Marine harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the United States: History, current status and future trends

Anderson, Donald M.; Fensin, Elizabeth; Gobler, Christopher J.; Hoeglund, Alicia; Hubbard, Katherine A.; Kulis, David M.; Landsberg, Jan H.; Lefebvre, Kathi A.; Provoost, Pieter; Richlen, Mindy L.; Smith, Juliette L.; Solow, Andrew R.; Trainer, Vera L.

doi:10.1016/j.hal.2021.101975

Cited by 256 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 358 publications

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“…Aquacultured finfish mortalities caused by the taxonomically unrelated microalgal genera Chattonella, Pseudochattonella, Heterosigma, Karenia, Karlodinium, Margalefidinium (Cochlodinium) and Prymnesium/ Chrysochromulina globally account for much greater economic damage than HABs contaminating seafood 39 . While most shellfish toxins have now been well characterised and are effectively monitored and regulated, finfish held captive in intensive aquaculture operations continue to be vulnerable to HABs (USD71M loss in Japan in 1972, USD70M in Korea in 1995, USD290M in China in 2012, USD100M in Norway in 2019 [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] ), even though the causative ichthyotoxins usually are of no human health significance. The 2016 Chilean salmon mortality that caused a record USD800M loss led to major social unrest 40 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Again, the incidence of fish-killing HAB species is not an accurate predictor of economic losses. For example, Heterosigma blooms occur both on the west and east coast of North America, but fish mortalities are mostly confined to the west coast 29 . In large part, this reflects locations where blooms occur relative to the location and size of the aquaculture operations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notwithstanding the lack of evidence for a global increase, variations in HAB occurrence were evident in our study at the regional scale, with statistically supported increasing, decreasing or stable trends and within-region variations of the HAB types driving those trends. As exemplified by selected HAB case studies, increases concerned AST and PST in marine mammals in the Arctic Pacific 36 , CP in the Canary Islands 20 , and green 45 and red Noctiluca surface water discolorations 27 in the Indian Ocean and South East Australia, respectively; benthic Ostreopsis mats and aerosol poisoning since the 2000s in the Mediterranean 22 , AST on the northeastern and west coast USA 29,46,47 , and Pseudochattonella blooms causing fish mortalities in northern Europe and Chile 25,40 . By contrast, in other previous HAB hotspots, harmful events have remained stable or dissipated e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each region was assigned a regional editorial team tasked with collating information on HAB species occurrences and impacts, with the data and interpretations published in a special issue of the journal Harmful Algae (vol. 102, February 2021) [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] . As more sampling could lead to more observations of HABs, we estimated sampling effort using OBIS, the most comprehensive dataset on marine species records, as a proxy for sampling effort.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts

Hallegraeff

Anderson

Belin

et al. 2021

Commun Earth Environ

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276

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Global trends in the occurrence, toxicity and risk posed by harmful algal blooms to natural systems, human health and coastal economies are poorly constrained, but are widely thought to be increasing due to climate change and nutrient pollution. Here, we conduct a statistical analysis on a global dataset extracted from the Harmful Algae Event Database and Ocean Biodiversity Information System for the period 1985–2018 to investigate temporal trends in the frequency and distribution of marine harmful algal blooms. We find no uniform global trend in the number of harmful algal events and their distribution over time, once data were adjusted for regional variations in monitoring effort. Varying and contrasting regional trends were driven by differences in bloom species, type and emergent impacts. Our findings suggest that intensified monitoring efforts associated with increased aquaculture production are responsible for the perceived increase in harmful algae events and that there is no empirical support for broad statements regarding increasing global trends. Instead, trends need to be considered regionally and at the species level.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts

Hallegraeff

Anderson

Belin

et al. 2021

Commun Earth Environ

Self Cite

276

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“…In the late 1980's and early 1990's, a trend of increasing frequency, geographical distribution and abundance of some HAB species, primarily dinoflagellates, was recognized (Anderson, 1989;Maclean, 1989;Smayda, 1989Smayda, , 1990). These trends have increasingly been documented for additional species and groups (e.g., Cyanophyceae, Paerl and Paul, 2012;Harke et al, 2016) in subsequent years (Chinain et al, 2020a;Yñiguez et al, 2020;Anderson et al, 2021), and HABs are now an almost routine occurrence among much of the world's coastal waters. HAB increases are attributed to a variety of reasons that vary with the species and the geographical areas involved (Anderson, 1989;Hallegraeff, 1993;Burkholder, 1998;Glibert et al, 2005;Glibert and Burkholder, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Problem: Escalating Risks to Human, Environmental and Economic Health With Climate Change

Heil

Muni-Morgan

2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) pose unique risks to the citizens, stakeholders, visitors, environment and economy of the state of Florida. Florida has been historically subjected to reoccurring blooms of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (C. C. Davis) G. Hansen & Moestrup since at least first contact with explorers in the 1500’s. However, ongoing immigration of more than 100,000 people year–1 into the state, elevated population densities in coastal areas with attendant rapid, often unregulated development, coastal eutrophication, and climate change impacts (e.g., increasing hurricane severity, increases in water temperature, ocean acidification and sea level rise) has likely increased the occurrence of other HABs, both freshwater and marine, within the state as well as the number of people impacted by these blooms. Currently, over 75 freshwater, estuarine, coastal and marine HAB species are routinely monitored by state agencies. While only blooms of K. brevis, the dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense (Böhm) Steidinger, Tester, and Taylor and the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. have resulted in closure of commercial shellfish beds, other HAB species, including freshwater and marine cyanobacteria, pose either imminent or unknown risks to human, environmental and economic health. HAB related human health risks can be classified into those related to consumption of contaminated shellfish and finfish, consumption of or contact with bloom or toxin contaminated water or exposure to aerosolized HAB toxins. While acute human illnesses resulting from consumption of brevetoxin-, saxitoxin-, and domoic acid-contaminated commercial shellfish have been minimized by effective monitoring and regulation, illnesses due to unregulated toxin exposures, e.g., ciguatoxins and cyanotoxins, are not well documented or understood. Aerosolized HAB toxins potentially impact the largest number of people within Florida. While short-term (days to weeks) impacts of aerosolized brevetoxin exposure are well documented (e.g., decreased respiratory function for at-risk subgroups such as asthmatics), little is known of longer term (>1 month) impacts of exposure or the risks posed by aerosolized cyanotoxin [e.g., microcystin, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)] exposure. Environmental risks of K. brevis blooms are the best studied of Florida HABs and include acute exposure impacts such as significant dies-offs of fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles, as well as negative impacts on larval and juvenile stages of many biota. When K. brevis blooms are present, brevetoxins can be found throughout the water column and are widespread in both pelagic and benthic biota. The presence of brevetoxins in living tissue of both fish and marine mammals suggests that food web transfer of these toxins is occurring, resulting in toxin transport beyond the spatial and temporal range of the bloom such that impacts of these toxins may occur in areas not regularly subjected to blooms. Climate change impacts, including temperature effects on cell metabolism, shifting ocean circulation patterns and changes in HAB species range and bloom duration, may exacerbate these dynamics. Secondary HAB related environmental impacts are also possible due to hypoxia and anoxia resulting from elevated bloom biomass and/or the decomposition of HAB related mortalities. Economic risks related to HABs in Florida are diverse and impact multiple stakeholder groups. Direct costs related to human health impacts (e.g., increased hospital visits) as well as recreational and commercial fisheries can be significant, especially with wide-spread sustained HABs. Recreational and tourism-based industries which sustain a significant portion of Florida’s economy are especially vulnerable to both direct (e.g., declines in coastal hotel occupancy rates and restaurant and recreational users) and indirect (e.g., negative publicity impacts, associated job losses) impacts from HABs. While risks related to K. brevis blooms are established, Florida also remains susceptible to future HABs due to large scale freshwater management practices, degrading water quality, potential transport of HABs between freshwater and marine systems and the state’s vulnerability to climate change impacts.

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Life Course Considerations in Environmental Health: Developmental Neurotoxicity of Domoic Acid at Doses Below Acute Effect Levels in Adult Humans

Campbell,

Murphy,

Klasing

et al. 2024

Birth Defects Research

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BackgroundCurrent US federal action levels for domoic acid (DA) in seafood are based on acute toxicity observed in exposed adult humans. Life course considerations have not been incorporated. The potential for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) at permissible DA levels has previously been noted, but not methodically assessed.MethodsStudies of DNT following DA exposure in experimental and wild animals were identified through a comprehensive search strategy. Evidence from papers meeting inclusion criteria was evaluated for specific outcomes reported for doses at which adverse effects were observed. Exposure levels associated with DNT were compared with those known to cause adult toxicity. The findings are discussed in the context of the well‐characterized mechanism of DA neurotoxicity, as well as the toxicokinetics of DA across species and life stages.ConclusionsDNT outcomes were reported with a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) 10 times lower than the NOAEL of 0.75 mg DA/kg for acute effects in adults. Apart from reviewing current regulatory action levels, public health outreach messaging to health care professionals and sensitive populations, such as pregnant or breastfeeding women, should be considered as a means of increasing awareness about risk for DNT from consumption of potentially DA‐contaminated seafood.

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Marine harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the United States: History, current status and future trends

Cited by 256 publications

References 358 publications

Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts

Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts

Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Problem: Escalating Risks to Human, Environmental and Economic Health With Climate Change

Life Course Considerations in Environmental Health: Developmental Neurotoxicity of Domoic Acid at Doses Below Acute Effect Levels in Adult Humans

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