"Toxic algae blooms increasing in the Arctic due to climate change, new study finds"
By: Shyleigh Good Online News Article Link Peer-Reviewed Journal Article Link Background Toxic algae cells are commonly found at low, benign concentrations in a variety of surface waters. 1 When cells are subject to favorable environmental conditions (e.g. high nutrient availability, warm temperatures, etc.) for reproduction, they rapidly increase in concentration, forming harmful algal blooms (HABs). 1–6 These proliferation events result in a greater abundance of toxins produced by the cells. Algal toxins harm humans and wildlife, as they can bioaccumulate in food chains to induce illnesses in consumers and can be aerosolized to cause respiratory issues. 1 Accounts of illnesses and mortality experienced by coastal communities who consume marine wildlife have been occasionally reported for over 200 years, indicating that HABs occur in natural fluxes. 2 Recently, HABs have increased in frequency and spread to cooler locations typically not affected by them due to anthropogenic ...