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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Streamlined Sampling and Cultivation of the Pelagic Cosmopolitan Larvacean, Oikopleura dioica
Published on: June 16, 2020
Beware of phycotoxin (okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1) accumulation in early post-restoration period
Qi Qiao1, Yuelei Dong1, Jian Zou2
1Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Science and Technology, and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Abstract:
Human-induced environmental pollution and ecological degradation are worsening, prompting remediation efforts to reverse the situation. However, it remains unclear whether these interventions will create new ecological risks or contaminate the water environment. Here, we selected a typical lagoon and investigated water quality, phytoplankton community structure, and the accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins in both the environment and shellfish before and after restoration. We confirmed that environmental restoration reduced nutrient concentrations: ammonium, nitrate and nitrite declined by 76%, 44% and 58%, respectively. Additionally, the phytoplankton community shifted, with dinoflagellates showing a more pronounced change than diatoms. Although their abundance decreased, their diversity increased and more toxic species emerged. Following restoration, the phycotoxins okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) appeared and accumulated in shellfish. Our findings broaden the understanding of potential risks of environmental restoration and serve as an early warning against phycotoxin accumulation in aquatic ecosystems after restoration.
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