Algal bloom
![Taken in October 2011, the worst algae bloom that Lake Erie has experienced in decades. Record torrential spring rains washed fertilizer into the lake, promoting the growth of microcystin producing cyanobacteria blooms.[1]](/Images/godic/202501/04/Toxic_Algae_Bloom_in_Lake_Erie2322.jpg")



An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae (typically microscopic) in a water system. Cyanobacteria blooms are often called blue-green algae. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration of the water resulting from the high density of pigmented cells. Some algal blooms can result in extreme issues, such as the Lake Erie blooming in 2011, which lead to a nearly full-scale trophic cascade.