Potential effects of climate change on the growth response of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia selliformis from Patagonian waters of Chile

•The coastal acidification and relatively cold waters (current conditions) in northern Patagonia are favorable for the growth of K. selliformis.•In a scenario of warming and acidification the appearance of algal blooms of the Chilean K. selliformis strains will be less frequent.•K. selliformis’s response to pH variability highlights the importance of studying acidification in Chile’s coastal zone.