Harmful Algae & Red Tides
A checkup for the oceans reveals threats to human health
The health of the world’s ocean is in serious decline—and human health is suffering as a result. A comprehensive report from the Monaco Commission and co-authored by several WHOI researchers investigates the impacts of ocean pollution and recommends actions to safeguard human health.
Read MoreCitizen science vital to cyanobacteria bloom research
“We have many parts of the country with huge coastlines like Maine and California and we’re finding it really difficult to monitor for multiple toxins threatening people and ecosystems,” said Don Anderson, a senior scientist at WHOI and a principal investigator at the Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health.
WHOI receives NOAA awards to study, predict harmful algal blooms
Researchers at WHOI were recently named in a list of 17 new research projects funded by the NOAA to improve the nation’s collective response to the growing problem of harmful algal blooms.
WHOI receives NOAA awards to study, predict harmful algal blooms
Projects will help enhance monitoring and determine socioeconomic impacts of blooms nationwide Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) were…
Read MoreCape Coral canals are helping researchers find what works
As the Earth’s climate changes, blooms have become more frequent and severe, and the hunt for solutions has intensified, said algae scholar Don Anderson, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, where he’s been studying those solutions for decades.
Examining Connections Between the Ocean and Human Health
An ocean sickness is a human sickness according to experts at WHOI’s Center for Human Health and the Ocean. Marine toxicologist John Stegeman and his team are researching better ways to inform the public on the origins and dangers of marine toxins
Read MoreFighting algae with clay, sponges and floating barriers: Cape Coral canals are helping researchers find what works
As the Earth’s climate changes, blooms have become more frequent and severe, and the hunt for solutions has intensified, said algae scholar Don Anderson, senior scientist at WHOI in Massachusetts, where he’s been studying those solutions for decades.
A Tiny Camera Could Help Shellfish Farmers Avoid Big Losses
Cape Cod’s shellfish farmers face many challenges, and one of the biggest is dealing with harmful algal blooms, which can damage shellfish and be poisonous for humans to ingest. But a new project at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is looking at a way to better manage this with the help of a tiny camera.
Toxic Algal Blooms Are Worsening with Climate Change
“Cyanobacteria grow quite well—better than almost everything else in those freshwater systems—the hotter it gets,” said Don Anderson, a senior scientist at WHOI.
Why are birds and seals starving in a Bering Sea full of fish?
Federal and university scientists are trying to better understand why some birds and marine mammals have been unable to find enough food, and whether toxic algae blooms — increasing as the water warms — could have contributed or caused some of the die-offs.
A Lagrangian View of Spring Phytoplankton Blooms
Shin Kida, Kyushu University Sponsored by: Physical Oceanography Department
Read MoreNOAA awards WHOI $2.9 million for harmful algal bloom research
NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science recently announced funding for 12 new research projects to better understand and predict harmful algal blooms (HABs) and improve our collective response to them.
Read MoreEverything you need to know about toxic algae blooms
The type of toxin released depends on the species causing the bloom. Some of the most common ones affect the liver or the nervous system, said Donald Anderson, director of the U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms and a senior scientist at WHOI.
Watch What You Eat
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) can take a variety of forms, each with a distinct and disturbing impact on human health.…
Read MoreHarmful Algae & Red Tides
Tiny plants pose a potent threat to those who live in and eat from the sea.
Read MoreWHOI gets $6.9M grant to study red tide
quotes John Stegeman, Michael Brosnahan
Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health Receives Five-year Funding from NSF and NIEHS
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health,…
Read MoreThe Recipe for a Harmful Algal Bloom
Harmful algal blooms can produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish and cause health problems and economic losses. They have increased in strength and frequency worldwide. Can we get advance warnings of when and where they will occur?
Read MoreWarmer Waters Linked to Higher Levels of Shellfish Toxin
mentions Judy McDowell and WHOI
Not Just Another Lovely Summer Day on the Water
It looks like nice summer day on the water, but Alexis Fischer (right) and Alice Alpert, graduate students in the…
Read MoreAs Bay Warms, Harmful Algae Bloom
Warming coastal waters off southern Massachusetts are worsening the effects of pollution from septic systems, wastewater treatment plants, and fertilizer…
Read MoreScientists: Algae not just Toledo problem
mentions WHOI
Setting a Watchman for Harmful Algal Blooms
As harmful algal blooms are becoming more frequent and severe worldwide, researchers in the lab of WHOI biologist Don Anderson are testing an array of new instruments that can be used in early-warning monitoring systems for coastal waters.
Read MoreNauset Estuary and Town Cove closed to shellfishing
mentions WHOI