Dinoflagellate Cysts in Recent Sediments from the West Coast of Sweden

Abstract

This is the first study of dinoflagellate cysts in recent coastal sediments from the Swedish west coast. Sediments from 19 sites were investigated. Fifty-four types of cysts were encountered, of these 40 were identified to species level, representing 13 genera. The most common species were those of Lingulodinium polyedrum, Protoceratium reticulatum, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Pentapharsodinium dalei and Gonyaulax cf. spinifera. Cysts of the potentially toxic species Alexandrium minutum and Alexandrium tamarense were widely distributed as well as Gymnodinium nolleri, the non-toxic G. catenatum-like microreticulate cyst found in Northern Europe. Nine of the species found in this survey have not previously been reported from Sweden: Diplopelta parva, D. symmetrica, Diplopsalopsis latipeltata, Diplopsalis lebourae, Protoperidinium americanum, P. avellana, P. divaricatum, P. nudum and P. stellatum.