Protistology

The article reviews modern concepts of the protistan diversity patterns within the environmental gradients in the pelagic coastal ecosystems and the role of microplankton communities therein, with special emphasis on dinoflagellates. We revise the knowledge on biology of the bloom-forming, potentially toxic, mixotrophic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum in gradually fluctuating environment of the brackishwater Baltic Sea, their reaction to abrupt external stresses in the experiment, metabolism and population heterogeneity, cellular and molecular adaptation strategies and broad ecological niche dimensions that empower this globally distributed species with substantial competitive advantages and pronounced invasive potential. Topicality of such synthesis is defined by high ecological and socio-economic importance of these potentially harmful organisms for humans and their environment: ecosystem health, fisheries, aquaculture, recreation and tourism, as well as for resolving a number of urgent issues in biomedicine and biotechnology.

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