Temperature effects on physiology, transcription, and toxin production of the benthic dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus belizeanus

Ocean warming is increasing the occurrence of harmful dinoflagellate blooms, which pose a significant threat to coastal ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions. However, the understanding of how temperatures affect the growth and toxicity of these harmful species remains limited. In this study, we investigated the physiological and transcriptional responses, and the the toxin production of Gambierdiscus belizeanus, a common dinoflagellate responsible for benthic harmful algal blooms, when exposed to different temperatures (18C to 28C).