Monitoring, modeling and projection of harmful algal blooms in China

Abstract

This review assesses monitoring, modeling and projection of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in China, with a focus on near-term warning and long-term trend projection. We reviewed phytoplankton monitoring as early warning, remote sensing for offshore environments, building models to describe ecological processes, modeling and forecasting near-term or seasonal HAB events, and projection of long-term HAB trend in China. Over the past 40 years, great progresses were made in traditional observation capability of HABs, and some reliable remote sensing algorithms were developed for HABs in optically complex coastal waters in Chinese seas. Numerical models have been applied to simulating real-world algal bloom events successfully; and these models, to some degree, are capable of predicting the time and place of HAB occurrence. In terms of long-term trend, HABs appeared to have shown diversified forms, being more miniaturized and more harmful. The development of an integrated monitoring and early-warning system of algal blooms and HABs should be a necessary first step to provide an effective management tool for mitigating damages associated with the occurrence of HABs in China.