Harmful Algae and Their Commercial Implications

Micro-algae are an important source of primary production in the oceans’ food webs and are therefore beneficial to humankind. Of the approximately 5000 living micro-algae species known, 6% multiply to form harmful algae blooms (HAB). Less than 2% of the described species produce potent biotoxins (Hallegraeff 2014), which may be directly toxic to shellfish or fish, or toxic to animals or humans consuming contaminated seafood.