In a strict sense, harmful algal blooms are completely natural phenomena that have occurred throughout recorded history (e.g. Exodus, Captain Vancouver in 1793). Whereas in the past three decades unexpected new algal bloom phenomena have often been attributed to eutrophication or ship ballast water introduction, increasingly novel algal bloom episodes are now circumstantially linked to climate change. It is unfortunate that so few long-term records exist of algal blooms at any single locality; ideally we need at least 30 consecutive years. Whether the apparent global increase in harmful algal blooms represents a real increase or not is therefore a question that we will probably not be able to answer conclusively for some time to come. There is no doubt that our growing interest in using coastal waters for aquaculture is leading to a greater awareness of toxic algal species. People responsible for deciding quotas for pollutant loadings of coastal waters, or for managing agriculture and deforestation, should be made aware that one probable outcome of allowing polluting chemicals to seep into the environment will be an increase in harmful algal blooms. In countries that pride themselves on having disease and pollution-free aquaculture, every effort should be made to quarantine sensitive aquaculture areas against the unintentional introduction of non-indigenous harmful algal species. Nor can any aquaculture industry afford not to monitor for an increasing number of harmful algal species in water and for an increasing number of algal toxins in seafood products, or to use increasingly sophisticated analytical techniques such as LC-MS. Last but not least, global climate change is now adding a new level of uncertainty to many seafood safety monitoring programs.

Item Type:	Research Book Chapter
Keywords:	harmful algal blooms, climate change
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant Biology
Research Field:	Phycology (incl. Marine Grasses)
Objective Division:	Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:	Fisheries - Aquaculture
Objective Field:	Fisheries - Aquaculture not elsewhere classified
Author:	Hallegraeff, GM (Professor Gustaaf Hallegraeff)
ID Code:	104865
Year Published:	2015
Deposited By:	IMAS Research and Education Centre
Deposited On:	2015-11-23
Last Modified:	2016-04-20
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