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  4. Vol 9, Issue 2, 2025

Harmful Algal Blooms and Shellfish Poisoning in Chinese Seas: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

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DOI: 10.23977/erej.2025.090214 | Downloads: 4 | Views: 94

Author(s)

Ziyue Liu 1

Affiliation(s)

1 University of Southern California, 3551, Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Corresponding Author

Ziyue Liu

ABSTRACT

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have increased in frequency, diversity, and toxicity across the China Seas, including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, driven by nutrient pollution, climate change, and coastal development. These blooms pose significant threats to marine ecosystems, aquaculture, and human health through the accumulation of diverse biotoxins in shellfish, such as paralytic, diarrhetic, amnesic, and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning toxins. Despite advances in traditional and remote sensing monitoring techniques, current efforts remain regionally fragmented and lack integration across biological, chemical, and environmental data. Drawing on successful interdisciplinary frameworks from the US and Europe, this review highlights the need for a comprehensive, integrated ocean observing system in the China Seas that combines molecular detection, toxin quantification, real-time monitoring, and predictive modeling. Such an approach, supported by standardized data protocols and multi-stakeholder collaboration, will enhance early warning capabilities, risk assessment, and sustainable management of HABs and shellfish toxins, safeguarding marine resources and public health. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have increased in frequency, diversity, and toxicity across the China Seas (Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea), driven by eutrophication, climate change, and coastal development. These events threaten marine ecosystems, aquaculture, and human health through the accumulation of biotoxins (e.g., paralytic, diarrhetic, amnesic, and neurotoxic shellfish toxins) in shellfish. Despite advances in monitoring (e.g., remote sensing, in-situ measurements), current efforts remain regionally fragmented and lack integration of biological, chemical, and environmental data. This review highlights the need for a comprehensive, integrated ocean observing system incorporating molecular detection, toxin quantification, real-time monitoring, and predictive modeling. Supported by standardized protocols and multi-stakeholder collaboration, such a system would enhance early warning capabilities, risk assessment, and sustainable management of HABs and shellfish toxins, safeguarding marine resources and public health.

KEYWORDS

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), Shellfish Toxins, Monitoring and Regulation, Chinese Seas

CITE THIS PAPER

Ziyue Liu, Harmful Algal Blooms and Shellfish Poisoning in Chinese Seas: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives. Environment, Resource and Ecology Journal (2025) Vol. 9: 124-137. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/erej.2025.090214.

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