About HABs
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) can occur when certain types of microscopic
algae grow quickly in water, forming visible patches that may harm the
health of the environment, plants, or animals. ...more
CDC Activities
CDC works with public health agencies, universities, and federal
partners to investigate how algae which can cause HABs may affect public
health ...more
Data
Harmful Algal Bloom-related databases from federal and non-federal
resources ...more
Focus Areas
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria are single-celled organisms that live in fresh,
brackish, and marine water and can use up the oxygen and block the
sunlight that other organisms need to live and can produce powerful
toxins that affect the brain and liver of animals and humans ...more
Ciguatera
Ciguatera fish poisoning is an illness caused by eating fish that
contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae ...more
Red Tide
Overgrowth of the microscopic marine algae called Karenia brevis
can create blooms that can make the ocean appear red or brown.
People often call these blooms “red tide” ...more
Pfiesteria piscicida Pfiesteria piscicida is a microscopic alga that lives in
estuaries—where freshwater streams or rivers mix with salt
water—along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts ...more
Publications
Related studies on harmful algal blooms from
various scientific publications ...more
Resources
Useful information about harmful algal blooms from federal, state,
non-profit organizations as well as universities and others ...more
Surveillance
NCEH has developed the Harmful Algal Bloom-related Illness Surveillance System (HABISS) to support public health decision-making ...more
National
Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination
of data on environmental hazards, exposures to those hazards, and health
effects that may be related to the exposures ...more
Radiation
Studies
General radiation facts, public health research, radon research ...more