Chilean Patagonia Expedition Uncovers the Secrets of ‘Red Tide’ Algae

A Chilean oceanographer, researchers, and a film crew embarked on a journey to the southernmost tip of South America in order to gain a better understanding of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the region of Patagonia.

These blooms, commonly referred to as “red tide,” occur when microalgae experience an exponential growth, resulting in the ocean taking on a reddish, green, or brown hue. However, these blooms can also pose a threat to human health, animals, and the local ecology.

José Luis Iriarte, a distinguished oceanographer at Universidad Austral de Chile and the Principal investigator at the IDEAL in Punta Arenas, Chile, led a team of 24 Chilean and international scientists aboard the Chilean Navy scientific vessel Cabo de Hornos. The entire expedition was captured on film by a documentary crew.

Iriarte reveals that several species of marine toxins have been discovered in the coastal waters of Patagonia, including new ones that affect fish and cause paralysis and food poisoning in humans, famously known as red tide poisoning.

The team’s objective was to identify new toxins in the southern marine ecosystem and understand the environmental factors contributing to the occurrence of these toxic blooms.

“The development of Harmful Algae Blooms, or ‘Red Tides,’ in the cold waters of Patagonia poses significant threats to human health, small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal communities,” says Iriarte. He further adds that the discovery of new toxins in previously unknown locations and at higher frequencies was surprising to the researchers.

“Understanding the association between toxic species along the coast and the unknown environmental, climatic, hydrologic, and oceanographic features in a changing ocean scenario is a scientific challenge,” Iriarte explains.

Research in Patagonia

Iriarte’s upbringing in Puerto Varas, a small town in northern Patagonia, Chile, influenced his passion for studying the region.

“During my final years of school, my parents, who worked in wildlife institutions and as a schoolteacher, encouraged me to read scientific books and magazines,” he recalls. He particularly enjoyed accompanying his father on field trips, exploring Patagonian channels and fjords.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Marine Biology, Iriarte pursued further studies in Oceanography at Texas A&M University and obtained his doctorate from Universidad de Concepción in Chile.

Iriarte views the ecosystems of Patagonia and Antarctica as unique “natural laboratories” that offer valuable opportunities to explore fundamental scientific questions.

“My research dream is for these ecosystems to be recognized as natural climatic refuges, preserving their ecological functions and ecosystem services,” he says. He also highlights the favorable conditions of these ecosystems, facilitating collaborations with scientists from around the world and the training of future generations interested in polar and subpolar science.

“All these characteristics drive us to actively engage in research, with a strong commitment to understanding the behavior of these ecosystems in the face of climate change,” he concludes.

Another esteemed scientist, Adriana Ariza-Pardo, a geoscientist from Colombia, has also conducted research in the Patagonian region. She focused on investigating the origins of a submerged, active volcano that serves as a port for researchers exploring Antarctica.

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Ariza-Pardo participated in the VIII Colombian Expedition to Antarctica during the 2021-2022 summer campaign.

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