The Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) ontology has been defined as part of the InterRisk project (http://interrisk.nersc.no/). The ontology defines concepts and relationships for the representation of HABs in the context of interoperable Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) services for environmental risk management in marine and coastal areas of Europe. A laboratory test to examine a sample Poison spontaneously produced by a living organism Phytoplankton Lab Phytoplankton Laboratory Phytoplankton laboratory In Linnean classification, a class is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. A class contains one or more orders. 1 All or part of a natural object that is collected 1 Poisons produced by bacteria, blue-green algae, dinoflagellates, golden-brown algae, etc. Stations where samples of water or shellfish are taken and analyzed. Bioassay laboratory Bioassay Lab Bioassay Laboratory Analysis of a water sample consisting in counting the phytoplankton individuals Toxin chemistry laboratory Toxin Chemistry Laboratory Toxin Chemistry Lab Result of a chemistry analysis for a sample A toxin produced by a microorganism and active against a plant or against plant cells/tissues Method for a obtaining a sample A set of symptoms or conditions that occur together and suggest the presence of a certain disease or an increased chance of developing the disease In scientific classification, a phylum or a division is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. A division contains one or more classes. A group of similar division forms a Kingdom. 1 1 In Linnaean classification, an order is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. An order contains one or more families. A group of similar orders forms a class. 1 spp. sp. In the binomial classification of living organisms the species, is the fundamental unit of classification, consists of populations of related individuals that resemble one another, that are able to breed among themselves, but are (usually) not able to breed with members of another species. Populations within a species that show recognizable, inherited differences but are capable of interbreeding freely are called subspecies, races, or varieties. A species usually contain a constant numbers of chromosomes and species with different number may have difficulty hybridising. The abbreviation sp. following a genus name indicate a plant which is still undescribed (A formerly discovered and known biological taxon without any valid published scientific description yet). E.g. Trichocaulon sp. Analysis of the chemical composition and properties of a sample An effect on water or fish, caused by phytoplankton In the binomial classification of living organisms The genus. (pl. genera) is a grouping of similar, closely related and morphologically similar species. Similarly, genera are grouped into families, families into orders, orders into classes, and classes into phyla or divisions. 1 Any of various poisonous substances produced by certain plant and animal cells, including bacterial toxins, phytotoxins, and zootoxins A shellfish sample collected for bioassay and chemical analysis Result of bioassay for a sample A small volume of water collected from a station in order to be analyzed 1 In old classification, a kingdom was the highest grouping (taxon) of similar organisms. Actually the top-level grouping of organisms in scientific classification is the domain or empire or superkingdom and kingdoms are the at the second level. A kingdom contains one or more division or phyla (plural of phylum). A group of similar kingdom.forms a domain. All the kingdoms that comprise the complex life forms Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), and fungi, which are mostly multicellular, as well as various other groups of unicellular beings called protists (protozoans and eucaryotic algae), belong to the domain eukaryotes. The eukaryotes share a common origin, and are often treated formally as a domain. In scientific classification, a phylum (for animals) is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. A division contains one or more classes. A group of similar division forms a Kingdom. Result of a cell count analysis for a sample Taxonomic group for phytoplanktons A shellfish production area An indication that a person has a condition or disease. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain. In scientific classification, a family is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. A family contains one or more genera (plural of genus) believed to be related. A group of similar families forms an order. fam. 1 Lab Laboratory A workplace for the conduct of scientific research Particular species corresponding to phytoplankton Phytoplankton Phytoplankton Species 1 In scientific classification, a division (for plant and fungi) is a taxonomic group of related or similar organisms. A division contains one or more classes. A group of similar division forms a Kingdom. Analysis of a compound using biological methods In biology, a domain or empire or superkingdom is the top-level grouping of organisms in scientific classification. We use the two-empire system, with top-level groupings of Prokaryota (or Monera) and Eukaryota empires. All the complex life forms animals, plants, and fungi, which are mostly multicellular, as well as various other groups called protists, belong to the domain eukaryotes. Empire Superkingdom The result of an analysis for a sample Toxin from fungi Poisons produced by animals A syndrome is caused by a toxin. A class belongs to a phylum or a division. A station has samples. This is the inverse of the takenFrom relationship. A genus belongs to a family. An order belongs to a class. A sample analysis result is associated with a sample. A phytoplankton species causes a syndrome. A phylum or a division belongs to a kingdom. A phytoplankton species can produce one or more phytotoxins. A Toxin causes a syndrome. A sample undergoes analysis. A sample is obtained using a sampling method. A station belongs to a production area. A syndrome has causative organisms. A kingdom belongs to a domain. A phytoplankton may have one or more effects on water or fish. A phytotoxin can be produced by one or more phytoplankton species. A syndrom has one or more symptoms A sample analysis result is associated with the analysis it was obtained from. A family belongs to an order. A sample is taken from a station. A species belongs to a genus. a general description for a sampling method The scientific name for a phytoplankton Date/Time the sample was taken Name of a phytoplankton taxonomy, a toxin or a syndrome Heterotrophic organisms are contrasted with autotrophic life forms in that their carbon needs derive from organic nutrients which they take up from the growth environment. These organic nutrients are also used as the source of reducing equivalents for reductive biosyntheses and, in addition, their oxidation provides the free energy needed to support a chemiosmotic mechanism which powers ATP synthesis. Animals are heterotrophs, and most microorganisms are heterotrophs. Green plants are photoautotrophs. Methanogens are chemoautotrophs. Autotrophic Heterotrophic The common name for a phytoplankton A code identifying a sample The abbreviated name for a phytoplankton Eukaryota Eucaryote All the complex life forms animals, plants, and fungi, which are mostly multicellular, as well as various other groups called protists, belong to the domain eukaryotes. Plantae Plantae include mosses, liverworts, ferns, confers and flowering plants. Plants are multicellular. eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms that form the basis of the food web in terrestrial ecosystems. Haptophyta The haptophyta division The chlorophyta division Chlorophyta Brevetoxin is a neurotoxin produced by the dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis. It's associated with Red Tide, and shellfish eaten during Red Tides that are contaminated with brevetoxin can cause paresthesias of the lips, tongue, and extremities; in very bad cases, they can cause respiratory failure. Brevetoxin takes effect by binding to sodium channels on nerve and muscle membranes. This causes a sudden influx of sodium ions to rush into the cell, causing cell death due to sudden ionization. In addition, the cells become hyperactive. Just recently, brevetoxin has been synthesized by researchers in California. Some researchers are examining the effects of brevetoxin on the respiratory system. This poison causes similar symptoms to bronchitis and asthma, but by the potency of the toxin, it should have caused many deaths; instead, it has caused hardly any human deaths. Researchers examining this have located another substance, brevenol, produced by algae found near the dinoflagellate, that seems to act as a sort of antidote. They are currently studying this substance as a potential treatment for respiratory diseases. Definition from ISCID Encyclopedia of Science and Philosophy Ciguatoxin: A seafood toxin that is acquired by eating fish that have consumed toxic single-celled marine organisms called dinoflagellates or fish that have consumed other fish that have become toxic. When someone eats these fish, they suffer seafood poisoning. Food poisoning from ciguatoxin is called ciguatera. Ciguatera can cause gastrointestinal, neuromuscular symptoms and respiratory problems. The gastrointestinal problems include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The neuromuscular problems may include tingling around the lips, abnormal or impaired skin sensations, hot-to-cold reversal, vertigo, lack of muscle coordination, weakness and numbness, muscle pain, and itching. There may be respiratory paralysis. Ciguatera symptom strike shortly after eating tainted fish. Symptoms may recur up to 6 months. Death is uncommon, but is known. Fish with ciguatoxin come from the southeastern United States, Bahamian, and Caribbean regions, Hawaii, and subtropical and tropical areas worldwide including the central Pacific and northern Australia. Barracuda, amberjack, horse-eye jack, black jack, other large species of jack, king mackerel, large groupers, and snappers are particularly likely to contain ciguatoxin. Many other species of large fish-eating fish may also contain ciguatoxin. Definition from MedicineNet.com Bacillariophyceae The Bacillariophyceae class The bacillariophyta division Charophyceae The Charophyceae class The cyanophyta division Cyanophyta Euglenophyta The euglenophyta division Domoic Acid Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin produced by microscopic algae, specifically the diatom species Pseudo-nitzschia. Shellfish and crab ingest this algae, where the toxin concentrates. Significant amounts of domoic acid can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) in humans. ASP is transmitted by eating contaminated molluscan shellfish and crab. All the complex life forms animals, plants, and fungi, which are mostly multicellular, as well as various other groups called protists, belong to the domain eukaryotes. Azaspiracid Poisoning: AZP is a new toxic syndrome that has caused human intoxications throughout Europe following the consumption of mussels (Mytilus edulis). The first identification of azaspiracids in other bivalve mollusks including oysters (Crassostrea gigas), scallops (Pecten maximus), clams (Tapes phillipinarium), and cockles (Cardium edule) is reported. Importantly, oysters were the only shellfish that accumulated azaspiracids at levels that were comparable with mussels. Azaspiracid Poisoning The pyrrophyta division Pyrrophyta Okadaic Acid: Toxin produced by planktonic algae (dinoflagellates, in most cases) upon which the shellfish feed Okadaic Acid Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning: DSP produces gastrointestinal symptoms, usually beginning within 30 min to a few hours after consumption of toxic shellfish (Yasumoto and Murato, 1990). The illness, which is not fatal, is characterized by incapacitating diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and chills. Recovery occurs within three days, with or without medical treatment. Maitotoxin Maitotoxin or MTX is an extremely potent toxin produced by Gambierdiscus toxicus, a dinoflagellate species partially responsible for the phenomenon known as red tide. Maitotoxin activates Ca2+ permeable, non-selective cation channels, leading to an increase in levels of cytosolic Ca2+ ions. It is thought that maitotoxin leads to the formation of pores on these ion channels. Ultimately, a cell death cascade is activated, resulting in membrane blebbing and eventually cell lysis. The molecule itself exists as a system of 32 fused rings. It is notable because it is one of the largest, and most complex, non-protein molecules produced by an organism. Its structure was established through analysis using nuclear magnetic resonance at Tohoku University, Harvard and the University of Tokyo. Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning: ASP can be a life-threatening syndrome. It is characterized by both gastrointestinal and neurological disorders (Bates et al., 1989). Gastroenteritis usually develops within 24 hours of the consumption of toxic shellfish; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. In severe cases, neurological symptoms also appear, usually within 48 hours of toxic shellfish consumption. These symptoms include dizziness, headache, seizures, disorientation, short-term memory loss, respiratory difficulty, and coma. In 1987, four victims died after consuming toxic mussels from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Since that time, Canadian authorities have monitored both the water column for the presence of the causative diatom, and shellfish for the presence of the toxin, domoic acid. Shellfish beds are closed to harvesting when the domoic acid concentration reaches 20 µg/g shellfish meat. Fish and crab viscera can also contain domoic acid, so the risk to human consumers and animals in the marine food chain is more significant than previously believed. Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: CFP produces gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms. Generally, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain occur initially, followed by neurological dysfunction including reversal of temperature sensation, muscular aches, dizziness, anxiety, sweating, and a numbness and tingling of the mouth and digits. Paralysis and death have been documented, but symptoms are usually less severe although debilitating (Miller, 1991). Recovery time is variable, and may take weeks, months, or years. Rapid treatment (within 24 hours) with manitol is reported to relieve some symptoms. There is no antidote, supportive therapy is the rule, and survivors recover. Absolute prevention of intoxication depends upon complete abstinence from eating any tropical reef fish, since there is currently no easy way to measure routinely ciguatoxin or maitotoxin in any seafood product prior to consumption. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning Azaspiracids (AZAs) are nitrogen-containing polyether toxins with a unique spiral ring assembly, a cyclic amine, and a carboxylic acid. AZAs were first detected in 1995 in mussels (Mytilus edulis) originating from IIreland and have since been found in other bivalves, including oysters (Crassostrea gigas, Ostrea edulis), scallops (Pecten maximus), clams (Tapes phillipinarium), cockles (Cardium edule), and razor clams (Ensis siliqua). Azaspiracid Prokaryota Prokaryote [Wikipedia]: Prokaryotes (from Old Greek pro- before + karyon nut, referring to the cell nucleus, + suffix -otos, pl. -otes; also spelled "procaryotes") are organisms without a cell nucleus (= karyon), or indeed any other membrane-bound organelles, in most cases unicellular (in rare cases, multicellular). This is in contrast to eukaryotes (also spelled "eucaryotes"), organisms that have cell nuclei and may be variously unicellular or multicellular. Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning: NSP produces an intoxication syndrome nearly identical to that of ciguatera. In this case, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms predominate. In addition, formation of toxic aerosols by wave action can produce respiratory asthma-like symptoms. No deaths have been reported and the syndrome is less severe than ciguatera, but nevertheless debilitating. Unlike ciguatera, recovery is generally complete in a few days. Monitoring programs (based on K. brevis cell counts) generally suffice for preventing human intoxication, except when officials are caught off-guard in previously unaffected areas. Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning [Wikipedia]: Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. In general they are multicellular, capable of locomotion and responsive to their environment, and feed by consuming other organisms. Their body plan becomes fixed as they develop, usually early on in their development as embryos, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on. Biologically, human beings fall under the animal kingdom. Animalia Metazoa Surface Sample Cryptophyta The cryptophyta division Dinophysis Toxin Dinophysis Toxin: Toxin produced or elaborated by planktonic algae (dinoflagellates, in most cases) upon which the shellfish feed Lund Tube Raphidophyta The raphidophyta division The chrysophyta division Chrysophyta Chlorophyceae The Chlorophyceae class Saxitoxins (STX) are neurotoxic alkaloids which are also known as PSP's (paralytic shelfish poisons) due to their occurance and association with seafood. They block sodium channels in nerve cells, thus casuing their neurotoxic effects. There are a number of STX variants generally divided into groups based on their structure or organism of origin. The single sulphated STX's are known as gonyautoxins (GTX) and the doubly sulphated STX's are known as C-toxins. There are also decarbamyl STX's (dcSTX) and a group of STX variants, so far found only in Lyngbia wollei, known as Lyngbia-wollei-toxins (LWTX). Saxitoxin Ciliophora The ciliophora division Xanthophyta The xanthophyta division Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning: PSP, like ASP, is a life threatening syndrome. Symptoms are purely neurological and their onset is rapid. Duration of effects is a few days in non-lethal cases. Symptoms include tingling, numbness, and burning of the perioral region, ataxia, giddiness, drowsiness, fever, rash, and staggering. The most severe cases result in respiratory arrest within 24 hours of consumption of the toxic shellfish. If the patient is not breathing or if a pulse is not detected, artificial respiration and CPR may be needed as first aid. There is no antidote, supportive therapy is the rule and survivors recover fully. PSP is prevented by large-scale proactive monitoring programs (assessing toxin levels in mussels, oysters, scallops, clams) and rapid closures to harvest of suspect or demonstrated toxic areas.