York River HAB: A harmful algal bloom (HAB) in the York River during summer 2005. The bloom was caused by dense aggregations of Cochlodinium polykrikoides, a species associated with fish kills and economic loss in Japan and Korea. Blooms of this species have harmed oyster larvae in the York River.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Killberg.
HAB Cells: A filtered water sample from the harmful algal bloom (HAB) that struck the York River during summer 2005. The bloom was caused by dense aggregations of Cochlodinium polykrikoides.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Killberg.
Red Tide: A red tide event in the Gulf of Mexico. Note the patch of discolored water in the background, caused by the presence of countless microscopic algae.
York River HAB: A harmful algal bloom (HAB) in the York River during summer 2005. The bloom was caused by dense aggregations of Cochlodinium polykrikoides, a species associated with fish kills and economic loss in Japan and Korea. Blooms of this species have harmed oyster larvae in the York River.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Killberg.
Armored Dinoflagellate: A microphotograph of a chain of Alexandrium monilatum cells from a Chesapeake Bay water sample. This alga has bloomed the last two summers around Labor Day, although it was not found blooming in previous years and was last reported from a Chesapeake Bay sample in the 1940s.
Photo courtesy of Bill Jones.
Diatoms: Diatoms are some of most varied, beautiful and geometrically intricate of all phytoplankton. They have a rigid silica shell composed of two interlocking parts. Diatoms and other algae are normal components of all aquatic environments. However, when they bloom in significant numbers and produce biotoxins, they can produce harmful algal blooms or HABs.
Harmful Algal Blooms
Algal blooms, or "red tides," are caused by dense aggregations of tiny marine plants called algae that contain reddish pigment. Algae are normal components of all aquatic environments, but can produce what is known as a “harmful algal bloom” or “HAB” when they bloom in significant numbers and generate toxic byproducts. HABs can be harmful to both marine organisms and human health.
Algal blooms are not uncommon in lower Chesapeake Bay during the spring and summer. Algae respond to the same conditions that encourage plant growth on land, and thus are most likely to form blooms when waters are warm and nutrient rich. Excess nutrients from farms and yards, sewage treatment plants, and the burning of fossil fuels are one of the biggest challenges facing the Bay.
Virginia's Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is part of Virginia's Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force, which also includes representatives from the Marine Resources Commission, the Department of Environmental Quality, Old Dominion University, and the Virginia Department of Health and its Division of Shellfish Sanitation. VIMS researchers collaborate with scientists and staff at these agencies to regularly monitor the Commonwealth's waters and shellfish-growing areas for the presence of HABs. VIMS scientists are also engaged in basic research to more accurately and rapidly identify harmful algal species, and to better understand the biological and environmental factors that cause algae to produce toxins.
Reporting
The Virginia Department of Health is responsible for questions related to the possible effects of HABs on human health, and will notify the public if a HAB that could affect human health is identified.
To obtain information about possible human-health effects, call Virginia's toll-free Harmful Algal Bloom hotline at 888-238-6154. The line is available 24-7.
To report discolored water, water that has an odd color or odor, or a fish kill during business hours, you may contact
A. The nearest regional office of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality:- Virginia Beach: (757) 518-2000
- Richmond: (804) 527-5020
- Woodbridge: (703) 583-3800
- (If you need to call outside of business hours or for an emergency, dial the Department of Emergency Services at 800-468-8892 [calls will be forwarded to a DEQ responder]).
B. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science:
- Advisory Services Office: 804-684-7108
- Dr. Kim Reece: 804-684-7407
- Dr. Wolfgang Vogelbein: 804-684-7261
- You may also use our online reporting form.
What if I feel I have been exposed to a HAB?
If you are concerned that you have been exposed to a HAB, please see your doctor or call your local health department. Telling your doctor about contact with water may help him/her treat any possible illness properly. You can also call the Virginia Department of Health HABs Hotline at (888) 238-6154. The line is available 24-7.
VIMS Video
Video footage from a microscope in the lab of VIMS professor Kim Reece shows the single-celled organisms that are causing an algal bloom in lower Chesapeake Bay. More...
