THE ECOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS : A SPECIAL ISSUE OF LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY

For many years, the United States has struggled to manage fisheries resources and marine ecosystems impacted by an expanding array of toxic and harmful algae. Our understanding of the fundamental ecological, toxicological, and oceano graphic issues underlying these phenomena, however, is woefully inadequate. In recognition of this shortcoming, the Na tional Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) co-sponsored a work shop on the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms at the Snow Mountain Ranch Conference Center, CO from 23-28 August 1994. This research agenda is the result of those deliberations. The forty workshop participants (Appendix A) included academic and government scientists as well as program managers and officials representing the NSF, NOAA Coastal Ocean Program, Sea Grant, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The scientists attending the workshop were selected from among nationally recognized leaders in fields spanning both the biological and physical sciences. The diverse composi tion of the group (Appendix A) reflects the interdisciplinary nature of this subject as well as the need to solicit recommenda tions from the oceanographic community at large.