harmful-algal-blooms
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are episodes of excessive aquatic algae growth that can produce toxins, deplete dissolved oxygen, and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. For plant scientists, HABs represent a critical intersection of aquatic plant ecology and environmental stress, as bloom-forming algae compete with submerged macrophytes for light and nutrients, often leading to the collapse of rooted aquatic plant communities. Understanding the triggers and dynamics of HABs informs broader research into eutrophication, nutrient cycling, and the resilience of aquatic plant populations under changing environmental conditions.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Scientists studying harmful algal blooms in Chilean Patagonia discovered that each bloom type hosts a distinctly different community of bacteria and microorganisms, and identified specific microbial 'keystone' species that may drive or sustain toxic blooms.
The two bloom types (Heterosigma akashiwo and Alexandrium catenella) harbored significantly different microbial communities in both richness and taxonomic structure.
Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Cyanobacteria dominated the bacterial communities across both bloom types and both water-size fractions sampled (1 µm and 0.2 µm filters).
Blastopirellula bacteria and Dino-Group-I-Clade-1 dinoflagellates were identified as keystone taxa specifically in the Alexandrium catenella bloom, suggesting outsized roles in structuring that community.