Requirements for forecasting harmful algal blooms in the Benguela

Abstract

The Benguela system suffers from the frequent occurence of a variety of harmful algal blooms (HABs).These blooms can have severe negative impacts on local marine ecosystems and communities, in addition to commercial marine concerns such as rock lobster and aquaculture operations. Harmful impacts of HABs are associated with either the toxigenicity of some species or the high biomass such as nutrient exhaustion can lead to low oxygen events, which in extreme cases result in hypoxia and the production of hydrogen sulphide, frequently causing dramatic mortalities of marine organisms.