Algal bloom: the rapid excessive growth of algae,generally caused by high nutrient levels and favourabl conditions.

Blooms can result in deoxygenation of the water mass when large masses of algae die and decompose, leading to the death of aquatic plants and animals. Algal blooms are not a new phenomenon - Captain Cook recorded an algal bloom during his voyage in 1770! Algae are a natural component of aquatic environments, and even when they are abundant, it is not necessarily a problem. Often a proliferation of microscopic algae can have beneficial effects on fisheries and aquaculture industries such as oyster or mussel farms by increasing the amount of food available. Macroalgae provide sheltered habitat for juvenile fish. In fact, the local fishery production in the PeelHarvey estuary almost doubled in the 1970s when weed (macroalgae) growth in the estuary was at its peak, without a similar increase in fishing effort. However, when algal blooms increase in intensity and frequency, the results can cause community concern, health problems, and in some cases can be catastrophic to the environment. The impacts are ecological, social and economic. Algal blooms upset the delicate natural balance of plant and animal ecosystems in a waterway or wetland. They can degrade recreation, conservation and scenic values, and interfere with economic uses such as fisheries and tourism. Weed that washes ashore and forms rotting piles on beaches can cause offensive smells and become a health problem for nearby residents as well as a nuisance to beach users and fishers. An over-abundance of algae can choke a body of water such as a river, clog irrigation pipes, and block out the light other plants, such as seagrasses, need to produce food. Excessive weed growth can eventually kill seagrass beds. When an algal bloom dies the process of decay can use up all the available oxygen in the water, effectively suffocating other aquatic life. This can kill fish, crabs and other animals, especially those that are attached or sedentary (do not move around). Some species of algae produce toxins.

Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms Ecological

Harmful algal blooms negatively impact the food web by decreasing the amount of nutritious, edible phytoplankton that zooplankton and other primary consumers need to survive. These organisms may then starve, leading to decreased food for secondary and higher order consumers. Increased cell concentration can block sunlight from primary producers under the waters surface as well, leading to decreased food and oxygen levels. When the cells in the bloom begin to die it can also lead to decreased dissolved oxygen levels that can be lethal to other aquatic organisms and cause fish kills. Low dissolved oxygen can be made worse by overcast days and warmer temperatures.

Human/Animal

Decreased recreational use and aesthetical value of waters due to toxicity, mats of algae, and the smell when cells begin to die are only some of the problems associated with harmful algal blooms. Cyanobacterial blooms can contaminate drinking water with taste, odor, or toxic compounds. The toxins produced during blooms are possible carcinogens to humans and current research is studying the link between certain cyanobacterial toxins and neurological disease. Harmful algal blooms have been known to kill waterfowl and livestock, and dogs have died after eating mats of cyanobacteria or licking their fur after swimming in bloom infested waters. In some cases, humans have also died after exposure to harmful algal blooms.

TYPES
What Types of Algal Blooms Can Phytoplankton Cause? Red tides are caused by phytoplankton that have a reddish pigment called peridinin. Most dinoflagellates, such as Alexandrium catenella, have this pigment. As a result, when there is a bloom of dinoflagellates, the ocean will generally turn red. Gulf of Mexico. This type of tide is very common on both the east and west coasts as well as Florida and the

Green tides can be caused by Phaeocystis, which is a unicellular, photosynthetic algae found throughout the world. Green tides can also be caused by macroalgae such as Enteromorpha spp. andCodium isthmocladum, which have caused serious damage to many coastal regions When in bloom, macroalgae often outcompete seagrass and coral reefs. This results in habitat loss for marine fish, less oxygen and sunlight for other organisms, and an ecosystem that is more vulnerable to extinction and invasions.

Brown tides are caused by the pelagophytes (another type of microalgae) such as Aureococcusanophagefferens. Aureococcusis a spherical, non-motile species that has caused noticeable damage to the coastal ecosystems in which it occurs. seen in the northeast and mid-Atlantic US estuaries. Brown tides are commonly