Harmful Algal Bloom

Definition

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are proliferations of certain noxious and/or toxic micro- and macroalgae and cyanobacteria, regardless of their concentration, with negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and human health and wellbeing. HABs are naturally occurring phenomena that are also facilitated by anthropogenic pressures (including eutrophication, habitat modification and introduction of exogenous HAB organisms). HABs constitute a complex global problem that might increase in severity and frequency, and be expanded in biogeographic range, in our changing planet (GlobalHAB).

Facts and figures

Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of algae grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds. HABs occur naturally, but human activities that disturb ecosystems seem to play a role in their more frequent occurrence and intensity. Increased nutrient loadings and pollution, food web alterations, introduced species, water flow modifications and climate change all play a role. Studies show that many algal species flourish when wind and water currents are favorable. In other cases, HABs may be linked to “overfeeding.” This occurs when nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen) from sources such as lawns and agriculture flow into bays, rivers, and the sea, and build up at a rate that “overfeeds” the algae that exist normally in the environment. Some HABs appear in the aftermath of natural phenomena like sluggish water circulation, unusually high water temperatures, and extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and drought (NOAA).

HABs are natural processes that occur in all aquatic systems and cause worldwide problems with significant economic, socio-cultural, and human health consequences. There is considerable concern that some HABs and/or their associated impacts may be increasing and expanding globally due to a combination of natural and human-driven forcing, including climate change. In the past two decades, improvements in scientific understanding of the complex processes involved in HAB dynamics have contributed to better management of the risks associated with some harmful events (GlobalHAB).

UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices with hazard-specific expertise

Related content on the Knowledge Portal

  • The World Water Quality Information and Capacity Building Portal (IIWQ) is a webmap that illustrates data on turbidity, chlorophyll-a, total absorption as well as the EOMAP specific harmful algal bloom indicator (HAB indicator). Where access to in-situ data is available station values are presented.
  • The World Water Quality Information and Capacity Building Portal (IIWQ) is a webmap that illustrates data on turbidity, chlorophyll-a, total absorption as well as the EOMAP specific harmful algal bloom indicator (HAB indicator). Where access to in-situ data is available station values are presented.
  • The ROPME has initiated a regional program and special remote sensing unit for routine monitoring of marine and coastal environments in its regional marine area (the Gulf, Sea of Oman and Arabian Sea), which is conventionally, known as ROPME Sea Area.

    This program relies essentially on processing and utilization of real-time and near-real time satellite data from NASA’s MODIS sensor that is being received through the MODIS Direct Broadcast Receiving Station. This station has been installed at ROPME Secretariat in Al-Jabriya, Kuwait in early 2003 and still operative since that data. The station is being operated and managed by the experts of the Remote Sensing Unit (RSU) and routinely receives satellite data only from MODIS sensor onboard Terra and Aqua satellites.

    The RSU also provides a guidance and advice to the national focal points and other concerned authorities in case they need further information on status of the marine environment in their…
  • Set of maps developed by the Harmful Algal Studies Center (CREAN) of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), whose purpose is to show the relative abundance of the Alexandrium catenella microalga, with the aim of informing and alerting about the presence of this dinoflagellate harmful. This information is preventive and in no case determines the opening and closing of seafood extraction areas.
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  • The map indicates chlorophyll-A and sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic based on data.
    The products can be downloaded from the CMEMS catalogue using different protocol (ftp, wms...):
    NEAR REAL TIME (DAILY UPDATED) BASED ON SINGLE SENSOR (OLCI-A) AND MERGED SENSORS (MODIS-A & VIIRS-N):
    Global level-3 Daily: OCEANCOLOUR_GLO_CHL_L3_NRT_OBSERVATIONS_009_032
    Global level-4 Climatology, Monthly, 8-days products and daily-Optimal-Interpolation: OCEANCOLOUR_GLO_CHL_L4_NRT_OBSERVATIONS_009_033
    Atlantic level-4 Daily-Optimal-Interpolation: OCEANCOLOUR_ATL_CHL_L4_NRT_OBSERVATIONS_009_037
    REPROCESSED TIME-SERIES BASED ON MERGED SENSORS (SeaWifs, MERIS, MODIS-A & VIIRS-N):
    Global level-3 Daily products: OCEANCOLOUR_GLO_CHL_L3_REP_OBSERVATIONS_009_085
    Global level-4 Monthly, 8-days and Daily-Optimal-Interpolation: OCEANCOLOUR_GLO_CHL_L4_REP_OBSERVATIONS_009_082
    Atlantic level-4 Daily-Optimal-Interpolation:…
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  • La productividad del mar peruano es muy sensible a los efectos de El Niño-Oscilación del Sur. Se conoce que en años neutros y fríos (La Niña), la concentración superficial de clorofila-a (indicador de la biomasa del fitoplancton) en las aguas sobre el margen continental, varía entre 1.2 y 6.7 mg/m3, mientras que en años cálidos (El Niño) este rango tiende a reducirse a 1.2 - 2.6 mg/m3.

    Por ello, en IMARPE, complementariamente, se monitorea la clorofila-a superficial con la información que provee el sensor MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, en inglés) con una resolución temporal diaria y espacial de 4 km.
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  • The Harmful Algal Information System, HAIS, will when fully established consist of access to information on harmful algal events, harmful algae monitoring and management systems worldwide, current use of taxonomic names of harmful algae, and information on biogeography of harmful algal species. Supplementary components are an expert directory and a bibliography.



    The HAIS System is being built within the "International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange" (IODE) of the "Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission" (IOC) of UNESCO, and in cooperation with WoRMS, ICES, PICES, IAEA and ISSHA.

    HAEDAT Disclaimer: The HAEDAT database contains information based on yearly national reports by ICES and PICES member states. The available information on individual events varies greatly from event to event or country to country. Monitoring intensity, number of monitoring stations, number of samplings, stations, etc. also…
  • Webmap of Algal bloom detections, CHl-A from MODIS nFLH, Sea Surface Temperature (Odyssea), Chlorophyll-A from Sentinel OLCI.

    The HAB Decision Support Tool (DeST) provides a capability for monitoring and assessing risk of HAB events for the South African coastal area to approximately 50km offshore. Risk assessment and monitoring is based on quantified understanding of bloom dynamics (Pitcher & Nelson, 2006), hypoxic impacts (Pitcher et al 2014), and earth observation monitoring capabilities (Bernard et al 2006). Maps of various ocean colour-derived phytoplankton biomass proxies, sea surface temperature, and ocean state (wind, current, sea state) are used to provide information on the presence and movement of blooms, and extracted time series of these data provide a "virtual buoy" capability giving a multi-parameter risk index.
  • HABSOS combines in-situ measurements, with oceanographic and meteorological data. When clicking on metadata in the website the 15+ integrated data sources can be viewed.

Term Parents

UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices with hazard-specific expertise