Review paper
Impacts of harmful algal blooms on the aquaculture industry: Chile as a case study
Díaz, Patricio A.; Álvarez, Gonzalo; Varela, Daniel; Pérez-Santos, Iván; Díaz, Manuel; Molinet, Carlos; Seguel, Miriam; Aguilera-Belmonte, Alejandra; Guzmán, Leonardo; Uribe, Eduardo; Rengel, José; Hernández, Cristina; Segura, Cristian; Figueroa, Rosa I.
Perspectives in Phycology Vol. 6 No. 1-2 (2019), p. 39 - 50
published: Jul 1, 2019
published online: Feb 19, 2019
manuscript accepted: Jan 9, 2019
manuscript revision received: Jun 15, 2018
manuscript revision requested: Jan 29, 2018
manuscript received: Dec 1, 2017
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of toxin-producing microalgae, mainly Alexandrium catenella, Dinophysis spp., and Pseudo-nitzschia australis, cause the severe illnesses referred to as paralytic, diarrheic, and amnesic shellfish poisoning. They therefore threaten the sustainable exploitation of bivalves, including in northern and southern Chile, sites of intensive shellfish aquaculture but also recurrent HABs. Exceptionally large blooms of the genera Pseudochattonella and Karenia recently occurred in the Patagonian fjords, leading to high fish mortalities (up to 40 000 t) and thus to very negative impacts on the salmon farming industry. The resulting economic losses were estimated to be US$800M. Here we examine past, present, and possible future trends of the main HAB-causative species in Chile, with the objective of improving risk assessments of shellfish poisoning and other hazardous events in the region and elsewhere.
Keywords
HAB-causing species • Shellfish aquaculture • Socio-economic impacts • PSP outbreaks • ASP outbreaks • DSP outbreaks • Chile