Significantly decreasing harmful algal blooms in China seas in the early 21st century

Jing Zeng; Baoling Yin; Yetang Wang; Baojuan Huai

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.002

Significantly decreasing harmful algal blooms in China seas in the early 21st century

Mar Pollut Bull. 2019 Feb:139:270-274. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.002. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Authors

Jing Zeng¹, Baoling Yin², Yetang Wang³, Baojuan Huai²

Affiliations

¹ College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China; Shandong Institute for Food and Drug Control, Jinan 250101, China.
² College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
³ College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China. Electronic address: yetangwang@sdnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 30686428
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.002

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are one of primary worldwide environmental problems with severe consequences for aquatic ecosystems, human health, marine fisheries and local economy. During the past few decades, coastal waters of China Seas have experienced a significant increase in the occurrence of the HAB events, which is common across the vast majority of coastal waters of the world. Here we report the absence of the widespread increase over the early 21st century in China Seas. Both frequency and coverage area of annual HAB events have decreased at statistically significant rates for the 2000-2017 period. Despite the multiple factors determining the outbreak of HABs, the improvement of water quality in the marginal sea off China and changes in the sea surface temperature in the early 21st century may play an important role in the decrease in the HABs.

Keywords: China seas; Harmful algal blooms; Sea water quality improvement; Significant decrease.

MeSH terms

China
Environmental Monitoring / statistics & numerical data*
Harmful Algal Bloom*
Oceans and Seas
Plankton
Seawater / chemistry
Water Quality