Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when species of phytoplankton grow very quickly forming blooms resulting in water discolorations sometimes referred to as red tides. These blooms have been observed in every state resulting in over $1 billion in losses over the last serval decades to communities that rely on recreation, tourism and seafood harvesting. The direct economic impact of HABs does not include the socioeconomic impact from loss of subsistence harvest activities, disruption of cultural practices, water insecurity, food insecurity, and social interaction tied to coastal resource use. The aquaculture industry both shellfish and finfish have experienced direct adverse effects of harmful algal blooms, both toxin producing species and non-toxin producing species. For the individual aquaculture farm, blooms of certain non-toxic phytoplankton are of paramount concern since they are known to cause mortality of shellfish and finfish worldwide.
The National Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) is a community-based network of volunteers monitoring marine and freshwater phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms. Formed in 2001, PMN enhances the Nation’s ability to respond to and manage the growing threat posed by HABs by collecting important data including phytoplankton species composition and distribution as well as environmental conditions. The aquaculture industry both shellfish and finfish have experienced direct adverse effects of harmful algal blooms, both toxin producing species and non-toxin producing species. For the individual aquaculture farm, blooms of certain non-toxic phytoplankton are of are of paramount concern since they are known to cause mortality of shellfish and finfish worldwide. The goal of the AQPMN would provide aquaculture farms advanced warning of these shellfish toxic and ichthyotoxic blooms to empower growers to mitigate the effects of these blooms.
This citizen science approach to monitor HABs was able to grow into a national monitoring program by use of various web-based tools such as an interactive web site and a geographic information system tool for data visualization and searchable database. This presentation will outline the use of these technologies and highlight the use of volunteer data in aquaculture settings.