What are algal blooms?
Sediment plumes are very rich in nutrients meaning that they have a lot of the things that plants need to survive. Nitrogen and phosphorous are two examples of nutrients. On land plants absorb these nutrients from the soil they grow in. In the ocean, microscopic plant like organisms float freely in the water column and absorb the same nutrients directly from the seawater they live in. Scientists classify these tiny plant-like creatures as phytoplankton, but most people call them microalgae. Phytoplanton are very important to marine ecosystems because they provide the primary energy source for the entire marine food web. Just like plants and flowers on land, algae grow and shrink with the seasons. During the winter months algae populations are low. Phytoplankton have difficulty surviving in the wintertime because of the low nutrient inputs. As spring comes the conditions are perfect for a rebound in the phytoplankton population. Increased nutrient concentrations due to coastal upwelling
