Algal blooms are rapid, transient increases in algal biomass in aquatic ecosystems, typically driven by nutrient enrichment (especially bioavailable nitrogen and phosphorus), favorable light and temperature conditions, and water column stability. They often involve phytoplankton, including cyanobacteria, diatoms, and dinoflagellates, and can reach densities that markedly alter primary production, oxygen dynamics, and food-web structure. In research, algal blooms are studied as manifestations of eutrophication, with emphasis on nutrient loading thresholds, community succession, and biogeochemical feedbacks. Harmful algal blooms (HABs), a subset, are investigated for toxin production, bloom initiation and termination mechanisms, and impacts on ecosystem services and biogeochemical cycling.
In the warm summertime waters of Lake Erie, cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can proliferate out of control, creating algal blooms that produce toxins at a rate that can harm wildlife and human health.
Environment
Apr 30, 2025
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Whether treading water in a river or diving into a reservoir, summer fun should come with a little caution. As temperatures climb, so does the risk of potentially harmful cyanobacteria blooms—commonly known as blue-green ...
Environment
Apr 30, 2025
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When the Kīlauea Volcano erupted in May 2018, an enormous amount of ash was released into the atmosphere in a plume nearly five miles high. A new study by an international team of researchers revealed that a rare and large ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 9, 2025
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780
The waters of Senegal's Lake Retba are back to their famous pink hues three years after floods washed away their rosy tinge—and businessfolk and tourists are thrilled.
Environment
Mar 25, 2025
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The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has puzzled researchers since 2011. A recent study published in Nature Communications may have identified what drove a tipping point that established the phenomenon in the tropical Atlantic ...
Environment
Mar 13, 2025
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2886
Murky green algal blooms are more than a major eyesore; they reveal that a body of water could be unsafe for swimming or drinking. Currently, however, there isn't an effective warning system for impending blooms. Now, researchers ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 3, 2021
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