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Articles on Algal bloom

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Himawari-8

Smoke from the Black Summer fires created an algal bloom bigger than Australia in the Southern Ocean

This enormous, unprecedented algal bloom could have profound implications for carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and for the marine ecosystem.
Cyanobacterial blooms and algae are common in water bodies around the world. However, Australia is yet to monitor the growth of neurotoxins in our algae. from www.shutterstock.com

Toxin linked to motor neuron disease found in Australian algal blooms

A toxic chemical produced by algae and linked to motor neuron disease has been detected in NSW rivers. Its presence - long suspected but now confirmed - could be linked to a disease hotspot in the Riverina.
Olympic authorities were quick to deny that the green pool posed a risk to divers’ health, but that actually depends on why the water changed colour. Reuters/Antonio Bronic

Going for … green? Why Rio’s swimming pools are changing colour

The possible culprits are: a sudden algae bloom; a change in pool alkalinity; or a chemical reaction in the water. How do these cause a change in the colour of the water?
Detail from a satellite photo of Lake Okeechobee’s algae bloom and the St. Lucie canal into which water was released. Rising water levels from heavy winter rains had water managers worried that water would breach the dike. NASA

Why toxic algae blooms like Florida’s are so dangerous to people and wildlife

Toxic algae blooms like the intense one now fouling Florida’s waterways harm wildlife and people in various ways. They’re also on the rise.
A mass proliferation of Noctiluca scintillans, a red tide forming dinoflagellate at Clovelly Beach, NSW. It can form dense aggregations that deplete oxygen and produce ammonia. Gurjeet Kohli

Collecting data to help protect Australia’s waters from toxic algal blooms

They give us part of the air we breathe but microscopic phytoplankton can also be toxic. They are also on the move thanks to climate change so a new Australian database hopes to monitor any changes.
Cannonball Jellyfish in the Gulf of California. Yazmin Flores for GCMP

Boom or bust in a jelly bloom market

In a changing climate, ocean populations sometimes rise and fall in unpredictable waves. Scientists, managers and fishers must make economically and ecologically sound decisions based on long-term outlooks.
Spot the algae. NASA

Visualising algae-eating viruses from space

Algae isn’t just found in your garden pond or local river. Sometimes it explodes into vast “blooms” far out to sea, that can be the size of a small country. Such algal blooms can match even a rainforest…

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