Monitoraggio di aree costiere interessate da fioriture di fitoplancton tossico: approcci molecolari e nuove proposte di controllo = Monitoring of coastal areas affected by HAB phytoplankton blooms: molecular approaches and new proposal for management

Molecular technologies of PCR were applied on seawater fixed samples and molluscs to reveal the presence of some potentially toxic phytoplankton taxa in the Mediterranean Sea. PCR assays on field samples permitted a rapid identification of different genera and species of HAB microalgae. The molecular techniques are able to discriminate HAB target cells at lower detection limit for the traditional microscopy methods. Species-specific PCR assay for HABs applied on molluscs permitted to reveal the presence of toxic cells also in absence of toxicity determined by chemical and mouse bioassay analyses.