Abstract Project: KOP190

Urban Tillmann & Simon Tulatz (AWI)

Dinoflagellates are unicellular eucaryotes and an important part of marine protistan plankton. However, apart from a few large and easy to recognize species, the diversity of dinoflagellates in artic and subarctic plankton communities is poorly described at present. Within dinoflagellates a number of species may form harmful algal blooms, e.g. by the production of a broad range of potent toxins. However, knowledge on the distribution and the toxin production of such species in the artic is still incomplete. This project aims at creating knowledge on the current biodiversity, abundance, and phycotoxin production of dinoflagellates in northern arctic areas and on potential changes in dinoflagellate diversity and abundance under climate change. Data of this project will allow a better evaluation of potential future change of arctic plankton communities and for a risk assessment of toxigenic harmful algal blooms in the area in the course of global warming.