环境地球化学国家重点实验室知识库

Global warming and algal blooms have been two of the most pressing problems faced by the world today. In recent decades, numerous studies indicated that global warming promoted the expansion of algal blooms. However, research on how algal blooms respond to global warming is scant. Global warming coupled with eutrophication promoted the rapid growth of phytoplankton, which resulted in an expansion of algal blooms. Algal blooms are affected by the combined effects of global warming, including increases in temperatures, CO₂ concentration, and nutrient input to aquatic systems by extreme weather events. Since the growth of phytoplankton requires CO₂, they appear to act as a carbon sink. Unfortunately, algal blooms will release CH₄, CO₂, and inorganic nitrogen when they die and decompose. As substrate nitrogen increases from decompose algal biomass, more N₂O will be released by nitrification and denitrification. In comparison to CO₂, CH₄ has 28-fold and N₂O has 265-fold greenhouse effect. Moreover, algal blooms in the polar regions may contribute to melting glaciers and sea ice (will release greenhouse gas, which contribute to global warming) by reducing surface albedo, which consequently would accelerate global warming. Thus, algal blooms and global warming could form feedback loops which prevent human survival and development. Future researches shall examine the mechanism, trend, strength, and control strategies involved in this mutual feedback. Additionally, it will promote global projects of environmental protection combining governance greenhouse gas emissions and algal blooms, to form a geoengineering for regulating the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.