Harmful algal blooms

Harmful algal blooms are algal blooms that produce toxins or cause damaging effects on aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, human health or economic activity. They can contaminate water, kill fish and marine animals, and reduce oxygen levels through decomposition processes. Harmful algal blooms are associated with nutrient pollution, warming waters and changing environmental conditions in freshwater and marine systems.

Image: Pseudo-nitzschia
Toxic algae linked to shellfish poisoning shifted across the North SeaScience

Toxic algae linked to shellfish poisoning shifted across the North Sea

Researchers tracked long-term shifts in two toxin-producing algae groups linked to harmful algal blooms and shellfish poisoning in the North Sea and North East Atlantic…
SourceSourceMay 14, 2026 Full article
Image: Bowhead whales
Bowhead whale samples reveal link between Arctic warming and rising algal toxinsScience

Bowhead whale samples reveal link between Arctic warming and rising algal toxins

Filter-feeding whales sample the Arctic food web, tracking decades of change Summary: Fecal samples collected from bowhead whales over a 19-year period reveal that climate-driven…
SourceSourceJuly 10, 2025 Full article
Image: Algae in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia produce domoic acid, a toxin that can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning
Mapping algae interactions to predict harmful algal bloomsScience

Mapping algae interactions to predict harmful algal blooms

New science helps demystify the frequent harmful algal blooms in the Pacific off the coast of Chile by studying how algae species interact with each…
SourceSourceFebruary 9, 2025 Full article
Lake Victoria’s Winam Gulf is a body of water similar to Lake Erie, and could potentially be a model for the Great Lake in a warming climate
Toxic algal blooms in Lake Victoria offer clues for Lake Erie’s futureScience

Toxic algal blooms in Lake Victoria offer clues for Lake Erie’s future

Researchers studying Kenya’s Winam Gulf, part of Lake Victoria, have uncovered parallels between toxic algal blooms there and those threatening Lake Erie. Published in Applied…
SourceSourceJanuary 22, 2025 Full article