Perceived Intensification in Harmful Algal Blooms Is a Wave of Cumulative Threat to the Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

Aquatic pollution is considered a major threat to sustainable development across the world, and deterioration of aquatic ecosystems is caused usually by harmful algal blooms (HABs). In recent times, HABs have gained attention from scientists to better understand these phenomena given that these blooms are increasing in intensity and distribution with considerable impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Many exogenous factors such as variations in climatic patterns, eutrophication, wind blowing, dust storms, and upwelling of water currents form these blooms. Globally, the HAB formation is increasing the toxicity in the natural water sources, ultimately leading the deleterious and hazardous effects on the aquatic fauna and flora. This review summarizes the types of HABs with their potential effects, toxicity, grazing defense, human health impacts, management, and control of these harmful entities. This review offers a systematic approach towards the understanding of HABs, eliciting to rethink the increasing threat caused by HABs in aquatic ecosystems across the world. Therefore, to mitigate this increasing threat to aquatic environments, advanced scientific research in ecology and environmental sciences should be prioritized.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a Reference Organism to Study Algal–Microbial Interactions: Why Can’t They Be Friends?

“…These microbes can have photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixotrophic lifestyles, show a broad range of cell sizes, morphologies, architectures, and exhibit a highly diverse metabolic capacity that offers several unique features for scientific research [ 1 ]. Responsible for a significant amount of total global carbon (C) fixation [ 2 ], microalgae are crucial to sustaining the ecosystems, but can also cause their disruption during algal blooms, which can pose a great ecological, economical, and health threat [ 3 ]. Furthermore, the use of microalgae in biotechnological applications has exploded in this century.…”

<em>Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, </em>a Reference Organism to Study Algal-Microbial Interactions. <em>Why Can’t They Be Friends</em>

“…These microbes can have photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixotrophic lifestyles, show a broad range of cell sizes, morphologies, architectures, and exhibit a highly diverse metabolic capacity that brings several unique features for scientific research [1]. Responsible for a significant part of total global carbon (C) fixation [2], microalgae are crucial to sustaining the ecosystems but can also cause their disruption during algal blooms, which can pose a great ecological, economical and health threat [3]. Furthermore, the use of microalgae in biotechnological applications has exploded in the last century.…”

Autoecology of Ceratium furca and Chaetoceros didymus as potential harmful algal blooms in tourism and aquaculture sites at Teluk Pandan Bay, Lampung, Indonesia

“…However, because of its extremely high density, it can cause negative and destructive impacts for the aquatic organisms (Patten et al 2012;Dissanayake et al 2021). The very high density of phytoplankton species can trigger depletion of dissolved oxygen in the waters due to the decomposition process (O2 depletion), eventually causing the waters to become anoxius (Patten et al 2012;Kazmi et al 2022). Phytoplankton density that is too high can also cause clogging of gills by phytoplankton cells in fish and can emit aerosol gases that are lethal to aquatic organisms (Hasani et al 2012;Kazmi et al 2022).…”

“…Indications of the emergence of various phytoplankton causing HABs in Teluk Pandan Bay have been discussed by researchers (Sidabutar and Srimariana 2020;Sidabutar et al 2021). The are five types of HABs toxins: Amnesic Shelfish Poisoning (ASP), Diarrhetic Shelfish Poisoning (DSP), Neurotoxic Shelfish Poisoning (NSP), Paralytic Shelfish Poisoning (PSP) and Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) (Kazmi et al 2022). Phytoplankton that does not emit poisonous substances might nonetheless have a negative impact due to its high density, such as a decrease in dissolved oxygen level caused by the decay process (O2 depletion/anoxius), gill blockage, etc.…”

“…Phytoplankton that does not emit poisonous substances might nonetheless have a negative impact due to its high density, such as a decrease in dissolved oxygen level caused by the decay process (O2 depletion/anoxius), gill blockage, etc. (Hasani et al 2012;Kazmi et al 2022). A large phytoplankton bloom, even though not toxic, can cause hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) (Patten et al 2012).…”