Harmful Algal Blooms

The ocean is a place of relaxation, beauty, and life. However, in a lot of places, the exact water that gives us the 5-star Michelin pleasure is facing a significant threat: harmful algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms occur when the water conditions align to support rapid algal growth, producing an uncontrollable amount of algae that produce toxins that hurt people and other marine animals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, harmful algal blooms occur based on four major environmental factors: warm temperature, high nutrients, sunlight, and slow-moving waters (Center of Disease Control). Algal blooms aren’t a new thing, however. In fact, algae have naturally been living in oceans, lakes, and rivers for thousands of years without causing major harm. However, human-caused climate change has been making this natural process dangerous by raising ocean temperatures.

The global sea surface temperature has been rapidly increasing over the past few years as the ocean absorbs over 90% of the excess heat trapped in the atmosphere (NOAA). As climate change intensifies, the ocean continues to absorb more heat, causing water temperatures to rise exponentially. In fact, from 1901 through 2023, the sea surface temperature rose an average of 0.14F per decade, with the numbers getting bigger each year (NEEF). These changes aren’t just simple numbers, but rather a warning sign that the ocean’s natural balance is being pushed too far. Warmer waters push algae to grow faster, making them larger, longer-lasting, and more toxic.

This damage does not stop at the shoreline. Dangerous toxins from the harmful algal blooms carry on through food chains, causing perpetual illnesses or even permanent neurological damage (CDC). This effect carries on to humans as well, with coastal areas being closed, and seafood becoming unsafe to eat.

The most concerning part of this whole cycle of problems is that not many people are taking action. The current administration, for instance, has been revoking and breaking agreements made to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Agreements, including the Paris Agreement, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the UNFCCC, have been withdrawn from by the US in 2026. Exactly when actions to solve climate change should have happened.

Although the current administration isn’t taking many meaningful actions towards harmful algal blooms or even climate change in general, meaningful actions can be taken by an everyday person. Simple actions like using phosphorus-free fertilizers or keeping cleaning materials indoors can prevent chemicals from entering drains and going into larger bodies of water, where they boost harmful algal blooms.