Toxic algae blooming on the Arab Sea

Research published today 4/5 shows that global warming is stimulating toxic algae to bloom, disrupting fishing activities of fishermen.

Using NASA satellite images, researchers from Lamont - Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University, USA have pointed out the relationship between melting glaciers in the Himalayas and reproduction. The growth of toxic Noctiluca in the Arabian Sea in recent years.

Toxic algae (green) thrive on the Arabian Sea from space. (Photo: NASA).

"Most of the research related to climate change and ocean biology is focused on the polar and temperate waters. Changes in tropical waters are not noticeable , " said Joaquim Goes at LDEO. said.

Eastern winds blowing from the Himalayas cool the surface of the Arabian Sea, causing cold water to sink and being displaced by more nutritious warm water below. This process, called convection mixing , allows phytoplankton to float to the surface of the water, where there is a better growing condition due to more sunlight.

However, the melting glaciers from the Himalayan-Tibet plateau region have caused the wind to blow into the warmer and wetter ocean surface, reducing the convection mixing process. This change damages most plankton, except Noctiluca because they do not need sunlight.

As a result, Noctiluca has strong growth conditions, overwhelming other phytoplankton - an important food source for a range of marine organisms. Research shows that only jellyfish and Salpidae can consume this toxic algae, resulting in an imbalance in the ocean's food chain.

"This is probably one of the most powerful changes we have ever seen regarding climate change," Goes emphasized. The proliferation of toxic algae affects the lives of fishermen, as well as the operation of desalination, oil refining and natural gas extraction plants. The team is concerned that the disruption of the food chain could also increase piracy in Yemen and Somalia.

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