{"id":1487,"date":"2023-10-23T16:22:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant-temp\/?page_id=1487"},"modified":"2025-09-05T01:20:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T01:20:40","slug":"harmful-algal-blooms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/harmful-algal-blooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Harmful Algal Blooms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certain algae (i.e. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pseudo-nitzschia a and Alexandrium catenell)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are capable of toxic or harmful algal blooms (HABs), releasing compounds (for example, domoic acid or saxitoxin), which can accumulate up the marine food chain. These toxins can cause severe illness and death in marine mammals, birds, and even humans. Another species, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lingulodinium polyedrum<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is probably the most common dinoflagellate in the region and causes the red water often seen near the beach; when its population crashes, the decaying bloom consumes large amounts of oxygen in the surrounding water. This can cause hypoxia in regions with low circulation (ports, marinas, lagoons, etc.), resulting in fish kills. Scientists still do not know what conditions trigger a toxic algal species to bloom and produce toxin, but understanding complex coastal oceanographic processes is certainly a key to unraveling this mystery. It is also important for sustainably managing human use and enjoyment of the coast. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n          \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Recent Research\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Decoding Domoic Acid: Initial glimpse into genetics controlling toxic domoic acid production in Pseudo-nitzschia<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-fYLcPyAWan\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-fYLcPyAWan\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><b>Funding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NOAA (2020-2022)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Principal Investigators:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bradley Moore, Ph.D., University of California San Diego\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Andrew Allen, Ph.D., University of California San Diego<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/decoding-domoic-acid\/\">View Project Page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Detecting Danger: Advancing portable detection capabilities of harmful algal bloom species in California waters<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-fYLcPyAWan\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-fYLcPyAWan\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><b>Funding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Ocean Protection Council funded research project (2018-2021)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Principal Investigators:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holly Bowers, Ph.D., San Jose State University<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jason Smith, Ph.D., San Jose State University<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/detecting-danger\/\">View Project Page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Tiny and Toxic: First documentation of multiple cyanobacterial toxins on the West Coast<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3-fYLcPyAWan\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3-fYLcPyAWan\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><b>Funding: <\/b>NOAA (2016-2018)<\/p>\n<p><b>Principal Investigators:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David A. Caron, Ph.D., University of Southern California<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avery O. Tatters, Ph.D., University of Southern California<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eric A. Webb, Ph.D., University of Southern California<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/tiny-and-toxic\/\">View Project Page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-4-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-controls=\"section-1-4-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Toxic Turmoil: Future changing environmental conditions may lead to more harmful algal blooms <\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-4-fYLcPyAWan\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-4-fYLcPyAWan\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><b>Funding: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Ocean Protection Council, 2018-2021<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Principal Investigators:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David Hutchins, Ph.D., University of Southern California\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feixue Fu, Ph.D., University of Southern California<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/toxic-turmoil\/\">View Project Page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-5-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-controls=\"section-1-5-fYLcPyAWan\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Publication: Phytoplankton Growth in Response to Warming<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-5-fYLcPyAWan\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-5-fYLcPyAWan\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schulhof MA<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Shurin JB, Declerck SAJ, Van de Waal DB. Phytoplankton growth and stoichiometric responses to warming, nutrient addition and grazing depend on lake productivity and cell size. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glob Chang Biol<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Aug;25(8):2751-2762. <a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31004556\/\">Read the Publication<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Community Engagement\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-V5gxOkvYLe\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-V5gxOkvYLe\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Southern California Plankton Watch<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-V5gxOkvYLe\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-V5gxOkvYLe\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/southern-california-plankton-watch\/\">Learn more about the Southern California Plankton Watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Relevant Links\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-zYO-_YPZ9S\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-zYO-_YPZ9S\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Article: The Future of Harmful Algal Blooms<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-zYO-_YPZ9S\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-zYO-_YPZ9S\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Author: Kyla Kelly; USC graduate student and Sea Grant Trainee<br \/>\nPublished:\u00a0May 29, 2020<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"https:\/\/spark.adobe.com\/page\/cyqIGVTXiUSYD\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read the story here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-content-detail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1487","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Harmful Algal Blooms - USC Sea Grant<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/harmful-algal-blooms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harmful Algal Blooms - USC Sea Grant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/harmful-algal-blooms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Sea Grant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-05T01:20:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/harmful-algal-blooms\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/harmful-algal-blooms\/\",\"name\":\"Harmful Algal Blooms - 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