Luis M. Botana, M. Carmen Louzao and Natalia Vilariῆo (Eds.): Climate change and marine and freshwater toxins

Contents The 13 chapters of this book cover a broad spectrum of topics. Chapter 1 discusses the variability and trends in global sea ice cover and sea level, and their potential effects on physicochemical parameters. Chapter 2 presents new techniques in environmental monitoring. Topics discussed include in-situ harmful algal bloom monitoring, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, biosensors for HAB monitoring, advances in nanotechnology for HAB detection, and molecular biology-based techniques for HAB detection. Chapter 3 discusses responses of marine animals to ocean acidification, causes of acidification, and the effects that acid–base disturbances in marine environments can have on animals. Chapter 4 reviews Alexandrium spp.: saxitoxins are defined, and genetic and ecological factors that influence saxitoxin production and proliferation are described, as are the taxonomy and species evolution of Alexandrium as well as ecological and environmental factors that influence the proliferation of Alexandrium spp. Chapter 5 discusses potential effects of climate change on cyanobacterial toxin production, defines cyanobacteria, and explores the effects of climate change on common toxin-producing species and toxin regulation. Chapter 6 focuses on the relationship between climate change and harmful marine algal blooms, algal bloom range extensions , and the challenge of predicting phytoplankton community responses to climate change. Chapter 7 considers the effects of global warming on inland water bodies, the ecology of cyanobacteria and toxin production, and direct and indirect effects of global warming on cyanobacteria growth and microcystin concentration. Chapter 8 discusses emerging toxins in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, including a discussion of socioeconomic implications of climate change. Chapter 9 scrutinizes the genus Gambierdiscus—the cause of fish poisoning (an increasing threat to human health), its geographic distribution and abundance, and the toxicities of different Gambierdiscus species in seafood. Chapter 10