A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is a biological process in which certain phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, or macroalgae proliferate rapidly and reach high biomass, producing adverse ecological or health effects via toxin production, hypoxia, or habitat alteration. HABs are driven by interactions among nutrient enrichment (especially nitrogen and phosphorus), light, temperature, hydrography, and species-specific physiology, often resulting in dominance of toxin-producing taxa such as some dinoflagellates, diatoms, or cyanobacteria. These blooms can disrupt food webs, cause mass mortalities of aquatic organisms, and generate bioaccumulated toxins that affect higher trophic levels, including humans, through consumption or exposure.
As people and their pets seek relief from the heat in lakes and ponds, a Virginia Tech veterinary expert warns of a hidden danger lurking in the water.
Veterinary medicine
Aug 25, 2025
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In the face of a devastating harmful algal bloom, scientists have hailed this year's whale season in South Australia as a beacon of light for marine ecology and conservation.
Plants & Animals
Aug 25, 2025
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South Australia's catastrophic harmful algal bloom now affects almost 30% of the state's coastline, stretching from the Coorong in the state's southeast to the seafood-rich Spencer Gulf to the west.
Ecology
Aug 19, 2025
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Just as the 2019–20 summer is remembered for devastating bushfires, the summer of 2024–25 is likely to be remembered for Australia-wide marine biological disruption associated with marine heat waves.
Ecology
Aug 12, 2025
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In March 2025, surfers and swimmers were the first to notice the harmful algal bloom taking hold in South Australian waters. People catching waves at a popular break on the Fleurieu Peninsula later reported feeling sick with ...
Ecology
Aug 11, 2025
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Scientists say they have at last solved the mystery of what killed more than 5 billion sea stars off the Pacific coast of North America in a decade-long epidemic.
Ecology
Aug 9, 2025
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For seaside communities reducing their pollution, nitrogen is a prime target. Often found in agricultural runoff and human waste, nitrogen and the nitrogen-containing nitrate molecule can enter coastal waters as a critical ...
Environment
Aug 4, 2025
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Microscopic algae in the ocean generate half the oxygen we breathe.
Ecology
Jul 29, 2025
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Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a powerful new method to detect harmful blue-green algae in freshwater lakes. Their method, which involves advanced mass spectrometry technology, can identify toxin-producing ...
Ecology
Jul 28, 2025
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The San Luis Reservoir in Merced County—one of California's largest artificial lakes—not only irrigates Central Valley farmland and supplies drinking water across the Silicon Valley and the South Bay, but also draws swimmers, ...
Environment
Jul 27, 2025
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