Abstract
Anthropogenic marine eutrophication has been recognized as one of the major threats to aquatic ecosystem health. In recent years, eutrophication phenomena, prompted by global warming and population increase, have stimulated the proliferation of potentially harmful algal taxa resulting in the prevalence of frequent and intense harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal areas. Numerous coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea (MS) are under environmental pressures arising from human activities that are driving ecosystem degradation and resulting in the increase of the supply of nutrient inputs. In this review, we aim to present the recent situation regarding the appearance of HABs in Mediterranean coastal areas linked to anthropogenic eutrophication, to highlight the features and particularities of the MS, and to summarize the harmful phytoplankton outbreaks along the length of coastal areas of many localities. Furthermore, we focus on HABs documented in Greek coastal areas according to the causative algal species, the period of occurrence, and the induced damage in human and ecosystem health. The occurrence of eutrophication-induced HAB incidents during the past two decades is emphasized.
Highlights
The publications regarding eutrophication and related harmful blooms in the coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea (MS) show an increase in terms of the number of research articles in the last twenty years (Figure 1), which coincides with the development of advanced monitoring techniques of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs) dynamics
The Mediterranean Spain coastal zone is rather affected by the phenomenon of eutrophication mainly due to anthropogenic pressures, like agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, construction of harbors, intense urbanization, and industrialization [70,71,72]
There are some coastal areas of Turkey that are considered hotspots of eutrophication and related HABs, like Izmir Bay, a large embayment located in the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, which is heavily polluted by nutrients and organic materials due to domestic and industrial discharge [108,109]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The eastern English Channel is affected by seasonal blooms of the haptophyte Phaeocystis globosa, a noxious rather than toxic species, due to its ability to produce foam from the lysis and degradation of its cells [24] This foam negatively impacts fishery farming and bathing beaches due to conditions of low oxygen and increased viscosity [25,26]. Recent reports show that aerosolization of some of these causative toxins from seawater could induce eye irritation and respiratory problems through inhalation [31] Apart from these HAB-related syndromes, a growing interest has been developed among scientists concerning the effects of palytoxin-like toxins or “Ostreopsis spp. algal syndrome” in some. We focus on HABs documented in Greek coastal areas (namely in the Gulfs of Evoikos, Malliakos, Amvrakikos, Kavala, Pagassitikos, Saronikos, and Thermaikos), according to the causative algal species, the period of occurrence and the induced damage in human and ecosystem health. The occurrence of HAB incidents during the past two decades is emphasized
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