What are Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)?

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when algal colonies rapidly reproduce, deplete the water of oxygen, and create large concentrations of natural biotoxins. Prolonged seasons of sunshine and little ocean mixing can create optimum habitats for algal cell growth. The biotoxins produced from these large concentrations of algae can have negative effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), and HAB-originated human illnesses can be debilitating and potentially fatal.

Check out our 2023 Summer Intern Presentations

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Check out our 2023 Summer Intern Presentations 〰️

Blaine High School Junior Joshua Bacon’s presentation on HABs and the harmful plankton in the Blaine/Birch Bay area.

Blaine High School Senior Myca Andruscavage’s presentation on HABs and her work with the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company

Check out the summaries from the HABs team for August and September 2023.

The August 2023 report of the Drayton Harbor Harmful Algal Bloom Hunters project

Here is data from the summer of 2023 compiled by the HABs team. PST refers to paralytic shellfish toxin, which the WA Department of Health found when analyzing the tissue of sampled mussels. Alexandrium is the phytoplankton that produces this type of toxin. A correlation was found between the amount of PST, Alexandrium, and the seawater temperature; PST and Alexandrium tend to peak when seawater temperatures are moderate and decrease when temperatures are either above or below Alexandrium resilience levels.

Drayton Harbor Plankton Gallery:

While not all of the following images are harmful algae, the diversity of plankton species, larvae, and diatoms is eye opening as to what exists in our local waters, and why monitoring is important.

Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms shaking off a clump of microbial detritus

Noctiluca, Drayton Harbor, 2020

Dinophysis acuminata marine dinoflagellate which can cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning

Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum is funded in part by a Washington Department of Ecology Waste Reduction and Recycling Education grant, with general support provided by the Pacific Northwest Grassroots Fund, and Grow Your Roots Min-grant funds administered by the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, Alicia Rule funds through the Washington State Legislature and the Whatcom Coalition for Environmental Education, Whatcom Community Foundation’s Sustainable Whatcom Fund, the Everson Lions Club and donations. In-kind contributions from the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and volunteers help us deliver programming!

We kindly thank them all!

We acknowledge and respect the treaty rights of the Coast Salish Peoples to the lands and waters of the Salish Sea and we recognize their stewardship since time immemorial.

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