A sign of an ecosystem out of balance: too much nutrient pollution.

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This is the centerpiece of the Chesapeake watershed’s ills.

Check out some of the crazy patterns happening in the mouth of the York River right now!

The dark streaks and swirls that you see are caused by a bloom of a dinoflagellate called Margalefidinium polykrikoides (“Marg” for short). This and other types of algae bloom annually in the Chesapeake Bay in late summer and are known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

A HAB occurs when an algal species grows in huge numbers. The over-abundance of algae uses up oxygen in the water and can generate toxins, which is harmful to marine organisms and sometimes impacts human health.

According to VIMS' HAB expert Dr. Kim Reece, “Marg” can be associated with adverse impacts to aquatic animals, but human health impacts are not well-defined (though some respiratory irritation has been reported).

To learn more about HABS, check out https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/habs/index.php
If you have any health concerns, contact the Virginia Department of Health through the HAB hotline [phone]