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the ocean |
Harmful Algal Blooms
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| Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur when algae in a certain area of water reproduce rapidly and fill up the area, often so thickly that they colour the water (such as the 'red tide'). They are usually caused by an excess of nutrients in the water, due to man's actions. HABs are dangerous because the algae often produces toxins of varying strengths that either accumulate in species (and travel up the food chain) or directly affect and attack other species. The huge mass of algae produces so much toxins that all the organisms in the area are threatened; sometimes the posion accumulates in the bodies of various fish and other animals which are then caught and eaten by man, who eventually suffers from the effects of the poision when it accumulates in a large enough amount; other times, all man catches in the water are dead fish. Humans can suffer from gastric problems, general sickness, amnesia and paralysis when they take in too much toxins or the toxic algae itself; in very large amounts, death occurs.
There is evidence that HABs are occurring increasingly frequently in recent years, and in more places around the globe. With the dumping of nutrient-rich waste material by farms and factories, which are rising in number near the coasts, algae have more chance to bloom. HABs are a threat to health and food sources as demonstrated by the 'red tide' Taiwan experienced months ago. |
