Harmful algal bloom

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is a dense aggregation of phytoplankton, algae or cyanobacteria in a marine or aquatic environment that causes negative impacts to other organisms via production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms or by other means. The term "red tide" is often used colloquially to describe these phenomena, however scientists now prefer the term HAB, since
#not all algal blooms are harmful,
#not all algal blooms cause discoloration of water, and
#these blooms are not associated with tides. HABs are often associated with large-scale marine mortality events and have been associated with various types of shellfish poisonings.

See also

*algal bloom
*red tide
*paralytic shellfish poisoning
*amnesic shellfish poisoning
*neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
*ciguatera fish poisoning
*diarrhetic shellfish poisoning

References

*Anderson DM, 1997. Diversity of harmful algal blooms in coastal waters. Limnology & Oceanography 42(5, part 2):1009-1022.
*Landsberg JH, 2002. The effects of harmful algal blooms on aquatic organisms. Reviews in Fisheries Science, 10(2): 113–390.

External links

* [http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=11913 Harmful Algae and Red Tide Information from the Coastal Ocean Institute] , Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
* [http://www.fathom.com/course/10701012/index.html Toxic Blooms: Understanding Red Tides] , a seminar by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
* [http://www.chbr.noaa.gov/default.aspx?category=mb&pageName=biotoxin NOAA Marine Biotoxins Program] , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* [http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/envirobio/enviroweb/DeadZone.htm Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone and Red Tides]
* [http://isurus.mote.org/~mhenry/rtupdate.phtml Red Tide updates for the Gulf Coast of Florida] provided by Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL
* [http://calpreempt.ucsc.edu/index.htm California Program for Regional Enhanced Monitoring for PhycoToxins] , California Department of Health Services and the University of California, Santa Cruz
* [http://research.myfwc.com/support/view_faqs.asp?id=13 Red Tide FAQ] , Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
* [http://redtideflorida.org/pages/index.php/florida-red-tide-report/ Red Tide Report] A Compilation of citizen based, media and official reports of the locations and severity of current Red Tide Blooms.
* [http://redtideflorida.org Florida Red Tide Coalition] A citizen based group dedicated to raising awareness of Red Tide, debunking myths, educating the public and taking action to promote or oceans health and help stop red tide.
* [http://isurus.mote.org/niehsredtidestudy/ NIEHS study of airborne impacts of Florida red tide]
* [http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/BiotoxinProgram.htm Washington State Shellfish Biotoxin Program]