Harmful Algal Blooms Up 59% Since 2003 Worldwide

Govind Tekale

Algae form the foundation of aquatic food webs, producing oxygen through photosynthesis and supporting countless marine and freshwater species.

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Freerange Stock (CC0)

Under certain conditions favourable to these microscopic organisms- nutrient overload and climate amplification- they multiply explosively, wreaking havoc on ecosystems.

Photo Credit: Shijan Kaakkara/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

When blooms die and decompose, bacteria consume dissolved oxygen, creating hypoxic (low-oxygen) or anoxic (no-oxygen) zones where aquatic life suffocates.

Photo Source: Oregon State University (CC BY-SA 2.0)

HABs create ripple effects throughout aquatic systems and human communities by disrupting fisheries and tourism while increasing the costs of removing them.

Photo Credit: Ingrid Taylar/ Flickr (CC BY-2.0)

Researchers have developed increasingly sophisticated tools to track, predict, and mitigate their impacts which include monitoring, forecasting, and algicidal applications.

Photo Credit: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/ Flickr (CC BY NC-ND 2.0)

In response, sophisticated methods like NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Forecast System along with experimental control methods have been developed by researchers.

Photo Credit: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/ Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Harmful algal blooms are a worldwide phenomenon requiring an international understanding leading ultimately to local and regional solutions.

1. Photo Source: NOAA (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)

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