Latest news with #algalblooms
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
US researchers identify 230 new viruses with surprising effect on ocean health
Tiny ocean organisms like algae, amoebas, and flagellates are key to the marine food chain, and giant viruses that infect them can affect how they grow and survive. In some cases, these viruses may also lead to public health issues, such as harmful algal blooms. In the quest to unravel the varying kind of viruses found inside our planet's large water-bodies, scientists at University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science have uncovered 230 new giant viruses using advanced computing tools and ocean data. Researchers also identified 530 new proteins within these viruses, including nine linked to photosynthesis—suggesting the viruses may interfere with how their hosts convert sunlight into energy. According to Mohammad Moniruzzaman, co-author of the study and assistant professor in the university's Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, gaining a better understanding of the diversity and role of giant viruses in the ocean—and how they interact with algae and other microbes—could help predict and potentially manage harmful algal blooms, which pose risks to human health in Florida and around the world. "Giant viruses are often the main cause of death for many phytoplankton, which serve as the base of the food web supporting ocean ecosystems and food sources. The novel functions found in giant viruses could have biotechnological potential, as some of these functions might represent novel enzymes,"explained Moniruzzaman in a press release on University of Miami's website. Detecting giant viruses has proved to be a challenge so far because current computer methods had limitations. To overcome this, the research team created a new tool called BEREN—a program which offers a simple, all-in-one tool for identifying and classifying giant viruses in sequencing datasets To conduct their study, researchers gathered DNA sequencing data from nine major ocean sampling projects spanning the globe. Using BEREN they extracted giant virus genomes from this data. The scientists then analyzed the genomes using public gene function databases to identify the roles and activities encoded by these viruses. Following this, the results were compared to known giant virus genomes to uncover previously unknown functions and gain deeper insight into their diversity. Benjamin Minch, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at the Rosenstiel School, observed that giant viruses carry genes linked to important cellular functions like carbon metabolism and photosynthesis—processes usually found only in living cells. This finding suggests that these viruses have a significant role in altering their host's metabolism during infection and may impact key marine chemical cycles. The researchers used the University of Miami's Pegasus supercomputer at the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) to process and assemble large metagenomes, often over a gigabase per sample, allowing them to reconstruct hundreds of microbial community libraries. Minch also noted that the study helped create a framework to improve tools for detecting new viruses, which could enhance efforts to monitor pollution and pathogens in waterways. Findings of the study have been published in the journal npj Viruses.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Six months of major marine events in south-east Tasmania
Hobart's River Derwent and other south-east Tasmanian waterways have experienced some extraordinary marine events since December: jellyfish population explosions, toxic algal blooms, wild shellfish health alerts, and mass salmon and sardine deaths. Water quality scientist Christine Coughanowr said it was not uncommon to see one or two such events in a typical summer, but "rarely would you see this many events over such a short period of time". "I think it is quite plausible that at least some of these events are related." A spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) said the incidents were "being closely examined". "While these events can occur independently, it is uncommon to see several in close succession," the spokesperson said. "It is important to note that marine events such as algae blooms are typically driven by a range of environmental factors such as water temperature, nutrient levels, and runoff from various sources, not solely agriculture and aquaculture. "However, the potential for larger toxic algal blooms exists and the ShellMAP program continues to monitor local algal species." NRE Tas and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have engaged the CSIRO to help better understand why the events occurred. "This work will inform the development of state-of-the-art tools that can be used to investigate the contributing factors of events like those experienced over the past summer," an EPA spokesperson said. "And to establish near real-time modelling tools to foster understanding and support more informed decision-making around policy, regulation, planning and incident response." The presence of warmer than usual waters is "likely to be an important factor contributing to the proliferation of marine organisms along the east and south-east coast of Tasmania", according to an EPA spokesperson. Ms Coughanowr, co-chair of Tasmania's Independent Science Council and former CEO of the Derwent Estuary program, said "increasing pollution from human activities, combined in some cases with increasing water temperatures and changes in ocean circulation" were key causal factors. "Excess nutrients, in particular, stimulate microscopic algal blooms in near-shore coastal waters, which can set off the whole cascade above," she said. December 12, 2024 — An unprecedented number of small jelly-like creatures called "salps" are seen at beaches and bays across south-east Tasmania. Lisa-ann Gershwin, a jellyfish and bioluminescence expert, told ABC Radio Hobart an abundance of phytoplankton caused by excess nutrients from aquaculture and agricultural runoff had attracted the salps, which feed on phytoplankton. Dr Gershwin cautioned that salps "literally wiped out" the phytoplankton wherever they occurred, so everything else starved. December 19, 2024 — People warn against swimming at many of Hobart's beaches after industrial waste from the Cadbury factory knocked out a wastewater treatment plant, resulting in sewage flowing into the River Derwent next to the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona). Public health alerts include "do not swim" advice applied to the River Derwent between Austins Ferry and Old Beach in the north, and Sandy Bay across to Howrah in the south. December 20, 2024 — Some residents in Hobart and surrounds post photos to social media showing a pink substance in the water. Dr Gershwin told ABC Radio Hobart the pink hue was a kind of bioluminescent algae called Noctiluca scintillans or "sea sparkles", caused by an increase of nutrients coinciding with the salp die-off. While not toxic for humans, the blooms can be a problem for fish farms, due to the fish being unable to escape should a pen be impacted by the algal bloom. December 23, 2024 – Public health mostly lifts warnings against swimming in parts of the River Derwent due to untreated sewage, except for the western end of Bellerive Beach due to a localised issue. January 1, 2025 – There are more widespread reports that Tasmania's south-east coast was aglow with the bioluminescent algae Noctiluca scintillans. It is the biggest "bloom" in almost a decade. Dr Gershwin told ABC Radio Hobart the algal bloom could lead to a spike in jellyfish populations across the state's south. She described it as an environmental red flag, which could be fatal for other sea life. January 23, 2025 – Large blooms of Aurelia aurita – moon jellyfish – are seen in the River Derwent and halfway up Tasmania's east coast. The jellyfish naturally occur in the river, but not usually in such large numbers. Dr Gershwin said the bloom had been caused by an oversupply of nutrients in the water, from runoff, overfishing, and a natural upwelling in the ocean. She said "huge amounts" of nutrients came from salmon hatcheries upriver and fish farms. February 16, 2025 – Chunks of biological waste are discovered on a southern Tasmanian beach, prompting community calls for testing and an investigation into the nature of the waste. EPA later confirms the waste, which washes up at other beaches in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel over the following weeks, is congealed fish oil from dead salmon. February 20-21, 2025 – The Bob Brown Foundation shares images and videos of dead salmon floating on the edges of fish pens, and piled up in industrial skip bins. There are reports the salmon industry in south-east Tasmania is grappling with a widespread bacterial disease outbreak that is causing mass mortality events. March 20, 2025 – Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer Kevin de Witte makes a statement about the salmon deaths, saying the mortality event in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel is largely due to an endemic bacterium known as Piscirickettsia salmonis (P. salmonis). The bacterium did not present a human or animal health, or food safety risk, Mr de Witte said. "The bacterium also does not pose a risk to freshwater fish nor is it known to pose a threat to other marine [saltwater] species." May 5, 2025 – Tasmania's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) reports a decline in fish deaths after the mass salmon die-off and says water-quality monitoring no longer detects the presence of antibiotics used to treat the fish infection. May 8, 2025 – Public health issues a wild shellfish alert for Boomer Bay in south-east Tasmania. It warns toxic algal blooms (also known as harmful algal blooms or HABs) are present in Tasmania and that elevated levels of algal toxins have been detected in shellfish in the area. May 16, 2025 – Public health expands its wild shellfish alert to include the Mercury Passage in Eastern Tasmania. It advises not to eat "recreationally harvested mussels, oysters, clams, pipis, cockles, wedge shells abalone and scallop roe". May 17, 2025 – Hundreds of small fish, later confirmed to be sardines, are found dead along the shoreline of the River Derwent. A few days later, Kevin de Witte, tells ABC Radio Hobart the sardines most likely died "due to a toxic algae" called Heterosigma. In Tasmania, the EPA is the primary statutory regulator for water quality and its management, alongside NRE Tas. Both were involved in testing and reporting during and following the recent salmon mortality event. The Derwent Estuary Program also plays an important role coordinating a range of projects aimed at restoring and promoting the estuary and reducing pollution. Following the salmon mortality event, the EPA conducted an internal debrief to "capture lessons from the mortality event" and participated in an inter-agency debrief that extended to consultations with the three salmon companies, an EPA spokesperson said. "Mortalities are a known aspect of salmon farming worldwide. From an EPA perspective, the critical issue is timely collection and management of mortality waste in an approved manner." Ms Coughanowr said more "robust monitoring" of both the condition of, and many activities affecting the health of, our rivers and coastal waters was required. "Often people just call up and report what they are seeing, but we need a more systematic approach than that. Ms Coughanowr said a marine event of the scale of South Australia's toxic algal bloom, which is bringing unprecedented destruction to the state's marine environment, "would be a terrible outcome for Tasmania". "It is important that we don't just blunder into this with our eyes closed," she said. A spokesperson for NRE Tasmania said Biosecurity Tasmania was continuing to look into the recent deaths of the sardines found along the shores of the River Derwent. "At this stage, investigations indicate this mortality event is not linked to the salmon mortality incident in south-east Tasmania from January to April," the spokesperson said. "Biosecurity Tasmania understands it is not pollution-related and the events are likely due to different infectious causes. From ongoing testing, and POMV have been ruled out as the cause of the sardine deaths. "Initial results of testing conducted of the sardines indicate it is likely to be a result of Heterosigma, a type of algae. It is currently not believed to be a bloom, however further testing continues." Ms Coughanowr said whatever the cause of the most recent fish deaths, the health of our waterways needed to be a priority for Tasmania. "We need to reduce pollution and other pressures on our rivers and coastal waters to make them as resilient as possible," she said. Members of the public who observe dead fish, pollution events or suspected biological material can call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or the EPA Incident Response Hotline on 1800 005 171.
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
South West project to predict algal blooms wins funding award
Researchers have won an award to fund a major project that aims to help predict and manage algal blooms before they Prediction and Early Detection of Algal Blooms in Lakes and Reservoirs (PEDAL) project is led by South West Water (SWW) and has been awarded £2.17m through the Ofwat Innovation Fund's Water Breakthrough occurring algal blooms are caused by the rapid growth of algae and can harm water quality while also being expensive to Pennington, innovation programme and partnerships manager at SWW, said: "This project will help us protect the environment, reduce treatment costs and ensure reliable, high-quality water for our customers." Early warning system The water company has worked with partners including the University of Exeter, the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste and Plymouth Marine scheme will work by combining satellite images and drone technology with water quality data and input from local communities to build an early warning system for algal artificial intelligence, the new system will help water companies take action sooner to improve water quality, protect nature and reduce treatment project is due to start in October 2025 and is expected to three years to complete. Prof Lisa Roberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, said: "This project has the potential to develop pioneering new methods to predict and detect the onset of algal blooms in our water systems, to help experts take action before they affect both water quality and supply. "It will help companies to continue to ensure safe, affordable water and protect our natural spaces and ecological health."
CBC
15-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
How a U.S. weather agency tries to combat 'do-it-yourself' Lake Erie algae bloom forecasts
Social Sharing Predicting the weather long-term is never an easy or bulletproof task, no matter the available science and technology. But what about forecasting the health of a lake, based on the weather and environment, months prior? That's what scientists continue to do each year for Lake Erie — specifically the western basin — as it relates to summer algal blooms. Based on two months of spring data collected across the watershed, U.S. scientists suggest mild-to-moderate sized blooms in that area of the lake. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a bloom severity range for Lake Erie of two to 4.5 on a scale of one to 10, similar to the last three years. "Through the spring, conditions have been relatively dry except for a large precipitation and associated river discharge event in early April and another moderate precipitation event in early May," NOAA said in its spring bulletin. Ohio's Maumee River is the main culprit for phosphorus runoff from farms making its way into the lake and causing algae blooms. Near normal precipitation and river discharge are currently predicted for the remainder of the season (May to July). A more comprehensive seasonal forecast will be issued by NOAA at the end of June. NOAA oceanographer Richard Stumpf's office studies satellite imagery of the blooms — once they begin — on a daily basis. Canadian coastal communities such as Leamington would be most affected from mild-to-moderate algae blooms in the lake, he says, along with parts of Michigan and Ohio. "[If mild] it's possible some probably aren't going to get much on the Ontario coast at all," Stumpf said. "That's the good news." Why the early forecast? According to Stumpf, NOAA puts out an early algal bloom forecast for western Lake Erie because there's enough collected data. "Quite honestly, we found if we didn't do it there would be a lot of do-it-yourself forecasts. Like every time it rains, literally … people would say we're going to have a bloom because it rained." "We have enough confidence that we will be in the right neighbourhood." The 2014 Toledo water crisis prompted algal bloom bulletins as early as May. The toxic bloom in Lake Erie shut down drinking water access to the Ohio city. The same bloom closed beaches and led to a public health advisory on Pelee Island. "[In] 2015, there was a lot of scared people about the lake and that's the first year we actually did this forecast because we realized if we didn't do it, there would be all kinds of forecasts going around." Historically, algae blooms normally ramp up in August into September in the lake. "[There are] some hints that we might have a long summer." After that, when the air cools and the wind picks up the lake temperature drops and the blooms break up. "They don't like it windy and they don't like it cold," said Stumpf. Green sawdust effect For moderate-level blooms, with south-to-southwest winds, green-like sludge can come up the Canadian shoreline along the west side of Lake Erie, according to Stumpf. "On very calm days, it's possible you might run into some patches of scum, however, in general, they will be rather localized. There won't be many of those." He says some people, in this scenario, might see little bits of what we call the green sawdust. "That's kind of what the algae looks like when there's a little wind going … that kind of a green sawdust effect, but more likely to look more just a little bit greenish and very unlikely to be up on the Ontario coastline." Did the ice cover help? Stumpf says there's evidence to suggest winter ice cover has a slight influence on algal blooms. "There's a lot of ecological factors and we've seen some suggestion that winter temperatures may be a factor in this. We're looking more closely at that," he said. Lake Erie saw 95 per cent ice cover on Feb. 18, according to satellite data from NOAA — a stark contrast from the same time last year when only 36 per cent was iced over. The last time the lake completely froze over was in 1996. Windsor-based environmental scientist Mike McKay says when there's no ice cover particulate nutrients in the water in the fall stay suspended and available for the next summer. "They may be used by algae, for example, and create some of the algae blooms" he told CBC News earlier this year. Less ice means water temperatures are warmer, says Raj Bejankiwar, a scientist with the International Joint Commission's Great Lakes regional office. "The sunlight goes all the way to the sediment and that has a negative impact on the spring and summer blooms," he previously told CBC News. "It encourages algae blooms. So lesser cover is not good for the lake in terms of algae blooms." Rain matters How much it rains plays a large role in how big of an algal bloom develops in the shallowest of the Great Lakes. And until now, there hasn't been a lot of precipitation in the area, with existing models indicating there might not be a lot on the horizon either. "The current look is kind of normal rainfall for the next two months and so it would be normal water flow going into the lake. But of course, there's that uncertainty that you can get something a sequence of events and you get more rain and then it shifts upward," said Stumpf. He says their forecasting tightens up as the summer begins — and ends in early July. "At that point we understand the weather systems really well, whereas right now we understand this year looks better than the last couple of years for uncertainty at this time. That's the best I can say."
