First report of Protoperidinium steinii (Dinophyceae) bloom from the coastal marine ecosystem – an observation from tropical Indian waters

A dense bloom of Protoperidinium steinii was observed in the backwaters adjoining the western Bay of Bengal, Kalpakkam coast, which might be the first report for the world oceans. The brownish-red bloom appeared on 2 October 2019, and it was monitored on alternate days up to 14 October. Surface water temperature was about 27.5°C and salinity was