ABSTRACT
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can occur in marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats. By definition, HABs comprise a high biomass of algal cells that can discolor the water (based on the properties of their colored pigments). HABs can produce secondary metabolites, lethal or sublethal toxins, and bioactive compounds. More often recognized, surface or subsurface planktonic toxic blooms are one manifestation of harmful algae, but other species in the benthic or demersal community can also produce toxins. These biogenic toxins can remain intracellular or extracellular (either secreted or released from algal cells upon death) and can be transferred via the water or biota and incorporated into the marine mammal food web (Landsberg 2002; Landsberg, Lefebvre, and Flewelling 2014).
