Problem
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when certain kinds of algae grow very quickly forming large patches or “blooms” in the water.
These blooms can harm ecosystems in several ways:
- They prevent sunlight from reaching plants growing further down in the water column which kills them.
- Their enormous growth rate consumes all the oxygen in the local water volume and suffocates all other life.
- They also excrete powerful toxic waste products that endanger human and animal health. A severe outbreak can cause significant losses to coastal economies that rely on aquatic recreation, tourism, and seafood harvesting.