Biodiv Sci ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 144-154.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2019253

• Original Papers: Plant Diversity • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Species composition of dinoflagellates cysts in ballast tank sediments of foreign ships berthed in Jiangyin Port

Zhang Jiazhen1,Gao Chunlei1,2,3,*(),Li Yan1,2,3,Sun Ping1,2,3,Wang Zongling1,2,3   

  1. 1 First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong 266061
    2 Laboratory of Science and Engineering for Marine Ecological Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong 266061
    3 Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266071
  • Received:2019-08-14 Accepted:2019-12-17 Online:2020-02-20 Published:2019-12-24
  • Contact: Gao Chunlei

Abstract:

In order to explore the species composition and invasion risk of dinoflagellate resting cysts in the sediments of ballast tanks of foreign ships, we identified and analyzed the species of living dinoflagellate cysts in the sediments of five foreign ships ballast tanks in Jiangyin Port based on the morphological characteristics and molecular biology information of dormant cysts and germinating cells. A total of 29 species of dinoflagellate cysts (excluding three unkonwn species), belonging to Gonyaulacoid group, Calcoidinellid group, Gymnodinioid group, Diplopsalid group and Protoperidinioid group, were recorded in ballast sediments. The density of living cysts ranged from 0.73 to 44.3 cysts/g DW. Cysts of toxic and harmful dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense species complex, Protoceratium reticulatum, and Gonyaulax spinifera were found in five ships. In addition, a variety of unrecorded dinoflagellate cyst types in Chinese coasts have been found, one of which was identified as Alexandrium insuetum. Germination and incubation experiments showed that it can proliferate in coastal waters of China. Therefore, Alexandrium insuetum has potential invasion risk and possibility of bloom in coastal China.

Key words: cyst germination, dinoflagellate cysts, biological invasion, ballast tank sediments, species composition