiluca cell count of 8.1x 10 8 cells L -1 were recorded from the bloom area. The whole area where the bloom occurred was conspicuously bioluminescent. The percentage composition of N. scintillans and diatoms in the bloom waters were 56.17% and 43.83% respectively. Diatoms were present in high numbers with cell density 6.32x 10 8 cells L -1 . Diatoms were mainly represented by the species belonging to the genera Chaetoceros, Navicula, Thalassiosira, Coscinodiscus, and Nitzschia which were also the main food item found within the Noctiluca cells. Closer observation of the Noctiluca cells revealed that the food vacuoles contained diatom cells and remains of these species. It is implied that the abundance of N. scintillans could be due to the occurrence of its preferred food species.
Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences
Ship based observations during early March 2007 in oceanic waters of the Northeastern Arabian Sea followed by phytoplankton analysis indicated that the bloom Noctiluca miliaris, species of dinoflagellate, dominated oceanic waters of the basin during winter. Dark green discoloration was observed during February-early March. During the cruise FORV SS-212 Sagar Sampada in February-March 2003, surface water samples measured 64–4128 cells.l -1 and deeper layers (10-15 m) supported 1080-2542 cells.l -1 of Noctiluca. Chlorophyll concentrations were in a range 0.4-2.0 mg.m -3 , which reflect unusually high primary production in the deep waters (>2000 m). A pattern of zooplankton showed unusually high growth in the bloom waters. Fish catch data (% hooking rates of tuna) were obtained from Fishery Survey of India and were used to study response of fish to prevailing high productivity in the bloom waters. Fishing in oceanic waters within Indian EEZ indicated no adverse effect of bloom; rath...
Bangladesh Journal of Botany, 2022
The Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy a dinoflagellate of marine environment can form bloom and generates substances that are noxious to aquatic organisms. An intense bloom of the N. scintillans in Gadani, Baluchistan coast along Northern Arabian Sea is reported in the present study. Sea water was collected using Niskin water sampler from three locations for water quality and nutrient analysis. Maximum number (6780 cells/l) of phytoplankton cells were observed in Station-I than that of Station-II (4180 cells/l) and in Station III (3580 cells/l). Maximum number (2740 cells/l) of Noctiluca was observed in station I than station II (1020 cells/l) and minimum (620 cells/l) in Station III. Among toxic species of dinoflagellates, Alexandrium tamaresence, Ceratium fusus, Dinophysis caudata, Gyrodinium spirale, Prorocentrum micans, Prorocentrum arcuratum and Scrippsiella trochoidea were observed. The Noctiluca scintillans can transfer toxins to higher trophic levels by grazing these toxic dinoflagellates. The increase in intensity of algal blooms occurring in marine waters cause detrimental effects including bio toxins, physical damage and the anoxia which caused massive fish mortality, affect fishery resources, biodiversity and vulnerable to the aquatic ecosystem.
Bangladesh Journal of Botany
The Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy a dinoflagellate of marine environment can form bloom and generates substances that are noxious to aquatic organisms. An intense bloom of the N. scintillans in Gadani, Baluchistan coast along Northern Arabian Sea is reported in the present study. Sea water was collected using Niskin water sampler from three locations for water quality and nutrient analysis. Maximum number (6780 cells/l) of phytoplankton cells were observed in Station-I than that of Station-II (4180 cells/l) and in Station III (3580 cells/l). Maximum number (2740 cells/l) of Noctiluca was observed in station I than station II (1020 cells/l) and minimum (620 cells/l) in Station III. Among toxic species of dinoflagellates, Alexandrium tamaresence, Ceratium fusus, Dinophysis caudata, Gyrodinium spirale, Prorocentrum micans, Prorocentrum arcuratum and Scrippsiella trochoidea were observed. The Noctiluca scintillans can transfer toxins to higher trophic levels by grazin...
Harmful blooming of Noctiluca scintillans in the southeast coastal waters of Iran, Oman Sea
Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 2023
Noctiluca is a dinoflagellate genus that causes algal bloom and is distributed in the tropical coastal waters of the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. The blooming of the species on the southeastern coast of Iran (the north part of the Oman Sea) is usually green and happens in the cold seasons. A dense harmful bloom of Noctiluca scintillans was reported in February and March 2020 along the coastal waters of Chabahar Bay (Iran) on a significant scale. Sampling was carried out from three stations located in the bloom areas. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of the bloom in Chabahar Bay using field data and remote sensing, as well as examining N. scintillans cells and identifying the species that were present in the bloom area. The results of microscopic counting revealed a high density of N. scintillans. The bloom duration was about 22 days; with a density of 2.37 × 105 cells L-1. Apart from N. scintillans, 20 species of phytoplankton including 10 species of dinoflagellates, 9 species of diatoms, and 1 other phytoplankton species were identified. The bloom caused the mortality of marine organisms including jellyfish, crabs, and green sea turtles. Although N. scintillans is classified as a non-toxic species, it can lead to the mortality of marine organisms such as fish and invertebrates by causing severe hypoxia and ammonia release.
2012
The bloom of Noctiluca miliaris (a dinoflagellate) which appears in the form of a green tide was studied from 2003-2011. This bloom covered a large area of the Arabian Sea from the west coast of India to the coast of Oman. The bloom was easily identified by OCM I and OCM II images (as well as SeaWiFs images) and had been sampled by Indian research vessels like the Sagar Kanya and the Sagar Sampada. The bloom persisted for almost 4 months (January-April) and its peak levels were seen from 15 th January -15 th February. N. miliaris is characterized by the presence of the symbiont Pedimonas noctilucae. This organism shows a predominantly green colouration due to the presence of high chlorophyll b along with chlorophyll a. Time series of OCM I and OCM II images were used to establish the onset and demise of this bloom. Simultaneously samples were taken during cruises and these were analyzed for pigments and other associated biological parameters. The bloom period corresponded with the N...
Study of ecological consequence of the bloom (Noctiluca miliaris) in
2010
Ship based observations during early March 2007 in oceanic waters of the Northeastern Arabian Sea followed by phytoplankton analysis indicated that the bloom Noctiluca miliaris, species of dinoflagellate, dominated oceanic waters of the basin during winter. Dark green discoloration was observed during February-early March. During the cruise FORV SS-212 Sagar Sampada in February-March 2003, surface water samples measured 64-4128 cells.l-1 and deeper layers (10-15 m) supported 1080-2542 cells.l-1 of Noctiluca. Chlorophyll concentrations were in a range 0.4-2.0 mg.m-3 , which reflect unusually high primary production in the deep waters (>2000 m). A pattern of zooplankton showed unusually high growth in the bloom waters. Fish catch data (% hooking rates of tuna) were obtained from Fishery Survey of India and were used to study response of fish to prevailing high productivity in the bloom waters. Fishing in oceanic waters within Indian EEZ indicated no adverse effect of bloom; rather remarkably higher catches resulted from long line operations in the bloom waters. Space-time variability in dissolved oxygen was studied to explain the observed preference of fish in the bloom waters.
Blooms of Noctiluca miliaris in the Arabian Sea—An in situ and satellite study
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2008
Phytoplankton cell density, chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration and pigment data collected during a series of five cruises in the northern Arabian Sea in the Northeast Monsoon (NEM, Nov-Jan) and the Spring Intermonsoon (SIM, Mar-May) since 2003 contradicted the established notion that winter blooms mainly consist of diatom communities. Recent data show that following the NEM and well into the SIM, phytoplankton populations are dominated by the dinoflagellate Noctiluca miliaris Suriray (synonym Noctiluca scintillans Macartney). In the SIM they were often in association with the well-known blooms of the diazotroph Trichodesmium sp. Large blooms of N. miliaris have also begun making their appearance annually in the Gulf of Oman and off the coast of Oman. This study uses NASA's recently developed product of merged SeaWiFS and Aqua-MODIS chl a data to investigate the temporal evolution and spatial extent of these taxonomically validated blooms. Satellite chl a in relation to Aqua-MODIS SST and altimetry data suggest that mesoscale eddies that populate the western Arabian Sea during the NEM contribute to the genesis and dispersal of these blooms from the Gulf of Oman into the central Arabian Sea.