Toxic dinoflagellate species that are not endemic to an area can be inadvertently introduced when their cysts are discharged with the ballast tank sediments of bulk container ships. These species, which can affect fish- and shellfish-farms, pose a serious threat to public health and aquaculture. Among 80 cargo vessels entering Australian ports, 40% contained viable dinoflagellate cysts and 6% carried the cysts of the toxic dinoflagellates Alexandrium catenella and A. tamarense (up to an estimated 300 million cysts per ship). The introduction of new Australian quarantine measures is discussed; however, the implications of this potential spreading of toxic algae are global.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Alexandrium, toxic dinoflagellate, Australia
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant biology
Research Field:	Phycology (incl. marine grasses)
Objective Division:	Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:	Fisheries - aquaculture
Objective Field:	Fisheries - aquaculture not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Hallegraeff, GM (Professor Gustaaf Hallegraeff)
UTAS Author:	Bolch, CJ (Associate Professor Christopher Bolch)
ID Code:	111256
Year Published:	1991
Web of Science® Times Cited:	213
Deposited By:	Ecology and Biodiversity
Deposited On:	2016-09-06
Last Modified:	2016-10-13
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