A study, derived from the international workshop held in Vigo in 2024 and organized by the CIM, identifies advances and challenges in the research of these marine microfossils, fundamental to reconstructing past conditions of the ocean and anticipating the appearance of harmful species
An international team of specialists, led by the Marine Research Center (CIM) of the University of Vigo, has just published in the journal Marine Micropaleontology a review of the current state of the study of dinoflagellate cysts with organic walls. Dinoflagellates are a group of marine microalgae that are part of the plankton and that play an essential role in ocean ecosystems: they produce oxygen, serve as food for other organisms and, in some cases, can cause red tides. After sexual reproduction, dinoflagellates generate cysts or resting structures, which are resistance structures that are preserved for a long time and are deposited in marine sediments. Hence, they constitute authentic time capsules that allow us to reconstruct the conditions of the ocean in the past and provide key information in predicting the effects of climate change and managing marine ecosystems.
The work, led by CIM researcher Iria García Moreiras, analyses the advances made in recent decades in the identification and use of cysts as environmental indicators, but also points out the main challenges still to be solved. Among them, the need to better understand the relationship between cysts and living dinoflagellate species, to know their long-term viability or to improve and standardise sampling and analysis techniques, as well as taxonomic identification, that is, to have common criteria and methods throughout the world to correctly identify and classify the different species. “Without this shared language, the results of different teams and regions cannot be compared rigorously, which limits their global application, for example, in predicting proliferations of harmful species with an impact on fisheries, aquaculture and human health”, indicated the researcher.
The conclusions of this article originate from the international workshop held in Vigo in 2024 and organized by the CIM, which brought together around 27 specialists from around the world to delve deeper into the study of dinoflagellate cysts as a tool to understand the effect of climate change and other environmental impacts on marine ecosystems.
Looking ahead, the team emphasizes “the importance of combining molecular tools with traditional morphological analyses, expanding global databases on cyst distribution and ecology, developing models that integrate physical and biological factors, promoting joint research between biology and geology, and exploring cutting-edge techniques such as environmental genomics, spectroscopy, or paleogenomics.”
In this way, the CIM demonstrates its capacity to generate international networks and positions Galicia as a benchmark in a field of research that would allow us to anticipate environmental risks and tackle climate change.
The CIM holds the CIGUS certification from the Regional Government of Galicia, which attests to the quality and impact of its research, and its activities are co-financed by the European Union through the 2021–2027 FEDER Program.
