Co-Convenors: Tatiana Morozova (Russia) and Mark Wells (U.S.A.)

Invited Speaker:
Feixue Fu (University of Southern California, U.S.A.)

The impacts of regional and global climate change and other anthropogenic forcing on the initiation, frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are widely anticipated but are difficult to identify. Often these “blooms” reflect subtle adjustments in the relative proportion of HAB species within a larger, more abundant phytoplankton community. In others, new blooms may reflect the possible climate-driven range extension of HAB species, but direct evidence that previous environmental conditions were unfavorable for bloom development normally is lacking. Ascribing HAB events to specific, but slowly evolving driving forces, will demand comparative observations among similar but geographically separated ecosystems. This session invites papers that focus on emerging toxic and ecosystem disruptive HAB events as well as changing plankton assemblages that are evolving towards more frequent or intense HAB incidents. Papers addressing long-term time series data, land use changes, effects of macro- or micro-nutrient stress on cell physiology, trophic interactions, and the impacts of changing riverine runoff, ocean development (e.g., aquaculture, wind turbines), and ocean acidification are particularly encouraged. The goal of the session is to help formulate a better understanding of conditions enhancing the success of HAB species.