Researchers from Columbia University have been studying the "brown tides" that plague many US coastlines. The culprit to blame for these dense clouds of murky brown water is Aureococcus anophagefferens, a microscopic algae. This algae, which was first noticed in the 80's, has terrible ecological effects on the ecosystems present in these coastlines; and a large drop in natural flora and fauna has been observed. Researchers say that Aureococcus is genetically wired to thrive in these coastlines and bodies of water polluted by human activity. The genes that make this algae able to survive in murky but nutrient rich water has made it extremely successful in the waters where humans have been polluting it with lawn fertilizer, sewage and other providers of nutrients. Aureococcus's success has come at the cost of other species in these environments who are pushed out by the overwhelming algae; shellfish and sea grasses have all but disappeared in some areas. Aureococcus actually excretes arsenic from its cells and blocks out sunlight for other plants. Brown tide is a spreading problem witnessed in the Great lakes, China and South Africa now.
Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140905153013.htm
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