Marine HABs: causes, effects, and examples Ken Bixgorin

Broward College -- Professor Cainass Marine Biology 8 Feb 2107

Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, are accumulations of microscopic or macro- algae. Blooms may be
annual or episodic. Most HABs are due to effects of this base of the food chain, which increases
rapidly in number and dominates the community, and whose stimuli include nutrients, water
temperature, and patterns in water circulation (stratification and upwelling). Formerly called red tides,
HABs may be pigmented red, brown, yellow, green, or colorless. For example, Aureoumbra turn
coastal lagoons dark, chocolate brown; dinoflagellates Alexandrum and Gynodinium breve cause red
water; no color is visible in Pfeisteria piscicida. Dinophysis and Gambierdiscus grow on larger
macroalgal surfaces. Effect mechanisms include toxin production, predation, particle irritation (spine-
forming diatoms trapped in gills), induced starvation (Aureococcus interferes with bay scallops
ciliated esophagus; Prorocentrum alters absorption capabilities) and localized anoxic conditions.
Some examples in the U.S. include Alexandrum tamarense, responsible for paralytic shellfish
poisoning from Maine to Massachusetts, Gymnodium breve, responsible for neurotoxic shellfish
poisoning from the Gulf of Mexico to West Florida and North Carolina, where outbreaks of P. piscicida
have killed millions of fish, especially menhaden. In South Florida, blooms of macroalgae overwhelm
coral reefs and seagrass beds, nursery habits for pink shrimp, spiny lobster, and finfish. (Boshow-
Newton, 1999) In Florida Bay, Synechococcus coat with mucilage and form chains in times of blooms
with loss of eelgrass, spiny lobster, and general food web disruption. (Berry, 2015) Florida red tide is
attributed to the Karenia brevis dinoflagellate. Recent increases have been attributed to improved
detection, exotic species introductions, failure of control by grazers, and climate change. (Boshow-
Newton, 1999) Changing climate has been correlated to ciguatera fish poisoning. (NSTC, 2016)
Cyanobacteria proliferation is associated with adequate light, warm temperatures, high dissolved
organic matter, low turbulence and low flushing (long residence), low N:P ratios, sufficient iron, and
low grazing rates. (Paerl, 2013) There are three main groups of cyanotoxins: hepatotoxins,
neurotoxins, and dermatoxins. Hepatoxins include microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, and nodularin.
Neurotoxins include anatoxin, saxitoxins, and -N-methylamino-L-alanine or BMAA. Dermatoxins
include lyngbyatoxin, aplysiatoxin, and lipopolysaccharides. (Graham, 2016) P. piscida, primarily
estuarine (CDC), is thought to transform from non-toxic cyst to an ameboid form with toxic zoospores.
(Wikipedia P. piscicida) Manatee mortalities have been attributed to seagrass containing
brevetoxins 34 died off southwest Florida in 2002, and 107 bottlenosed dolphins died off the Florida
Panhandle in 2004. (Flewelling, 2005) The North Atlantic Right Whale eats copepods which may
graze upon toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense. Diatom Pseudo-nitzschia produces domoic
acid, causing amnesic shellfish poisoning. (Wikipedia blooms) Overfishing reduces fish populations
which may control overgrowth of HABs. Coral bleaching creates open spaces on reefs for fast-
growing HABs, affecting storm-surge buffering and the ecosystem loss of oysters are a destabilize
coasts. HABs will displace beneficial species and clog water treatment plants. HAB toxins cause long-
term health effects (via toxins mentioned above) causing liver disease, cardiovascular disease,
developmental defects, and neurobehavioral illness. One example is BMAA, which is linked to ALS
(Lou Gehrigs disease), Alzheimers disease, Huntingtons disease, and Parkinsons disease.
Exposure may occur through drinking water, inhalation, skin contact, or accidental ingestion of water
while swimming. (NSTC, 2016)
References
Boshow-Newton, K.I., and Sellner, K.G. 1999 (on-line). Harmful Algal Blooms. In: NOAAs State of the
Coast Report. Silver Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/websites/retiredsites/sotc_pdf/hab.pdf
Paerl, Hans, and Otten, Timothy G. 2012. Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms: Causes, Consequences,
and Controls. Microbial Ecology. 65: 995-1010.
Graham, J.L., Dubrovsky, N.M., and Eberts, S.M. 2016. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms and
U.S. Geological Survey science capabilities. U.S. Geological Survey Open File-Report 2016-1174.
Flewelling, Leanne J., et. al. 2005. Red tides and marine mammal mortalities. Nature. 435(7043):
755-756.
National Science and Technology Council. Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. 2016.
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. Comprehensive Research Plan and Action Strategy: An
Interagency Report. Washington, D.C.
Berry, Dianna L., et. al. 2015. Shifts in Cyanobacterial Strain Dominance during the Onset of Harmful
Algal Blooms in Florida Bay, USA. Microbial Ecology. 70: 361-371.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/algalblooms.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfiesteria_piscicida