Ostreopsis cf. ovata (Dinophyta) bloom in an equatorial island of the Atlantic Ocean

The epi-benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata Fukuyo has an increasingly global distribution. In Brazil there are reports of O. cf. ovate along the coast from 8 degrees S to 27 degrees S latitude and blooms have been registered on the Rio de Janeiro coastline. In the current study, an O. cf. ovate bloom is reported at Saint Paul's Rocks (0 degrees 55'10 '' N; 29 degrees 20'33 '' W), between the southern and northern hemispheres. The Archipelago is not inhabited and not subjected to eutrophication, due to isolation, and sustains a number of endemic species. Therefore, blooms of O. cf. ovate may potentially cause demise to trophic chains by affecting marine invertebrates and vertebrates. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.