CEFAS validates ioLight Cell Imager for HAB identification

The British government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science ( CEFAS ) has validated ioLight Cell Imagers as a viable tool for the in-field identification of Harmful Algal Blooms ( HABs ):

QUOTE:

“The ioLight portable microscope was used in the field and found to provide an easy-to-use and fit for purpose assessment of algae present in Lugol-fixed water samples as well as algal cultures.”[1]

In a newly published research paper – ScillyHAB: A Multi-Disciplinary Survey of Harmful Marine Phytoplankton and Shellfish Toxins in the Isles of Scilly: Combining Citizen Science with State-of-the-Art Monitoring in an Isolated UK Island Territory – marine science experts from CEFAS share details of a successful HAB monitoring project undertaken on the Isles of Scilly.

This remote southwestern archipelago (the warmest corner of the British Isles) played host to a pioneering, citizen-led science effort – searching for harmful toxins in the shellfish consumed by the islands’ ‘Scillonian’ inhabitants. The islands’ coastal waters are home to wild bivalve beds, which the locals recreationally harvest for their own consumption.

Specifically, researchers were surveying for harmful marine phytoplankton and shellfish toxins, to ascertain whether the practice of consuming local bivalves carried any of the potential health risks associated with “the presence of harmful algae and their shellfish toxin metabolites” [1].

Caption: Bivalve mollusc species surveyed in the project included A – Cockles | B – Surf clams | C –
Grooved carpet clams | D – Razor clams | E – Blue mussels

The ‘ScillyHAB’ project was undertaken by CEFAS in partnership with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, the University of Sussex’s School of Life Sciences and local school, the Five Islands Academy. Samples of both seawater and shellfish tissues were gathered and analysed for microalgae and toxins using ioLight Cell Imagers for in-field microscopy (alongside other
techniques such as nanopore sequencing and chemical analysis).

In a project threatened by COVID-19 lockdowns a team (largely made up of citizen scientists, including Five Islands pupils) were tasked with capturing images from seawater samples using ioLight Cell Imagers. Images were relayed back to CEFAS experts confined to their labs on the mainland. This process was simple as ioLight imagers connect easily to smartphones and tablets, a fact that proved crucial to the success of the project when access to the islands became unexpectedly restricted:

Empowering Citizen Scientists

QUOTE:

“…the microscopes being powered and controlled by mobile phones…enabled photographs to be taken in the field and sent to Cefas for qualitative assessment” [1]

The paper’s authors noted that ioLight’s equipment was so “easy-to-use and fit for purpose” that the “images obtained enabled HAB genera to be identified in the field when present.” All this in spite of the fact that there had been “no chance of training in person in advance of the project start”.

Two of the images below were obtained from our portable Cell Imagers, the other two from a more traditional, laboratory-based optic – can you tell which come from the low-cost, portable imager:

ioLight HAB images compared with Olympus IX83 — Micrograph images of algal cultures – A and C were taken with ioLight Cell Imagers, which you can compare to B and D captured with a high-end, lab-based Olympus IX83

We don’t pretend to be able to match the fidelity of laboratory microscopes – for which researchers, ourselves included, will always have a need – but this research project proved that the imagery produced by ioLight devices was of sufficiently high fidelity to complete the task in-hand; detecting the presence of HAB genera when present. It’s worth keeping in mind the significant advantage of being able to perform this analysis in the field, not least in relation to sample quality and ‘freshness’ – no time delays or disruptive transit legs mean less sample degradation – a key advantage of field microscopy and sometimes crucial in obtaining accurate detection of HABs.

Key findings and the future of field microscopy

We’re not stopping here! The frontier of field microscopy lies in pairing it with Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’ve successfully pioneered the use of machine learning for HAB identification in projects in the US (read more about that here ), and CEFAS recognise the disruptive potential of this innovation:

QUOTE:

“…recent advances in artificial intelligence approaches linked to cell identification and enumeration of cyanobacteria in freshwater samples using the ioLight system have resulted in the rapid field-assessment capabilities for harmful algal species by citizen scientists in the US.” [1]

The ScillyHAB project proved the efficacy of our Cell Imagers for the detection of microalgae, and demonstrated just how portable and powerful field microscopy can be – even in the hands of non-experts.

All involved were relieved to conclude that the shellfish tested in the study were all safe to eat, and we hope that the suggested ongoing monitoring work will continue in order to ensure the safe, continued consumption of Scilly’s delicious seafood! We’re also excited to see how our Machine Learning (ML) enhanced analysis of samples might further boost the efficacy of Scilly’s formidable network of citizen scientists.

We’re phenomenally proud to see our Compact Cell Imagers enabling innovative new ways of working in the fight to protect our oceans and seas. It’s especially rewarding for us to read about CEFAS’ ScillyHAB project success, as they’re a long-standing customer of the company, having believed in our vision for the future of field microscopy since 2017, for which we are extremely grateful.

We’ll leave you with one last quote from the ScillyHAB research paper that we think succinctly summarises the success our Cell Imagers helped the team achieve:

“A portable microscope was successfully utilized in the field for recognition of microalgae and for early warning of potential shellfish toxicity events.” [1]

You can find information about our Cell Imagers here, and please don’t hesitate to contact the team today should you have any questions about ioLight products or wish to discuss a research collaboration of your own

info@iolight.co.uk | T: +44 (0)333 202 7101 / USA: 919-500-5598