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，它们通过光合作用生长，形成了水生食物链的基础。一小部分浮游植物可能对人类健康或人类对生态系统的利用有害。造成危害的物种现在被广泛地称为“有害藻类”，“有害藻华”（HAB）一词通常被用来描述它们的发生和影响。一些有害藻华可以通过产生生物毒素对人类有害，这些生物毒素集中在滤食性贝类的肉中，如果人类食用贝类，就会导致健康风险。其他有害藻华会杀死养殖鱼类。任何一种类型的有害藻华事件都可能对水产养殖造成严重的经济后果。有害藻华事件的早期预警提供了一种保护人类健康和尽量减少水产养殖业务风险的机制。许多重要的有害藻华在近海发展。在英国和世界范围内最重要的两种是引起腹泻性贝类中毒的甲藻属，以及可以杀死养殖鱼类的mikimotoi Karenia。这些生物被洋流运送到沿海的水产养殖场。对于K. mikimotoi，我们可以使用卫星遥感来识别它们的近海繁殖，对于Dinophysis，我们知道一年中风险最高的地点和时间。在这个项目中，我们将结合使用卫星遥感、现场测量（使用自由漂浮和系泊的科学仪器来测量水柱的特性）和洋流和赤潮的数学模型，以更好地了解这些有害藻华在哪里发展，以及在什么条件下它们将被运送到海岸，随后进入水产养殖所在的峡湾。我们的研究结果将用于改进每周出版的供水产养殖从业者使用的风险评估公报。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，以提供这些洋流携带平流有害藻华向海岸移动的可能性的预报。这项工作还将使我们能够确定在到达海岸时，水交换是否会使水华进入受保护的峡湾，在那里进行水产养殖。这将使工业界更好地规划他们的饲养和收获，以尽量减少有害藻华对商业和健康的风险。

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.