Bayleigh Albert, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Marine Science at the College of William & Mary’s Batten School & Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is in the midst of completing her capstone project that aims to raise public awareness of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the York River. Her project is being conducted in collaboration with the Office of Communications at the Virginia Department of Health.
“There are marine harmful algal blooms that appear in the York River,” said Albert.
Algal blooms develop when microscopic plants in the water receive too much sunlight, an overabundance of nutrients from runoff or erosion and experience warming water temperatures. This can cause these organisms to begin rapidly multiplying to form an algal bloom. “Not all algal blooms are harmful,” remarked Albert.
In fact, marine algal blooms are not necessarily harmful to humans but can be to fish.
“They’re more harmful to humans when they’re freshwater,” she said about thes...