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| BENTOX-NET is a network of Italian researchers
with strong experience in the study of phytoplankton blooms, including
those caused by harmful and toxic microalgae. Expertise is also
available in the fields of marine macroalgae, ecology of planktonic and
benthic ecosystems and toxins of algal origin. |
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The main objective of
the network is to improve our knowledge on all aspects of Harmful
Benthic Algae Blooms (HBABs). There is a need for a coordinated and
multidisciplinary approach to the growing problems caused by blooms of
the potentially toxic microalgae Ostreopsis spp., Prorocentrum lima and Coolia monotis along the coasts of Italy.
These phenomena
have rather unique, but still scarcely known, features. Their impact on
the marine ecosystem and human health can be significant and since
1998, the requirement of intervention by public officers and scientists
has been increasing alarmingly.
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Blooms of
Ostreopsis spp. do not seem to follow the same trends of other blooms,
thus leaving many open questions as to their short and long term
management activity. It is therefore urgent to improve the provisional
and protection strategies in the coastal areas where these blooms
occur, especially in cases of particular high intensity and impact
possibility (health and economic). To do this, it is also important to
identify the areas and periods of the year of high risk, in order to be
able to mitigate problems and implement adequate plans to protect human
health and coastal marine environments. |
Adequate management of
environmental and public health emergencies caused by Harmful Algal
Blooms requires a thorough knowledge of these phenomena and their
consequences. BENTOX-NET is a tool to optimise the use of the available
knowledge, through a rapid dissemination of the relevant information.
The aim is to organise a national multidisciplinary research program to
quickly provide the information to better manage the problems caused by
HBABs. The gathered information will include the distribution, ecology
and physiology of the responsible organisms.
The network has already been presented to the international community of HAB researchers through an announcement in the Harmful Algae News newsletter.
BENTOX-NET is supported by:
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A list of experts with whom to get in touch in case of emergency and an Excel spreadsheet containing updated info about the distribution of Ostreopsis spp. in Italian seas.
(Italian version only) |
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