General
Algal blooms can occur in all waters – fresh, estuarine or
marine. They occur when the cell numbers of one or more species
of algae reach very high numbers. These high cell numbers may produce
harmful or toxic effects and result in the discolouration of water
to various colours from red to brown to green
Protocol
Freshwater Algal Blooms:
Algal
Contingency Plan
Metropolitan/South Coast Regional Algal Coordinating Committee
May 2000
Prepared by Shelley Nancarrow and Jenny Wood
Marine and Estuarine Algal Blooms:
Marine and Estuarine Algal Contingency Plan
Metropolitan/South Coast Regional Algal Coordinating Committee
September 2001
Not available on the website. Contact NSW Department of Infrastructure,
Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) on 02 9895 7361
Costs
Freshwater
Local Government responsibilities are to:
- Monitor algae in surface waters within the council area;
- Cover costs of algal monitoring and analysis;
- Report algal monitoring results to RACC;
- Install and maintain algal warning signs in recreational areas;
- Local community dissemination of information,
- Report on operational problems to DIPNR and health problems
to NSW Health; and
- Maintain contact with local Public Health Unit.
The costs involved include algal analysis and monitoring, the erection
of signs and dissemination of information. Laboratories to undertake
algal analysis can be found in the Algal Contingency Plan.
Marine and Estuarine
Local Government responsibilities are to:
- Inform to RACC Secretariat or Department of Environment and
Conservation (DEC) of algal bloom if it is detected during routine
sampling or if notified of any bloom in marine or estuarine areas;
- Erect and withdraw warning signs
- When an area managed by Council is closed to fishing, assist
NSW Fisheries in erecting “Taking of fish is prohibited”
signs.
- Close beaches that are affected by algal blooms;
- Conduct algal sampling and send the samples to the DEC for identification.
- Notify RACC Secretariat of their response to the algal bloom
and provide the RACC with information to be included in the joint
media release.
- Contact or advise local Public Health Unit of algal bloom and
actions taken.
The costs involved include taking algal samples and sending to
the DEC for analysis and erecting warning signs.
Laboratories to undertake algal analysis can be found in the Algal
Contingency Plan.
Case Studies
DIPNR – What should I do if I suspect an algal bloom?
http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/water/bga/bga/suspect.html
IOC-UNESCO – Harmful Algal Blooms
http://ioc.unesco.org/hab/
Northwest Fisheries Science Centre – Harmful Algal Bloom
Program
http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/
US National Centre for Environmental Health – Harmful Algal
Blooms
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/algal.htm
Oz Estuaries – Algal Blooms
http://www.ozestuaries.org/indicators/SI_algal_blooms_f.html
NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
– Blue-Green Algae
http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/water/bga/causes.html
Victorian Department of Primary Industries – Algal Blooms
http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/web/root/Domino/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/water-river-algal-blooms
River Management Issues – River flows and Blue-Green Algae
http://www.rivers.gov.au/manage/is10algae.htm
Murray Darling Basin Commission – Algal Management Strategy
http://www.mdbc.gov.au/naturalresources/algae/algal_manage.htm
National Eutrophication Management Program
http://www.rivers.gov.au/research/nemp/index.htm
NOAA Coastal Services Centre – Harmful Algal Blooms Bulletin
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf/bulletin.html
People Contacts
See Algal Contingency Plans for specific details.
Organisation Contacts
DIPNR
http://www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au/
http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/regions/sydney/water/algae.html
http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/wetlands/facts/paa/algae/
DEC
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/index.htm
NSW Fisheries
http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/
NSW Health
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/
CSIRO
http://www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=faq&id=AlgalBlooms
Department of Primary Industries, Tasmania. Algal Toxin Testing.
http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/LBUN-4Z596S?open
Advanced Reference
Hallegraeff, G.M. (1998) Physiological ecology of harmful algal
blooms. Springer, Berlin
Manual on harmful marine microalgae / edited by G.M. Hallegraeff,
D.M.Anderson, A.D. Cembella ; technical editor H.O. Enevoldsen.
UNESCO, Paris 1995
Kahru, M and Brown, C.W (Eds) (1997) Monitoring algal blooms: new
techniques for detecting large-scale environmental change. Springer,
Berlin
Cullen, P (1995) Report for expert seminar on algal blooms in the
Hawkesbury River: A report to the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management
Trust. Published by the HNCMT, Windsor NSW
Harmful Algae (Online) [harmful algae periodical]
http://opac.library.usyd.edu.au/search/dAlgal+blooms/dalgal+blooms/13,18,24,B/l856&FF=dalgal+blooms+toxicology+periodicals&2,,2,1,0
The Harmful Algae Page
http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/redtide/
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