Le phytoplancton nuisible des côtes de France. De la biologie à la prévention

Several phyloplankton species, whelher hloom-forming or not, have caused jish kilts or human intoxications or other nuisances on the coasts of France for the past ten years. The present review considers them under the foltowing aspects: morphology, cytology, physiology, hiochemislry, geographical distrihution, ecological requirements, toxicity and/or nuisances. These are principally the Dinoflagellates Dinophysis spp., Gymnodinium cf nagasakiense (= Gyrodinium cf aureolum) and Alexandrium minutum, and the Prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis spp. .. in addition, Ihree presumahly toxic species which were recently found on the French coasts are examined, namely : the Dinoflageltates Prorocentrum minimum and Gymnodinium spirale and the Silicoflageltate Dictyocha. Toxic and/or noxious unicellular marine algae seem to extend hoth in space and time, as they seem to do in the rest of the world. Hence the need for maintaining or developinR the national monitoring network of permanent stations and for carrying on multidisciplinary and coordinated hasic research. [NOT CONTROLLED OCR]