Floating Desalination and Water Pumping Plants as Harmful Algal Bloom Control Technologies

Harmful algal blooms should be treated as contaminants.

Keeping Tabs on HABs: new tools for detecting, monitoring, and preventing harmful algal blooms.

Chapter 9 - Satellites-Based Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms for Sustainable Desalination

A number of technologies exist that offer the potential to control Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Many of these technologies involved the discharge of solids, chemicals, biological agents, or other foreign materials into waters experiencing HABS. Other technologies are also available that could control HABS through the manipulation of environmental conditions such as water salinity, temperature, light intensity and stratification These potential control technologies would essentially accelerate or amplify the development of natural processes that terminate HABs. These technologies can be implemented over the entire range of conditions under which HABs occur and could limit the adverse environmental impacts to other organisms in the HAB impacted area. One of these potential technologies involve the application of the hypersaline concentrate waste water from desalination plants over an area impacted by a HAB. The near surface discharge of the desalination plant hypersaline waste water could an effective means of HAB control by inducing rapid changes in water salinity and stratification. The expected environmental impacts would be temporary, limited in both duration and areal extent. No foreign chemicals, materials, substances, organisms or biological agents would be introduced into the environment. Added benefits would include the beneficial reuse of the hypersaline waste water from desalination plants, reduction of waste water loading to the local area of the desalination plant, and the potential to generate revenue for the desalination plants by the sale of waste water.

Chapter 3 - Seawater Quality for Desalination Plants

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and the high biomass associated with them have afflicted marine desalination plants along coastal regions around the world. Few studies of HABs have been conducted in the Red Sea, where desalination plants along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast provide drinking water for millions of people. This study was conducted along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast from 2014 to 2015 to assess the potential for using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing of chlorophyll a (Chl a) or fluorescence line height (FLH) to identify risks for biofouling at these desalination plants. Ship-based surveys of phytoplankton were conducted along the Saudi Arabian coastline offshore of desalination plants at Jeddah, Al Shoaibah and Al Qunfudhuh to assess the density of phytoplankton populations and identify any potential HAB species. Ship-based surveys showed low to moderate concentrations of phytoplankton, averaging from 1800–10,000 cells L−1 at Jeddah, 2000–11,000 cells L−1 at Al Shoaibah and 1000–20,500 cells L−1 at Al Qunfudhuh. Sixteen different species of potentially toxigenic HABs were identified through these surveys. There was a good relationship between ship-based total phytoplankton counts and monthly averaged coastal MODIS Chl a (R2 = 0.49, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.27 mg m−3) or FLH (R2 = 0.47, RMSE = 0.04 mW m−2 µm−1 sr−1) values. Monthly average near shore Chl a concentrations obtained using MODIS satellite imagery were much higher in the Red Sea coastal areas at Al Qunfudhuh (maximum of about 1.3 mg m−3) than at Jeddah or Al Shoaibah (maximum of about 0.4 and 0.5 mg m−3, respectively). Chlorophyll a concentrations were generally highest from the months of December to March, producing higher risks of biofouling desalination plants than in other months. Concentrations decreased significantly, on average, from April to September. Long-term (2005–2016) monthly averaged MODIS Chl a values were used to delineate four statistically distinct zones of differing HAB biomass across the entire Red Sea. Sinusoidal functions representing monthly variability were fit to satellite Chl a values in each zone (RMSE values from 0.691 to 0.07 mg m−3, from Zone 1 to 4). December to January mean values and annual amplitudes for Chl a in these four sinusoidal functions decreased from Zones 1–4. In general, the greatest risk of HABs to desalination occurs during winter months in Zone 1 (Southern Red Sea), while HAB risks to desalination plants in winter months are low to moderate in Zone 2 (South Central Red Sea), and negligible in Zones 3 (North Central) and 4 (Northern).

Palynological records of red tide-producing species in Canada: past trends and implications for the future

Recently, harmful algal bloom (HAB), also termed “red tide”, has been recognized as a serious problem in marine environments according to climate changes worldwide. Many novel materials or methods to prevent HAB have not yet been employed except for clay dispersion, in which can the resulting sedimentation on the seafloor can also cause alteration in marine ecology or secondary environmental pollution. In the current study, we investigated that antimicrobial peptide have a potential in controlling HAB without cytotoxicity to harmless marine organisms. Here, antimicrobial peptides are proposed as new algicidal compounds in combating HAB cells. HPA3 and HPA3NT3 peptides which exert potent antimicrobial activity via pore forming action in plasma membrane showed that HPA3NT3 reduced the motility of algal cells, disrupted their plasma membrane, and induced the efflux of intracellular components. Against raphidoflagellate such as Heterosigma akashiwo, Chattonella sp., and C. marina, it displayed a rapid lysing action in cell membranes at 1∼4 µM within 2 min. Comparatively, its lysing effects occurred at 8 µM within 1 h in dinoflagellate such as Cochlodium polykrikoides, Prorocentrum micans, and P. minimum. Moreover, its lysing action induced the lysis of chloroplasts and loss of chlorophyll a. In the contrary, this peptide was not effective against Skeletonema costatum, harmless algal cell, even at 256 µM, moreover, it killed only H. akashiwo or C. marina in co-cultivation with S. costatum, indicating to its selective algicidal activity between harmful and harmless algal cells. The peptide was non-hemolytic against red blood cells of Sebastes schlegeli, the black rockfish, at 120 µM. HAB cells were quickly and selectively lysed following treatment of antimicrobial peptides without cytotoxicity to harmless marine organisms. Thus, the antibiotic peptides examined in our study appear to have much potential in effectively controlling HAB with minimal impact on marine ecology.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) pose unique risks to the citizens, stakeholders, visitors, environment and economy of the state of Florida. Florida has been historically subjected to reoccurring blooms of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (C. C. Davis) G. Hansen & Moestrup since at least first contact with explorers in the 1500’s. However, ongoing immigration of more than 100,000 people year–1 into the state, elevated population densities in coastal areas with attendant rapid, often unregulated development, coastal eutrophication, and climate change impacts (e.g., increasing hurricane severity, increases in water temperature, ocean acidification and sea level rise) has likely increased the occurrence of other HABs, both freshwater and marine, within the state as well as the number of people impacted by these blooms. Currently, over 75 freshwater, estuarine, coastal and marine HAB species are routinely monitored by state agencies. While only blooms of K. brevis, the dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense (Böhm) Steidinger, Tester, and Taylor and the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. have resulted in closure of commercial shellfish beds, other HAB species, including freshwater and marine cyanobacteria, pose either imminent or unknown risks to human, environmental and economic health. HAB related human health risks can be classified into those related to consumption of contaminated shellfish and finfish, consumption of or contact with bloom or toxin contaminated water or exposure to aerosolized HAB toxins. While acute human illnesses resulting from consumption of brevetoxin-, saxitoxin-, and domoic acid-contaminated commercial shellfish have been minimized by effective monitoring and regulation, illnesses due to unregulated toxin exposures, e.g., ciguatoxins and cyanotoxins, are not well documented or understood. Aerosolized HAB toxins potentially impact the largest number of people within Florida. While short-term (days to weeks) impacts of aerosolized brevetoxin exposure are well documented (e.g., decreased respiratory function for at-risk subgroups such as asthmatics), little is known of longer term (>1 month) impacts of exposure or the risks posed by aerosolized cyanotoxin [e.g., microcystin, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)] exposure. Environmental risks of K. brevis blooms are the best studied of Florida HABs and include acute exposure impacts such as significant dies-offs of fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles, as well as negative impacts on larval and juvenile stages of many biota. When K. brevis blooms are present, brevetoxins can be found throughout the water column and are widespread in both pelagic and benthic biota. The presence of brevetoxins in living tissue of both fish and marine mammals suggests that food web transfer of these toxins is occurring, resulting in toxin transport beyond the spatial and temporal range of the bloom such that impacts of these toxins may occur in areas not regularly subjected to blooms. Climate change impacts, including temperature effects on cell metabolism, shifting ocean circulation patterns and changes in HAB species range and bloom duration, may exacerbate these dynamics. Secondary HAB related environmental impacts are also possible due to hypoxia and anoxia resulting from elevated bloom biomass and/or the decomposition of HAB related mortalities. Economic risks related to HABs in Florida are diverse and impact multiple stakeholder groups. Direct costs related to human health impacts (e.g., increased hospital visits) as well as recreational and commercial fisheries can be significant, especially with wide-spread sustained HABs. Recreational and tourism-based industries which sustain a significant portion of Florida’s economy are especially vulnerable to both direct (e.g., declines in coastal hotel occupancy rates and restaurant and recreational users) and indirect (e.g., negative publicity impacts, associated job losses) impacts from HABs. While risks related to K. brevis blooms are established, Florida also remains susceptible to future HABs due to large scale freshwater management practices, degrading water quality, potential transport of HABs between freshwater and marine systems and the state’s vulnerability to climate change impacts.

What's in a name? Political and economic concepts differ in social media references to harmful algae blooms

Harmful diatoms and dinoflagellates in the Indian Ocean: a study from Southern coast of Sri Lanka

Reverse osmosis desalination system and algal blooms Part I: harmful algal blooms (HABs) species and toxicity

조선왕조실록을 통해 14세기 말부터 19세기 초까지 적조(HABs) 발생상을 분석하였다. 적조기사는 모두 81건으로 표로 정리하고, 적조지도를 구축하였다. 해역별 발생횟수는 남해 62건, 동해 50건 그리고 황해 22건으로 나타났다. 남해와 동해에 접한 경상도에서는 82건으로 가장 많았다. 경상남도에서 함경북도까지의 적조발생은 두 가지 형태로 나타났는데 첫 번째는 3월 강원도에서 시작되어 4월 함경남도에서 발생이 증가하고 5, 6월에는 중심이 함경북도로 북상하는 형태이다. 두 번째는 8월 경상남도를 중심으로 발생하다 9월에는 경상북도에서 발생이 증가하는 형태이다. 월별 발생 수는 8월이 가장 높았다. 그 외는 대부분 4~9월에 나타났다. 그 중 조개류를 먹고 인명 피해가 발생한 사례는 2~6월 진해, 거제, 통영에서 나타났다. 수산물 피해는 7~9월 경상도연안 전반에서 나타났다. 적조가 대규모로 발생한 시기는 1394~1451년, 1654~1706년으로 나타났고, 적조의 소규모 발생은 1493~1534년, 1588~1609년 이었으며, 공통적으로 홀수 해(1399, 1403, 1413, 1681년)에 대발생을 보였다. We investigated the occurrence of red tide, harmful algal blooms(HABs), at the end of 14th century until the beginning of 19th century recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which are the authentic and encyclopedic annual records of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. In total, 81 cases of HABs are recorded in the annals for which authors draw a table and maps. The number of HABs occurrence at each sea is as follows: 68 times at the South Sea; 50 times at the East Sea; and 23 times at the Yellow Sea. A region hit by red tide most frequently was Gyeongsang-do Province (over 80 times), which borders on both the South Sea and the East Sea. HABs written in the annals follow two distinctive occurrence patterns. The first pattern shows red tide started at Gangwon-do Province in March, spread north to Hamgyeongnam-do Province in April, and moved further north to Hamgyeongbuk-do Province in May and June. On the other hand, the second pattern shows red tide occurred in Gyeongsangnam-do Province in August and then expanded north to Gyeongsangbuk-do Province in September. HABs generally happened from March to September, culminating in August. Paralytic shellfish poisoning incidents involving human deaths were reported in Jinhae, Geoje and Tongyeong, occurring February to June. Fish mortality increased throughout Gyeongsang-do Province from July to September. HABs occurred on an extensive scale from 1394 to 1451 and again from 1654 to 1706. HABs also occurred on a lesser scale from 1493 to 1534 and again from 1588 to 1609. In general, vast HABs occurred in odd years (1399, 1403, 1413 and 1681).

Sustainable Aquaculture Futures

Combination of ocean acidification and warming enhances the competitive advantage of Skeletonema costatum over a green tide alga, Ulva linza