The "H," "A," and "B" of a HAB: A definitional framework

The use of the phrase “harmful algal bloom” and the acronym HAB originated in the marine science world, and referred to blooms also known as red tides, which can kill fish and sea life. The organisms that make up marine HABs generally do not thrive in lakes. In freshwater, HABs are most often associated with blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria. The term HAB started to be used broadly in the early 2000s to encompass both marine and freshwater phenomena. Beyond just lakes, cyanobacterial blooms occur in reservoirs, impoundments, streams, rivers, estuaries, or brackish water all over the world (Meriluoto 2017). In addition to cyanobacteria, other freshwater algal groups can accumulate and lead to detrimental impacts on humans, animals, the environment, and the economy.