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Harmful Algae
Blossoms

Ohle Nehls,17.01.2021
Structure 2

 What are Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs)

 Causes
 Types
 Harmful effects
 Where HABs happen
 Potential Remedies
What are Harmful Algae Blossoms 3

 Growing out of control

 Caused by diverse organisms
 Some create toxins and are directly harmful
 Last from days to several months
Causes 4

 Can occur naturally but humans influence them

 Eutrophication (nitrogen and phosphate)
 Urban and residential runoff
 Invasive filter feeders

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymoprha)

Types 5

 Cyanobacteria, Dinoflagellates, Diatoms

 Can Produce different toxins
 Cyanotoxins
 Neurotoxins
 Cytotoxins
 endotoxins
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Dinoflagelates

Diatoms
Cyanobacteria
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Harmful
Effects
 Oxygen Depletion
 Fish die-offs
 Effect on other animals
 Dead zones
 Human health
Fish die-off 11

 2016,Chile: 23 Million Salmon

 2015, Brazil near Rio: 50 tons
of dead fish in a lagoon
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 Marine Mammals: 50% of

unusuale mammal deaths
caused by HABs
 1999 65 bootlenose dolphins
(Florida)
 2005-2014: Average of 65 Baby
Whales per year (Argentinia)
 Birds,fish,Mammals eating
poisened small fish die in large
numbers
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Dead zones

 1960s: 49
 2008: 169
 Today: 415 Dead zones
and 233 areas concerned of
becoming hypoxic
Where HABs happen 14

 Example 1: Okeechobee Waterway

 Ideal habitat of Cyanobacteria
 July 2018 up to 90% was covered in Algae
 Region filled with noxious Odor and caused respiratory Problems
 August 2018: Lee County removed more than 1700 tons of dead marine life
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Example 2:
Baltic sea
 2020: large HAB lead to
closed beaches in Poland and
Finland
 Caused by extreme Heat and
fertilizer
 Baltic sea home to many large
dead zones
 Became first Macro-Region
targeted to combat Pollution,
Dead zones and overfishing
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General:
 Increasing throughout the world
 Increases yearly in intensity
 Global warming and pollution is causing
algae Bloom in places considered
„impossible“
 Under ice sheets in Arctic, in Antarctica,
Himalayan Mountains, Rocky Mountains
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Potential remedies

 Chemical Treatments with algaecides

 Reducing chemical run-off
 Example: Fertilizing with drip integration
 Prevention is better than treatment!
sources and citations 19

 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Okeechobee_lake_from_space.j
pg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Cropped_lake_okeechobee_oli_
2016184_lrg.jpg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Banter_See_1348.jpg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/La-Jolla-Red-Tide.780.jpg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Atibaia_2014-02-19_-_Seca_no
_Rio_Atibaia_%283%29_%2813587504875%29.jpg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Runoff_of_soil_%26_fertilizer.j
pg
 https://hab.whoi.edu/maps/regions-world-distribution/
 https://hab.whoi.edu/regions-resources/gallery/photos-impacts/
 https://hab.whoi.edu/regions-resources/gallery/photos-blooms/
 https://earth.esa.int/web/earth-watching/special-events/content/-/asset_publisher/CrWyo