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Algal Bloom Example

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Algal Bloom Example

Algal blooms can have varying effects on the marine ecosystem.
Some can be beneficial, feeding fish and supporting the ecosystem as the first link in the food chain.
Other times Algal blooms can be harmful. This happens when they are too large or last too long. Blooms become ecologically harmful by using up all the nutrients, and oxygen in the water. Algal blooms can also block sunlight from reaching other organisms like kelp. They have also been know to contain toxic chemicals.

Algal Bloom Data Sets

These cruises were conducted during the 1998 El Niño. What difference can you see between these data sets? Do you see any indication of a algal bloom in the data? Which one? How can you tell? Does the bloom you see match up with the satellite images?

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