dinoflagellates
World Data Ocean keeps dinoflagellates in one place: 4 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Monsoon Patterns, Viruses, and HABs Linked in Philippine Mariculture Area”, “Symbiodiniaceae Minicircles Reveal Coral Reef Algae Genomic Variation”, and “Long-Term Shifts in Plankton Communities Signal Warming’s Impact on Oslofjord”. In Bolinao, Philippines, a 2.5-month saxitoxin episode and a fish kill marked the 2022 season, yet the dominant phytoplankton were diatoms, not the toxin-producing dinoflagellate *Alexandrium* sp. The 14 minicircles mapped in *Breviolum psygmophilum* are not just structural curiosities. A Global Hub for Ocean Intelligence 4 World Data Ocean is a centralized digital platform where researchers, scientists, and ocean enthusiasts converge to… The list below is every dinoflagellates story on World Data Ocean, newest first.
Monsoon Patterns, Viruses, and HABs Linked in Philippine Mariculture Area
In Bolinao, Philippines, a 2.5-month saxitoxin episode and a fish kill marked the 2022 season, yet the dominant phytoplankton were diatoms, not the toxin-producing dinoflagellate *Alexandrium* sp. that triggered the shellfish ban. Our sampling, using a PlanktoScope and 18S rRNA sequencing, revealed giant viruses from the Imitervirales and Algavirales orders coexisting with these blooms. While these viruses likely didn't directly cause the toxin event, network analyses suggest they influence plankton dynamics during HABs.
Symbiodiniaceae Minicircles Reveal Coral Reef Algae Genomic Variation
The 14 minicircles mapped in *Breviolum psygmophilum* are not just structural curiosities. They reveal a chloroplast genome built for flexibility, where the relative abundance of these plasmid-like DNA molecules shifts between growth phases. This suggests a dynamic mechanism for gene dosage, a level of control absent in the single circular genomes of most plants. It is a compelling glimpse into the evolutionary toolkit that helps power the coral-algae symbiosis.
Long-Term Shifts in Plankton Communities Signal Warming’s Impact on Oslofjord
The Oslofjord's plankton community is rewriting the expected script of climate change. Comparing 2009-2011 to 2023-2024, we found a 5.6-fold drop in the dinoflagellate-to-diatom ratio, driven largely by a decline in the heterotrophic genus *Gyrodinium*. This challenges the assumption that warming consistently favors heterotrophic taxa in temperate waters. The data is empirical, measured, and clear. For broader context on shifting marine baselines, our coverage of Mediterranean Phytoplankton Diversity Shifts Observed Over 25 Years offers a valuable comparison.
Coastal Food Webs: Balancing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Influences
Fifteen years of data from the Wadden Sea reveal that coastal food webs are not governed by a single dominant force. Our analysis of seven trophic groups shows that while nutrient-driven, bottom-up processes fuel spring phytoplankton blooms, predation, or top-down control, terminates them by summer. This suggests a dynamic balance, not a hierarchy. The findings point to a profound link between higher-level predators and the planktonic base, reminding us that ecosystem stability depends on the interplay of both pressures.