4.4.3. What are the causes of these blooms?

♤ Blooms occur when several colonies start combining rapidly when conditions such as nutrient concentrations, salinity and temperature are optimal.

♤ Blooms can be due to a number of reasons. Two common causes are nutrient enrichment and warm waters.

♤ Nutrient enrichment of water, especially phosphates and nitrogen, is often the result of pollution and can cause algal blooms.

♤ Water temperature has also been related to the occurrence of algal blooms, with unusually warm water being conducive to blooms.