Harmful Algal Blooms

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Harmful Algal Blooms
By Jill M. Worner
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What are Harmful Algal Blooms ?

• Single celled marine plants called phytoplankton.
• Most species are not harmful and serve as the
  energy producers at the base of the food web.
• Phytoplankton become harmful when they occur in
  an unnaturally high abundance, they produce a
  toxin, or contain physical attributes (i.e.
  spines).
• Bloom accumulate into dense, visible patches
  near the surface of the water.
• Initiated by right set of environmental
  conditions.

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Group 1

• Certain cyanobacteria, diatoms, and macroalgae.
• Harmless species.
• However, when they occur in dense blooms creates
  anoxic conditions.
• Causes fish and invertebrate kills.

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Group 2

• Toxic cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates.
• Produce potent toxins.
• Causes illness or death in grazers which
  continues up the food chain due to the effects of
  bioaccumulation.

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Group 3

• Certain diatoms, dinoflagellates, and
  raphidophytes.
• Species are not toxic.
• Contain physical attributes such as spines.
• Causes irritation
• Damages gills and tissue.

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What Can Be Done?

• Satellite remote sensing imagery used to follow
  HABs and record distribution data .
• As technological advances increase, information
  could be used to
• warn coastal communities allowing for a more
  efficient fish clean up.
• Identifiy shellfish beds that may have been
  affected.
• Learn more about toxins to better treat sick
  people.

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Positive Results from HABs

• Natures way of balancing itself.
• Populations get too large fish are killed.
• Removal of weak species.
• Other populations increase
• Fishermen reported higher catches of crabs and
  other animals following a bloom.

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