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Life
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Harmful Algal Bloom Risk: Mechanisms, Prediction, Impacts and Mitigation
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Harmful Algal Bloom Risk: Mechanisms, Prediction, Impacts and Mitigation

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Diversity and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 809

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lixia Shang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: harmful algal blooms; metabolites; multi-omics; cyanobacteria; microalgae; dinoflagellate; ecological disaster; phycotoxin; ichthyotoxicity; allelopathy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose escalating threats to both marine and freshwater ecosystems, with profound impacts on fisheries, biodiversity, and ecological balance across aquatic environments. Driven by environmental changes and biological factors, their complex dynamics demand in-depth biological inquiry.

This Special Issue, "Harmful Algal Bloom Risk: Mechanisms, Prediction, Impacts and Mitigation", focuses on foundational biological mechanisms underlying HABs. We invite studies exploring genomic adaptations of bloom-forming species, physiological triggers of toxin production, and ecological interactions shaping bloom dynamics. Research on the evolutionary trajectories of harmful algal strains, genetic markers for bloom potential, and ecological consequences for fish populations and food webs is prioritized.

By integrating insights from genomics, transcriptomics, molecular biology, and ecology, this Special Issue aims to advance the understanding of HAB biology, fostering science to mitigate their ecological risks. We welcome contributions that align with Life’s focus on biological processes, biodiversity, and ecological interactions in both freshwater and marine systems.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Hydrobiology.

Dr. Lixia Shang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • harmful algal blooms
  • marine risk
  • bloom mechanisms
  • prediction models
  • mitigation strategies
  • ecosystem impact

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 6392 KB  
Article
In Situ Harvesting and Molecular Identification for the Germinating Species Diversity of Dinoflagellate Resting Cysts in Jiaozhou Bay, China
by Shuo Shi, Wanli Yang, Zhe Tao, Fengting Li, Ben Wei, Caixia Yue, Yunyan Deng, Lixia Shang, Zhaoyang Chai and Ying-Zhong Tang
Life 2025, 15(11), 1670; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111670 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 570
Abstract
Dinoflagellate resting cysts are critical to dinoflagellate ecology, acting as a key seed source for initiating harmful algal blooms (HABs) through their germination. However, the in situ germination dynamics of these cysts remain poorly understood due to technical challenges. To overcome this, we [...] Read more.
Dinoflagellate resting cysts are critical to dinoflagellate ecology, acting as a key seed source for initiating harmful algal blooms (HABs) through their germination. However, the in situ germination dynamics of these cysts remain poorly understood due to technical challenges. To overcome this, we utilized the Germlings Harvester (GEHA), an in situ germination device we designed, to collect water samples containing dinoflagellate cysts germinated from marine sediments in Jiaozhou Bay, China, after 5 and 20 days of incubation. By combining the GEHA with metabarcoding analysis targeting 28S rDNA-specific primers for dinoflagellates, we identified 44 dinoflagellate species spanning 31 genera, 18 families, and 7 orders. Of these, 12 species were linked to HABs or recognized as toxic, including Azadinium poporum, Alexandrium leei, Alexandrium pacificum, Akashiwo sanguinea, Karlodinium veneficum, Stoeckeria algicida, and Luciella masanensis. Additionally, five species were newly identified as cyst producers, and one symbiotic dinoflagellate, Effrenium voratum, was detected. Our results also found that germinated dinoflagellate species increased from 23 to 34 with extended incubation, and the ratio of mixotrophic to heterotrophic species was approximately 2:1 in the samples of in situ sediments and seawater outside GEHA, as well as across germination durations (Sg-5 d vs. Sg-20 d). These findings provide essential field evidence for the role of resting cysts in driving HAB formation in this region and highlight the efficacy of the GEHA-based approach for studying in situ cyst germination dynamics, offering a robust tool for monitoring, early warning, prevention, and forecasting of HABs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Harmful Algal Bloom Risk: Mechanisms, Prediction, Impacts and Mitigation)
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