XVI International Botanical Congess

Increasingly, harmful algal blooms (HAB's) are being reported worldwide due to several factors, primarily - eutrophication, climate change and better science. HAB organisms include: PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning), DSP (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning), NSP (neurotoxic shellfish poisoning), ASP (amnesic shellfish poisoning) and CTP (cyanobacteria toxin poisoning). All but CTP organisms are marine. CTP's occur in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and reservoirs throughout the world. Organisms responsible include about 40 genera but the main ones are Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindro-spermopsis, Microcystis, Nostoc and Oscillatoria (Planktothrix). Cyanobacteria toxins (cyanotoxins) include cytotoxins and biotoxins with biotoxins being responsible for lethal, acute, chronic and sub-chronic poisonings of wild/domestic animals and humans. Biotoxins are the neurotoxins, anatoxin-a, anatoxin-a(s), saxitoxins and hepatotoxins, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsins.