In many coastal states the presence and impacts of harmful dinoflagellates have been investigated and documented in the literature. Scientists and government officials in many countries routinely monitor their coastal waters for harmful algae in order to prevent harvesting of contaminated seafood. But this is not the case for Nigeria, a coastal state in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. The present work reports findings from a first attempt to monitor potentially harmful algae in the coastal waters of Nigeria. Samples were collected from specific locations that included a coastal sea, a lagoon, estuaries and creeks along Nigeria's coastline in November 1999 and April 2001. Potentially harmful dinoflagellates recorded during these periods included 3 Ceratium species, 5 Dinophysis species, 3 Gonyaulax species, 1 Gymnodinium sp, 1 Lingulodinium species, 4 Prorocentrum species and 1 Scrippsiella species. The potential ecological and human health risks associated with similar species in the literature are highlighted.
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