Coastal phytoplankton blooms expand and intensify in the 21st century

Abstract

Phytoplankton blooms in coastal oceans can be beneficial to coastal fisheries production and ecosystem function, but can also cause major environmental problems1,2—yet detailed characterizations of bloom incidence and distribution are not available worldwide. Here we map daily marine coastal algal blooms between 2003 and 2020 using global satellite observations at 1-km spatial resolution. We found that algal blooms occurred in 126 out of the 153 coastal countries examined. Globally, the spatial extent (+13.2%) and frequency (+59.2%) of blooms increased significantly (P < 0.05) over the study period, whereas blooms weakened in tropical and subtropical areas of the Northern Hemisphere. We documented the relationship between the bloom trends and ocean circulation, and identified the stimulatory effects of recent increases in sea surface temperature. Our compilation of daily mapped coastal phytoplankton blooms provides the basis for global assessments of bloom risks and benefits, and for the formulation or evaluation of management or policy actions.

Nutrients and sea surface temperature drive harmful algal blooms in China’s coastal waters over the past decades

“…dinoflagellates) is more promoted by the duration of the warm season rather than higher SST su (Gobler et al 2017, Wells et al 2020. The results confirm that increasing SST significantly expand spatial extent and frequency of HABs in mid and high latitude coastal waters in the 21st century (Griffith et al 2019, Dai et al 2023. Although reduced nutrient loadings after 2010 lead to decreased area and frequency of HABs (Zeng et al 2019), the AIP increased (except the ECS) and almost peaked with abnormally high SST a4-9 since 2010 (figures 4-7).…”

Iron–ozone catalytic oxidation reactive filtration of municipal wastewater at field pilot and full‐scale with high‐efficiency pollutant removal and potential negative CO2e with biochar

“…Cost‐effective, low environmental impact, high‐efficiency TP removal technologies are required to advance clean water initiatives addressing the global harmful algae bloom crisis (Beutel et al, 2019; Dai et al, 2023; Remy et al, 2014). Soluble reactive ortho‐phosphorus (SRP) and non‐reactive phosphorus (NRP) were efficiently removed from the influent water during all three trials.…”

Biochar integrated reactive filtration of wastewater for P removal and recovery, micropollutant catalytic oxidation, and negative CO2e: Process operation and mechanism

“…Phosphorus is a finite resource, essential as a fertilizer for food security. Recycling and reusing P to address water pollution, eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, and soil fertility can supplement limited global reserves of phosphate rock (Carpenter, 2008; Cordell et al, 2009; Yanhui Dai et al, 2023; Glibert, 2020; Lim et al, 2022; Reijnders, 2014; Schindler et al, 2016; Jianlong Wang, Chu, et al, 2020). Adsorption of P moieties onto native and chemically modified biochar is an increasingly studied approach for the removal and recovery of P from wastewaters (Strawn et al, 2023).…”