Toxic Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)

My original research area was primarily concerned with computer simulation of the growth and movement of problem cyanobacterial blooms and strategies for their management. I was lucky to work with colleagues such as Colin Reynolds at the Institute of Freshwater Ecology in Windermere and mentors Pauline Kneale, Mike Kirkby and Adrian McDonald at Leeds. My PhD students including Basak Guven and Mark Easthope carried this work forward and have excelled in their own careers.

Selected publications

2012 Howard, A. Toxic Cyanobacteria in Bengstsson, L., Herschy, R. and Fairbridge, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lakes and Reservoirs. Springer. ISBN 9781402056161.

2011 Guven, B. and Howard, A. Sensitivity analysis of a cyanobacterial growth and movement model under two different flow regimes, Environmental Modeling and Assessment. 16:577-589.

2007 Guven, B. and Howard, A. Identifying the critical parameters of a cyanobacterial growth and movement model by using generalised sensitivity analysis Ecological Modelling, 207, 11-21.

2007 Guven, B. and Howard, A. Modelling the growth and movement of cyanobacteria in river systems Science of the Total Environment, 368, 898-908.

2006 Guven, B. and Howard, A. A review and classification of the existing models of cyanobacteria Progress in Physical Geography, 30, 1-24.

2003 Burton, L.R. Howard, A. & Goodall, B. Construction of a historical Water Pollution Index for the Mersey Basin, Area, 35:4.

2002 Howard, A. & Easthope, M.P. Application of a model to predict cyanobacterial growth patterns in response to climatic change at Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire, UK, The Science of the Total Environment, 282-283, 459-469.

2001 Howard, A. Modelling movement patterns of the cyanobacterium, Microcystis, Ecological Applications: the journal of the Ecological Society of America, 11, 304-310.

1999 Howard, A. Algal Modelling: Processes and Management: An Introduction, Hydrobiologia, 414, 35-37

1999 Howard, A. (ed) Algal Modelling: Processes & Management, Hydrobiologia, 414.

1999 Easthope, M.P. & Howard, A. Modelling algal dynamics in a lowland impoundment, Science of the Total Environment. 241, 17-25.

1999 Easthope, M.P. & Howard, A. Implementation and sensitivity analysis of a model of cyanobacterial movement and growth, Hydrobiologia, 414, 53-58.

1997 Whitehead, P.G. Howard, A. & Arulmani, C. Modelling algal growth and transport in rivers: a comparison of time series analysis, dynamic mass balance, and neural network techniques, Hydrobiologia, 347: 39-46.

1997 Kneale, P.E. & Howard, A. Statistical analysis of algal and water quality data, Hydrobiologia, 347: 59-63.

1997 Howard, A. Computer simulation modelling of buoyancy change in Microcystis, Hydrobiologia, 349: 111-117.

1997 Howard, A. Algal Modelling: Processes & Management. Editorial Preface. Hydrobiologia, 349:vii-ix.

1996 Howard, A. McDonald, A.T. Kneale, P.E. & Whitehead, P.G. Cyanobacterial (blue-green algal) blooms in the UK: A review of the current situation and potential management options, Progress in Physical Geography, 20, 63-81.

1996 Howard, A. Irish, A.E. & Reynolds, C.S. SCUM ’96: A new simulation of cyanobacterial underwater movement, Journal of Plankton Research, 18, 1375-1385.

1995 Howard, A. Kirkby, M.J., Kneale, P.E. & McDonald, A.T. Modelling the growth of cyanobacteria (GrowSCUM), Hydrological Processes, 9, 809-820.

1994 Howard, A. Problem cyanobacterial blooms – explanation and simulation modelling, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 19, 213-224.

1993 Howard, A. SCUM – simulation of cyanobacterial underwater movement, Computer Applications in the Biosciences, 9, 413-419.

• On the hunt for Earth's first complex life
  How life started on our own planet may not seem as interesting as finding evidence of life on Mars or the icy moons Europa or Enceladus. But the search for the first eukaryotes on Earth remains as important to astrobiology as finding life on a far-flung planet. That's in part because, for 90% of Earth's […]
• Florida bloom toxins turn up in air, suggesting inhalation risk beyond shorelines
  Research on Southwest Florida cyanobacterial blooms shows that the toxins they produce are aerosolized and potentially inhaled by people far from contaminated water bodies.
• Bacteria form 'herds' to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth's carbon cycle
  Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is stored in the world's waters.
• Scientists find hidden individuality in viral infections
  An international team of researchers developed a new way to uncover hidden differences in how viruses infect and destroy individual microbial cells—solving a biological puzzle that has persisted for more than 80 years.
• Oxygenic photosynthesis works with one photosystem, overturning 50-year textbook rule
  LMU researchers demonstrate that oxygenic photosynthesis can occur with only a single photosystem, overturning a fundamental principle of biology.
• Machine learning calibration of biosensors for microcystin toxin monitoring in freshwater
  Portable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) biosensors offer a rapid, low-cost way to detect microcystin-lysine-arginine (MC-LR), an extremely potent toxin produced by cyanobacteria during harmful algal blooms in freshwater. Even at low concentrations, MC-LR can damage the liver and has been linked to an increased risk of liver and colon cancer, and the World Health Organization […]
• New platform creates digital map for marine biobanks
  A new digital platform developed under the leadership of CIIMAR is making Portugal's marine biodiversity more accessible by bringing together thousands of biological resources into a single access point. The Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform aims to bridge scientific research and industry by simplifying the identification of organisms and biological materials with potential applications in […]
• Satellites reveal when toxic algal blooms flare in Blue Mesa Reservoir
  The summers of 2021 and 2022 were tough seasons for Colorado's Blue Mesa Reservoir. A severe drought gripped much of the western U.S., prompting emergency water releases that brought the reservoir to its lowest level since 1984. Marinas and boat ramps closed, remnants of a ghost town emerged from the muck, and parts of the […]
• What DC's algal bloom reveals about a growing water threat
  When bright green water appeared in the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, it drew national attention and sparked political finger-pointing. The culprit: cyanobacteria—sometimes called blue-green algae—a type of bacteria that can produce toxins harmful to people, pets and wildlife.
• An iron-driven chain reaction may trigger mass death of harmful algae blooms
  Over recent decades, harmful algal blooms have become increasingly common. These blooms often consist of bacteria called "cyanobacteria" in freshwater ecosystems. They can produce debilitating toxins, suffocate marine life by depleting oxygen in the water, and make water unsafe for drinking.