Many phytoplankton species, including many harmful algal bloom (HAB) species, survive long periods between blooms through formation of benthic resting stages. Because they are crucial to the persistence of these species and the initiation of new blooms, the physiology of benthic stages must be considered to accurately predict responses to climate warming and associated environmental changes. The benthic stages of dinoflagellates, called resting cysts, germinate in response to the combination of favorable temperature, oxygen-availability, and release from dormancy. The latter is a mechanism that prevents germination even when oxygen and temperature conditions are favorable. Here, evidence of temperature-mediated control of dormancy duration from the dinoflagellates Alexandrium catenella and Pyrodinium bahamense—two HAB species that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)—is reviewed and presented alongside new evidence of complementary, temperature-based control of cyst quiescence (the state in which cysts germinate on exposure to favorable conditions). Interaction of the two temperature-based mechanisms with climate is explored through a simple model parameterized using results from recent experiments with A. catenella. Simulations demonstrate the importance of seasonal temperature cycles for the synchronization of cysts’ release from dormancy and are consistent with biogeography-based inferences that A. catenella is more tolerant of warming in habitats that experience a larger range of seasonal temperature variation (i.e., have higher temperature seasonality). Temperature seasonality is much greater in shallow, long-residence time habitats than in deep, open-water ones. As warming shifts species’ ranges, cyst beds may persist longer in more seasonally variable, shallow inshore habitats than in deep offshore ones, promoting HABs that are more localized and commence earlier each year. Recent field investigations of A. catenella also point to the importance of new cyst formation as a factor triggering bloom termination through mass sexual induction. In areas where temperature seasonality restricts the flux of new swimming cells (germlings) to narrow temporal windows, warming is unlikely to promote longer and more intense HAB impacts—even when water column conditions would otherwise promote prolonged bloom development. Many species likely have a strong drive to sexually differentiate and produce new cysts once concentrations reach levels that are conducive to new cyst formation. This phenomenon can impose a limit to bloom intensification and suggests an important role for cyst bed quiescence in determining the duration of HAB risk periods.

许多浮游植物物种，包括许多有害藻华（HAB）物种，通过底栖休止期的形成，在水华之间有很长的生存期。由于它们对于这些物种的持久性和新花期的爆发至关重要，因此必须考虑底栖阶段的生理学，以准确预测对气候变暖和相关环境变化的响应。鞭毛的底栖阶段，称为静止的囊肿，在有利的温度，氧气利用度和从休眠状态释放的综合作用下发芽。后者是即使在氧气和温度条件良好的情况下也可以防止发芽的机制。在这里，证据表明温度是由鞭毛藻和链状鞭毛的休眠时间控制的。审查并提出了巴哈毕热梭菌（Pyrodinium bahamense），这是两种引起麻痹性贝类中毒（PSP）的HAB物种，同时还提供了新的证据，证明了基于温度的互补性囊肿休眠的互补性（在良好条件下，囊肿萌发的状态）。通过一个简单的模型，探索了这两个基于温度的机制与气候的相互作用，该模型使用了最近在A. catenella上的实验结果进行参数化。模拟表明季节性温度周期对于使囊肿从休眠状态释放的同步性的重要性，并且与基于生物地理学的关于毛虫A. catenella的推论一致在经历较大范围的季节性温度变化（即温度季节变化较大）的栖息地中，其对气候变暖的耐受性更高。在浅的，长期居住的栖息地中，温度季节性比在深的，开阔水域的栖息地中更大。随着变暖改变物种的范围，与深海近岸生境相比，季节性变化更大，浅海近岸生境中的囊状床可能会持续更长的时间，从而促进了HABs的本地化并于每年更早开始。近期对A.catenella的野外调查还指出了新的囊肿形成的重要性，该因子是通过大量性诱导触发开花终止的因素。在温度季节性限制新的游泳细胞（发芽）向狭窄的时间窗流动的地区，变暖不太可能促进更长和更强烈的HAB影响，即使水柱条件否则会促进花期的延长发展。一旦浓度达到有利于新囊肿形成的水平，许多物种就可能强烈地促进性别分化并产生新的囊肿。这种现象可能会限制开花强度的增加，并提示囊性床静止在确定HAB危险期的持续时间中起重要作用。