This article is part of the supplement: Proceedings of the Centers for Oceans and Human Health Investigators Meeting
Proceedings
Impacts of climate variability and future climate change on harmful algal blooms and human health
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* Corresponding author: Stephanie K Moore stephanie.moore@UNSWalumni.com
1 School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 355351, Seattle, Washington 98195-5351, USA
2 NOAA, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, West Coast Center for Oceans and Human Health, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, Washington 98112-2013, USA
3 Climate Impacts Group and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, Washington 98195-5020, USA
4 Pacific Northwest Center for Human Health and Ocean Studies, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195-7940, USA
5 School of the Coast and Environment, 1002 K Energy, Coast and Environment Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-4110, USA
6 National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE MS F-46, Chamblee, Georgia 30341-3717, USA
7 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and Department of Marine Biology and Fisheries, University of Miami School of Medicine and Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, Florida 33136-2107, USA
Environmental Health 2008, 7(Suppl 2):S4 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-S2-S4
Published: 7 November 2008Abstract
Anthropogenically-derived increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations have been implicated in recent climate change, and are projected to substantially impact the climate on a global scale in the future. For marine and freshwater systems, increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are expected to increase surface temperatures, lower pH, and cause changes to vertical mixing, upwelling, precipitation, and evaporation patterns. The potential consequences of these changes for harmful algal blooms (HABs) have received relatively little attention and are not well understood. Given the apparent increase in HABs around the world and the potential for greater problems as a result of climate change and ocean acidification, substantial research is needed to evaluate the direct and indirect associations between HABs, climate change, ocean acidification, and human health. This research will require a multidisciplinary approach utilizing expertise in climatology, oceanography, biology, epidemiology, and other disciplines. We review the interactions between selected patterns of large-scale climate variability and climate change, oceanic conditions, and harmful algae.