One Health Priority Focus Areas:
- Extreme Conditions and Climate Change, International, Regional, Water Quality and Related Illnesses
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when algae—simple photosynthetic organisms that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds.
NCCOS research advances understanding of what causes and sustains HABs and their toxins, and uses that understanding to develop information and tools, predictive models, forecasts, and prevention strategies.