Implications of harmful algal blooms in the Corpus Christi bay microlayer

The Corpus Christi Bay sea-surface microlayer (SML, air-water interface) has been impacted periodically by harmful algal blooms (HABs), an accumulation of micro or macro algae toxins. SML, a thin surface layer that exchanges energy and matter between the ocean and atmosphere, is commonly enriched in organic compounds relative to the rest of the water column. Algae are rich in short-chain normal alkanes (n-alkanes). The expansive proliferation of HABs cause depletion in oxygen content of the bay’s water and exerts stress on several terrestrial and marine life forms. In this study, algal n-alkane variations of the microlayer throughout the year will be analyzed. Studying variations in its chemical composition throughout the year may enlighten our knowledge on the occurrence of HABs in the Corpus Christi Bay SML. Efforts will be concentrated on sea-surface microlayer sampling using the glass plate method, the extraction of organic compounds from samples in preparation of microlayer extracts for GC/MS analysis, and the interpretation of GC/MS data. Once composition data is obtained, results will be used to investigate the possibility of using variations in microlayer composition to predict the onset of HABs in Corpus Christi Bay.