Scientists find new type of toxic algae in Baltic

Anabaena algae also found in lakes

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A Finnish research group has found a new type of toxic blue-green algae in the Baltic Sea. The poisonous Nodularia algae has been the focus of attention so far, but now another form, Anabaena, which produces liver toxins, has been detected in the sea off Finland.
      "Research has long bypassed Anabaena completely", says researcher Katrianna Halinen.
     
The Anabaena algae is most easily found in waters with low salinity near the shoreline, and therefore, it is most frequent at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland, Halinen says. More study will be needed to determine the extent of the growth of the algae.
      The Anabaena cells are slightly smaller, and the filaments are narrower than with Nodularia, but the two cannot be distinguished by the naked eye.
      Biologists isolated 50 different strains of Anabaena algae in different parts of the Gulf of Finland. They were found to generate the strongest poison produced by algae - the microcystine toxin.
      Anabaena is one of the most common types of algae in lakes, where its toxicity has been well established for a long time.
      In lakes that are overrun by blue-green algae, the precautions that need to be taken are the same as at sea: swimming is safe, but the water must not be swallowed, and it should not be used in a sauna. Halinen also recommends that dogs not be allowed to swim in water that contains the algae.
     
The Nodularia algae cannot be found in lakes. The third toxic type of algae, Aphanizomenon, does not produce toxins in the sea water, but can do so in lakes, Halinen says.
      The World Health Organisation does not classify microcystine toxins as dangerous if the content does not exceed one microgramme per litre of water. The amounts found in Finnish lakes have not been very high, but the content could rise to a high level in blooms, as well as in foam and debris that washes up on shore, explains researcher David Fewer.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Inhabitants of Southern Finland look for algae-free lakes (15.8.2007)
  Gulf of Finland has slightly higher oxygen level than last summer (14.8.2007)
  Warm August weather favours growth of algae both at sea and in lakes (9.8.2007)
  Experts fear more toxic blue-green algae than last year (29.5.2007)

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