Ever wondered how to stop the green moss in your garden pond from growing? This process is called an algae bloom—the rapid growth of algae in water systems like a pond. This also occurs in fresh waters like rivers and lakes. The growth of algae begins with just a small amount of phytoplankton. The algae bloom can be identified through the discoloration of water. This is due to the increase of the density of pigmented cells in the water.

Algae are commonly found in most parts of the world. Specifically in bodies of water in environments that are terrestrial. Algae can survive even in the uncanny places like on snow and on ice. Some algae form and bloom in freshwater. Freshwater algal blooms are the result of an excess of nutrients, particularly phosphorus. They play a very important part in the ecosystem because they have the capacity to absorb the nutrients in the water. Algae are very famous as fish and other aquatic animals’ feed.

Almost every kind of algae that exists form blooms in bodies of water. Some blooms like diatoms are necessary to the balance of the ecosystem. Most sea creatures are fed of these algae, although there are some algal blooms that are poisonous. Scientists call these single- celled organisms that survive in the water as “HAB” or “Harmful Algal bloom”.

Harmful algal blooms can cause severe damage because of the toxins they produce or the biomass they acquire from the environment they are in. The organisms and other sea creatures that depend their lives on algae can be affected by these HABs. It can cause a terrible chain reaction passing the poison onto the fish and onto human beings thus making them ill. Two of the worst results Harmful Algal blooms can cause is to make the coastal communities and commercial fisheries to have economic loss.

Although these occurrences are indeed harmful to most living things, this is actually a natural phenomenon. At times, about 300 algae species are documented and studied to make blooms. The blooms that occur in bodies of water can cause discoloration making the water turn red, yellow, green and sometimes even white. Maybe you have heard of the “red tide”. This is due to HABs in the water.

Without a doubt, algae blooms can cause problems to many people particularly the HAB. It can start a plague in just a short. It can cause illness to humans and death to fish, seabirds and other marine animals. However we want it to not happen, it will and it will occur since it is a part of the ecosystem’s balance.

On the other hand, there are also a lot of benefits algae bloom can give to us. It is not just a source of food for marine life but also for humans. Some seaweed in the ocean are edible can be made as a food ingredient. All we can do is to be careful when choosing the algae to get. Besides, we cannot stop whatever natural things happen to our Mother Nature.