Algal Bloom

ALGAL BLOOM
Speaker-Swapna Mayee Naik

Guide-Dr. Kawsar Ara Begum
Introduction:
• Algal bloom are the rapid growth and build up of phytoplankton, a small and
simple , free floating water plant , in either freshwater or saltwater and is
recognized by the discoloration in the water from their pigment .
• Blooms which can lead to fish die-offs, cities cutting off water to residents , or
states having to close fisheries . Also , some algae secrete poisons into the water .
• The photosynthetic pigments in the algal cells determine the colour of the algal
bloom, and are thus often a greenish colour, but they can also be a wide variety of
other colours such as yellow, brown or red, depending on the species of algae and
the type of pigments contained there in .Bright green blooms in freshwater are
frequently a result of cyanobacteria also known as blue green algae.
Consequences:
• Eutrophication: The process of nutrients enrichment of water , which often lead to
the loss of species diversity is called eutrophication .The process of nutrients
enrichment of water and consequent loss of species diversity is referred to as
eutrophication and lake in known as eutrophic lake .
• In this process presence of nutrients in lake stimulated growth of green algae
increase organic loading and bring about reduction in the oxygen content of water
causing death of aquatic animals .
• An algal bloom cover the surface layer , it restricts the penetration of sunlight and
another nutrients become limiting .Oxygen is required by all respiring animals in
water and it is replenished by photosynthesis of green plants .
• Oxygen level is low because of the population explosion and further oxygen is
taken by microorganism which freed off the dead algal during decomposition and
they die .
• Biomagnification : When non-degradable substances enter the food chain, they do
not get metabolized or broken down or expelled andinstead get transferred up the
tropic levels of the food chain . During this process , they show an increase in
concentration which is referred to as biomagnification . This results in increased
toxicity and may even be lethal .
• This phenomenon is well established for mercury and DDT schematically shows
biomagnification of DDT in an aquatic food chain where the concentration of DDT
is enhanced at successive tropic levels.
Types of Algal Bloom:
1. Blue-green algae blooms:
 A cyanobacteria or blue-green algae bloom, is sometimes referred to as pond scum.
The thick, foamy blanket of algae poses health risks to humans and domestic pets.
Blue-green algae blooms can cause skin irritations such as blisters and hives. If
water containing the algae is inhaled or swallowed, it can cause serious liver,
kidney and neurological problems that can be deadly.
 Blue-green algal blooms are often described as looking like pea soup or spilled
green paint. However, blooms aren’t always large and dense and can sometimes
cover small portions of the lake with little visible algae present. Blooms can also
produce a swampy odour when the cells break down.
 When blue-green algal blooms produce cyanotoxins (toxins produced by
cyanobacteria) that can make humans and animals sick, they are considered
harmful. In general, algae are not harmful.
 Blue-green algae prefer warm, calm, sunny weather and water temperatures higher
than 75 °F. Blooms usually occur during summer and early fall, but can occur other
times of the year, if conditions are right.
 Harmful algae can be found everywhere but thrive in warm, shallow, nutrient-rich
lakes. They will often be found on the downwind side of a lake or in a secluded bay
or shoreline.
2. Fresh water algal blooms:
 Fresh water algal blooms are the result of nutrients, particularly some phosphates.
The excess of nutrients may originate from fertilizers that are applied to land of
agricultural or recreational purposes.
 They may also originate from household cleaning products containing phosphorus.
These nutrients can then enter watersheds through water runoff. Excess carbon and
nitrogen have also been suspected as causes .When phosphates are introduced into
water systems, higher concentrations causes increased growth of algae and plants.
Algae tend to grow very quickly under higher nutrient availability, but each algal
cell is short lived, and the result is a high concentration of dead organic matter
which starts to decay.
 The decay process consumes dissolved oxygen in the water, resulting in hypoxic
conditions. Without sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water, animals and plants
may die off in large numbers .Blooms may be observed in fresh water aquarium
when fish are overfed and excess nutrients are not absorbed by plants .These are
generally harmful to fish and situation can be corrected by changing the water in
the tank and then reducing the amount of food given.
Harmful algal bloom
Harmful algal bloom is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms via
production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means.
HABs are often associated with large-scale marine mortality events and have been
associated with various shellfish poisonings. In studies at the population level bloom
coverage has been significantly related to the risk of non-alcoholic liver disease death.
RED TIDES:
• The discolouration of the sea water, caused by the bloom of toxic red
dinoflagellates. Red tides species can be found in oceans, bays and estuaries but
they cannot thrive in fresh water. Contain species of phytoplankton and
dinoflagellates found in red tide contain photosynthetic pigments that vary in
colour from brown to red. These organisms undergo such rapid multiplication that
they make the sea red appeared .
• Red tide is a term often used synonymously with HABs in marine coastal areas.
However, the term is misleading since algal blooms can widely vary in colour, and
growth of algae is unrelated to the tides. The term algal bloom or harmful algal
bloom has since replaced red tides the appropriate description of this phenomenon.
Causes of harmful algal blooms:

• Chemical wastes, primarily nutrients like phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizer or
human waste.
• Climate change with its resultant global warming. climate change according to
NOAA scientists, contributes to warmer water which makes condition more
favourable for algae growth in more regions and farther north. Global warming also
considered a key factor for algal blooms in southern hemisphere.
• In general,still, warm, shallow water, combined with high nutrient conditions in
lakes or rivers increase the risk of harmful algal blooms.
• Thermal pollution from power plants and factories.
• Low water levels in inland waterways and lakes, which reduces water flow and
increases water temperature .
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS?
• We can become sick if you swallow, have skin contact with, or breathe in airborne
water droplets while swimming,boating,bathing, or showering in water that has
harmful algae or if you drink water that contains algal toxins. If you become sick,
you might experiencevomiting, diarrhoea, rash,eye,irritation, cough, sorethroat, and
headache. Symptoms generally begin hours to two days after exposure.
CAN ANIMALS BE AFFECTED?
 Pets, especially dogs, are susceptible to harmful algae because they swallow
more water while swimming and doing activities like retrieving a ball from the
water. They are also less deterred by green, smelly water that may contain
harmful algae.
 Animals can experience symptoms within minutes of exposure to the toxins.
Symptoms they might experience include vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness,
difficulty breathing, and seizures. In the worst cases, animals have died. If your
pet experiences these symptoms after exposure to algae, contact your
veterinarian.
HAB’s impact on wildlife:
 Animal mortality events such as fish kills, birds kills, whales, have enormous
impacts on local communities.
• Algal toxins in the food web, turtles, dolphins, and other marine animal can be
affected.
• Sea birds feed on oceans and estuaries can be affected of HABs .Birds have died
after eating dead fish, which contaminated with toxic algae.
How can we get rid of algal bloom?

• We can’t eliminate blue-green algae from a lake – they are an inherent part of the
overall algal community.
• Control their overall intensity and the frequency of the blooms. Since we can't
control the water temperature, the best thing we can do is to reduce the amount of
nutrients getting into the lake.
• This can best be accomplished by reducing the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen
from man-made sources such as lawn fertilizer, and runoff from cities, cultivated
fields, feedlots, and a myriad of other sources.
• Though a reduction of nuisance algal blooms will not be immediate, it is the best
long-term solution to minimizing the frequency and intensity of algal blooms.

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ALGAL BLOOM

Speaker-Swapna Mayee Naik

Causes of harmful algal blooms:

How can we get rid of algal bloom?

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