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Unusual algal blooms as excitable systems: The case of “brown-tides”

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Abstract

Episodes of toxic “red and brown-tides” appear sporadically along coastlines worldwide. Bloom initiation is largely due to a confluence of environmental and meteorological factors that predispose certain algal species to suddenly erupt, but the ensuing duration and severity of an outbreak are shaped, in part, by trophic interactions. We offer a simple model for this that exhibits threshold behavior and excitability and apply it to recent blooms in Long Island, New York.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, 11794, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Edward Beltrami

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  1. Edward Beltrami
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Beltrami, E. Unusual algal blooms as excitable systems: The case of “brown-tides”. Environ Model Assess 1, 19–24 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01874843

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01874843

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