Minimising the risk of harm to aquaculture and human health from advective harmful algal blooms through early warning

浮游植物是在海洋和淡水中发现的自由漂浮的植物，通过光合作用生长，形成水生食物链的基础。一小部分浮游植物可能对人类健康或人类利用生态系统有害。造成危害的物种现在被广泛称为“有害藻类”，术语“有害藻华”(HAB)通常被用来描述它们的发生和影响。一些赤潮可以通过产生生物毒素对人类有害，这些毒素集中在滤食性贝类的肉中，如果这些贝类被人类食用，会导致健康风险。其他的赤潮可以杀死养殖的鱼。任何一种赤潮事件都可能对水产养殖造成严重的经济后果。对赤潮事件的早期预警提供了一种保护人类健康和将水产养殖的商业风险降至最低的机制。许多重要的赤潮发生在近海。在英国和全世界最重要的两种是Dinophysis sp.这会导致腹泻性贝类中毒，以及可以杀死养殖鱼类的米氏卡氏杆菌(Karenia Mikimotoi)。这些生物通过洋流被输送到沿海水产养殖场。对于K.mikimotoi，我们可以使用卫星遥感来识别它们的近海水华，对于Dinophysis，我们知道一年中风险最高的位置和时间。在这个项目中，我们将结合卫星遥感、现场测量(使用自由漂浮和系泊的科学仪器来测量水柱的性质)以及洋流和赤潮的数学模型，以更好地了解这些有害的水华在哪里发展，以及在什么条件下它们将被输送到海岸，然后进入水产养殖所在的峡湾。我们的结果将用于改进每周制作的风险评估公告，供水产养殖从业者使用。在这个项目中获得的新知识将使我们第一次能够解释模拟的洋流预报，以提供关于这些洋流将平流性赤潮带到海岸的可能性的预报。这项工作还将使我们能够确定，在到达海岸时，水交换是否会允许水华进入进行水产养殖的有保护的峡湾。这将使行业能够更好地计划他们的饲养和收获，以最大限度地减少对企业和健康的HAB风险。

Phytoplankton are free-floating plants found in marine and freshwaters that, through their photosynthetic growth, form the base of the aquatic food chain. A small subset of the phytoplankton may be harmful to human health or to human use of the ecosystem. The species that cause harm are now widely referred to as 'Harmful Algae' with the term 'Harmful Algal Bloom' (HAB) commonly being used to describe their occurrence and effects.Some HABs can be harmful to humans through their production of biotoxins that are concentrated in the flesh of filter feeding shellfish, leading to a health risk if the shellfish are consumed by humans. Other HABs can kill farmed fish. HAB events of either type can have serious financial consequences for aquaculture.Early warning of HAB events provides a mechanism to protect human health and minimise business risk for aquaculture.Many important HABs develop offshore. Two of the most important in the UK and worldwide are the genus Dinophysis sp. that causes diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, and the species Karenia mikimotoi that can kill farmed fish. These organisms are transported to coastal aquaculture sites by oceanic currents. For K. mikimotoi we can use satellite remote sensing to identify their offshore blooms, for Dinophysis we know the locations and times of the year that are most high risk.In this project we shall use a combination of satellite remote sensing, in situ measurement (using free floating and moored scientific instruments that measure the properties of the water column) and mathematical modelling of oceanic currents and HABs to get a better understanding of where these harmful blooms develop and under what conditions they will be transported to the coast and subsequently into the fjords where aqaculture is located. Our results will be used to improve risk assessment bulletins that are produced weekly for use by aquaculture practitioners. The new knowledge gained in this project will allow us, for the first time, to interpret modelled ocean current forecasts to provide forecasts of the likelihood of these currents carrying advective HABs to the coast. The work will also allow us to determine if on reaching the coast, water exchange will allow blooms to enter the sheltered fjords within which aquaculture is practiced. This will allow industry to better plan their husbandry and harvesting to minimise HAB risk to business and health.