Habitat changes in the Mediterranean sea and the consequences for harmful algal blooms formation

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are recurring events in Mediterranean coastal waters and can affect either large or smaller, more localized areas. HABs pose a threat to human health, marine ecosystems, and resources such as tourism, fisheries, and aquaculture. While some of the contributions of human activities to the recent increase in HAB incidence have been recognized, the exact causes of these blooms are still under debate. The present chapter provides an up-to-date and integrated perspective on harmful and toxic phytoplankton blooms in the Mediterranean Sea (MS), especially in relation to the human impacts and habitat changes that have occurred there during the past few decades.