Marine toxins and climate change: the case of PSP from cyanobacteria in coastal lagoons

The coastal marine area covers a wide typology of aquatic ecosystems, which are important centres for economic, social and cultural development. The pressures of human activities have been dramatically increased on the coastal ecosystems in the last few decades, eutrophication being the main environmental consequence. Climatic variations intersect with anthropogenic changes and affect biota and all trophic levels in coastal ecosystems, enhancing the risk of cyanobacterial blooms. Recently, paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) have also been found in brackish bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Investigations are needed to elucidate the extent of the occurrence and distribution of potentially PSTs cyanobacterial producers in coastal ecosystems.