Harmful algal blooms in the Eastern North Atlantic Ocean

Applying a mathematical model to the period 1982–2016, in PNAS Gobler et al. (1) propose that ocean warming has expanded the niche for harmful algal blooms (HABs) of the species Dinophysis acuminata and Alexandrium fundyense, which can generate shellfish toxicity and pose risks to human health. The authors’ model predicts an increase in the growth rate and in the duration of the bloom season for these species, with a “hot spot” being the North Eastern Atlantic (NEA) and North Sea (NS) waters surrounding the United Kingdom. Using ships of opportunity, the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) has surveyed offshore phytoplankton populations (including Dinophysis, but not Alexandrium) in this region since 1958 (2). We used Dinophysis spp. data to evaluate the model’s predictions, as species …