Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are frequently reported in many Countries around the world. Even though this phenomenon has been known for a long time(1), the causes of HABs and toxicity releases are still not understood. Effective management of HABs of cyanobacteria requires all understanding of both the environmental factors associated with their formation and the effectiveness of available management alternatives for a given body of water. HABs call affect the quality of water bodies, thereby disrupting drinking water supplies, impacting recreational uses, and releasing toxins that can harm ecosystems and humans. HABs present a growing problem to water resource managers. HAB-related management decisions are complex and involve: Selecting the appropriate management interventions. Identifying important knowledge and technology gaps. Allocating funding for appropriate research or management projects. Communicating with stakeholders. This chapter discusses the uncertainties associated with environmental factors linked to HAB formation and toxin release and proposes a management decision framework using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). MCDA links management strategies with decision criteria and weightings elicited from decision makers or the public., allowing visualization and quantification of the tradeoffs between many social and technical factors involved in the decision-making process.