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Books > Medicine > Other branches of medicine > Environmental medicine
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Marine Algal Bloom: Characteristics, Causes and Climate Change Impacts (Paperback, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2018)
Loot Price: R2,549
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Marine Algal Bloom: Characteristics, Causes and Climate Change Impacts (Paperback, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2018)
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In the marine environment, single-celled, microscopic, plant-like
organisms naturally occur in the well-lit surface layer of any body
of water. These organisms, referred to as phytoplankton or
microalgae, form the base of the food web upon which nearly all
other marine organisms depend. Algal bloom is a rapid increase in
or accumulation of the population of about 300 species of algae due
to excess nutrients (eutrophication), and is of major global
interest as it causes reduction in species diversity, abrupt
changes in water quality, and discoloration of the water (green,
yellow, brown or red) depending on the species of algae and the
type of pigments they contain. Dying blooms can also be an
environmental concern as when the cells sink and decay, bacteria
break down the organic material, which in turn strips oxygen from
the water. This microbial oxygen demand at times leads to very low
oxygen levels in the bottom waters, harming aquatic life.
Documentation of this sporadic high abundance of algae, together
with the significant species richness of the diatoms, requires
comprehensive studies in the Sundarban coastal environment, which
is facing severe degradation due to natural & anthropogenic
stressors. In addition, a better understanding of the effects of
algal blooms on seafood quality, the complex biological, chemical
and physical interactions and subsequent effects on trophodynamics
is needed to develop strategies for effective coastal zone
management. The book discusses the occurrence of harmful algal
blooms (HABs) caused by the dinoflagellates of the genus
Alexandrium and Karenia, or diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia,
which have large and varied impacts on marine ecosystems (such as
large-scale marine mortality events that have been associated with
various types of shellfish poisonings) depending on the species
involved, the environment where they are found, and the mechanism
by which they exert negative effects. HABs represent a major
environmental problem in all regions of the U.S., and their
occurrence is on the rise due to increased nutrient pollution. HABs
have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the
economy. Such blooms, known colloquially as red tides due to their
red or brown hues, are increasing in frequency and magnitude
worldwide as a result of changes in oceanic climate, increased
coastal eutrophication and enhanced long-distance dispersal in
ballast water. As such, the book offers an in-depth account of the
complex biological, chemical and physical interactions of the algal
blooms (both innocuous and harmful ones). It also discusses the
highly topical issue of the impact of global climate change on the
frequency and severity of HABs in the context of alterations in
temperature, stratification, light and ocean acidification.
Focusing on both basic and applied limnology, this book is a
reliable and up-to-date reference resource for students, teachers
and researchers engaged in the field of coastal research/management
at regional and global scales.
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