Using artificial substrates to quantify Gambierdiscus and other toxic benthic dinoflagellates for monitoring purposes.

Collecting methods generally used to determine cell abundances of toxic benthic dinoflagellates (BHAB) use cells dislodged from either macrophytes or artificial substrates. This article compares the advantages of the macrophyte and artificial substrate methods and discusses which method is more appropriate for use in monitoring programs that focus on toxic BHAB species identification and quantification. The concept of benthic dinoflagellate "preference" for specific macrophytes was also reviewed.

Playing hide and seek: Distribution with depth of potentially harmful epibenthic dinoflagellates of Southern El Hierro Island, Canary Islands (NE Atlantic).

The study of epibenthic assemblages of harmful dinoflagellates (BHABs) is commonly conducted in shallow infralittoral zones (0 - 5 m) and are seldom investigated at deeper waters. In this study, the distribution with depth of five BHAB genera (Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis, Prorocentrum, Coolia and Amphidinium) was investigated in the south of El Hierro island (Canary Islands, Spain). Sampling involved the use of a standardized artificial substrate deployed at three depth levels (5, 10 and 20 m) that were visited at three different times throughout one year.

Benthic dinoflagellates: Testing the reliability of the artificial substrate method in the Macaronesian region.

The suitability of the 'artificial substrate' method, i.e. standardized surfaces of fiberglass screens, for the quantification of four benthic harmful algal bloom (BHAB) dinoflagellates (Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis, Prorocentrum and Coolia) was tested relative to estimates from natural macroalgal substrates.