A microscopic fungus discovered in Spanish seawater can infect and kill the toxic algae responsible for harmful coastal blooms, researchers at Yokohama National University have found, suggesting a natural algae-control mechanism that science has largely ignored.
The organism, named Algophthora mediterranea, belongs to the chytrid group of aquatic fungi and was first detected in Spanish seawater in 2021 by scientists at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM) in Spain. It was formally described by Professor Maiko Kagami and PhD student Núria Pou-Solà, with genetic analysis confirming it represents not only a new species but an entirely new genus. The name combines the word “alga” with the Greek “phthora,” meaning destruction, according to the study published in Mycologia.
What the Fungus Targets
The primary target is Ostreopsis cf. ovata, an alga that produces a toxin called ovatoxin (OVTX). Blooms of this species, reported with growing frequency in the Mediterranean over recent decades, cause symptoms in humans including runny nose, coughing, shortness of breath, conjunctivitis, itching, and dermatitis.
In laboratory conditions, the fungus parasitizes cells of O. cf. ovata and kills them within a few days. Researchers recorded the process using time-lapse imaging taken every ten minutes over four days, and examined specimens through scanning electron microscopy alongside DNA analysis.
What separates Algophthora mediterranea from most known marine parasites is its host range. The fungus can infect several other algae species and, notably, can survive by feeding on pollen grains — a degree of adaptability rarely documented among marine chytrids.
An Overlooked Ecological Force
“Although previous DNA-based surveys have revealed a wide diversity of marine fungi, only a handful of parasitic species have ever been isolated, and their ecology has remained largely unknown,” said Pou-Solà. “Our newly described species stands out for its unusually broad host range and distinctive feeding strategy, demonstrating that some chytrid fungi possess remarkable ecological resilience.”
The discovery points to a gap in how marine ecosystems are understood. Harmful algal blooms form when algae grow rapidly under conditions of high nutrient levels and warmer water temperatures, degrading water quality and threatening both wildlife and human health. A natural parasite capable of checking those blooms has practical as well as scientific implications.
Kagami said the team’s next focus will be how such parasites function inside complex marine communities. “Ultimately, our goal is to understand how parasitic fungi contribute to — and potentially shape — the ocean’s biogeochemical cycles, an ecosystem role that has been largely overlooked until now,” the professor said.
The team also aims to build predictive knowledge around these organisms, though the announcement stops short of specifying a timeline or application pathway.
Photo by Ekaterina Zlotnikova on Unsplash
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