Dinoflagellate Cysts of the Genus Alexandrium Halim, 1960 (Dinophyceae: Gonyaulacales) in Recent Sediments from the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

Abstract

This paper summarizes information on the resting cysts of the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium Halim, 1960 from the northwestern Pacific Ocean and the Chukchi Sea. Species of the genus Alexandrium, which are known as producers of paralytic toxins, cause large-scale algal blooms that pose a serious threat to marine coastal ecosystems and human health. Data are presented on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of Alexandrium spp. cysts in the Far Eastern seas of Russia and adjacent waters. The possible role of resting cysts in initiating toxic blooms of Alexandrium spp. is discussed.