Because of climate change, harmful algal blooms are increasing in frequency and intensity.
Because of climate change, harmful algal blooms are increasing in frequency and intensity. 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 other and their environment.
Harmful algal blooms, sometimes called HABs, occur when algae grow out of control. Algae are photosynthetic organisms that mostly live in water and rely on the sunlight for energy. Because of climate change, the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms are increasing globally. Researchers at Hiroshima University have uncovered new insights into how algae species interact with each other and their environment in coastal waters.
The research was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin on 15 December.
“This study aimed to understand how harmful algal species interact with other phytoplankton and environmental factors like temperature and salinity. This understanding is crucial because harmful algal blooms have been increasing in frequency and intensity in Chile, causing substantial damage to the aquaculture industry, particularly salmon farming, which is vital to Chile’s economy as the world’s second-largest salmon producer,” said So Fujiyoshi, an assistant professor at Hiroshima University’s The IDEC Institute in Hiroshima, Japan.
Read more at Hiroshima University
Photo Credit: Pixabay
