The dataset consists of public domain acute and chronic toxicity and chemistry data for algal species. Data are accessible at: https://envirotoxdatabase.org/ Data include algal species, chemical identification, and the concentrations that do and do not affect algal growth.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overgrowths of algae or cyanobacteria in water and can be harmful to humans and animals directly via toxin exposure or indirectly via changes in water quality and related impacts to ecosystems services, drinking water characteristics, and recreation. While HABs occur frequently throughout the United States, the driving conditions behind them are not well understood, especially in flowing waters. In order to facilitate future national model development and characterization of HABs, this data release publishes a synthesized and cleaned collection of HABs-related water quality and quantity data for river and stream sites across the United States. It includes nutrients, major ions, sediment, physical properties, streamflow, chlorophyll and other types of water data. This data release contains files of harmonized data from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). Continuous sensor data for 132 parameters (35 of which returned data) between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2022 were downloaded from NWIS programmatically. All data were harmonized into a shared format and grouped by generic parameters; data are in files named "daily_{parameter_grp}.csv", and the "pcode_group_xwalk.csv" maps parameter codes to parameter groups. Lastly, we include a "site_metadata.csv" containing site identification and location information for all sites with water quality and quantity data, and mappings to the National Hydrography Dataset flowlines where available. This work was completed as part of the USGS Proxies Project, an effort supported by the Water Mission Area (WMA) Water Quality Processes program to develop estimation methods for PFAS, harmful algal blooms, and metals, at multiple spatial and temporal scales.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overgrowths of algae or cyanobacteria in water and can be harmful to humans and animals directly via toxin exposure or indirectly via changes in water quality and related impacts to ecosystems services, drinking water characteristics, and recreation. While HABs occur frequently throughout the United States, the driving conditions behind them are not well understood, especially in flowing waters. In order to facilitate future national model development and characterization of HABs, this data release publishes a synthesized and cleaned collection of HABs-related water quality and quantity data for river and stream sites across the United States. It includes nutrients, major ions, sediment, physical properties, streamflow, chlorophyll and other types of water data. This data release contains files of harmonized data from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). Continuous sensor data for 132 parameters (35 of which returned data) between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2022 were downloaded from NWIS programmatically. All data were harmonized into a shared format and grouped by generic parameters; data are in files named "daily_{parameter_grp}.csv", and the "pcode_group_xwalk.csv" maps parameter codes to parameter groups. Lastly, we include a "site_metadata.csv" containing site identification and location information for all sites with water quality and quantity data, and mappings to the National Hydrography Dataset flowlines where available. This work was completed as part of the USGS Proxies Project, an effort supported by the Water Mission Area (WMA) Water Quality Processes program to develop estimation methods for PFAS, harmful algal blooms, and metals, at multiple spatial and temporal scales.

The presence of harmful algal species, which produce toxins, pose a significant threat to public health and coastal aquaculture activities. For example, estimated losses due to biotoxin closures have cost the Irish shellfish industry $4 million in 2000. Biotoxins, which have the potential to cause the following human illnesses: diarrhetic, paralytic, amnesic and azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (known as DSP, PSP, ASP and AZP respectively) have been detected in shellfish in Ireland. The toxic phytoplankton species of concern in Irish waters are: Dinophysis spp. (DSP), Alexandrium spp. (PSP), and Pseudo-nitzschia spp (ASP). The only locations where blooms of A. tamarense and accumulation of toxins occur are Cork Harbour and Belfast Lough. The marine source of AZP has still to be confirmed. The Marine Environment and Health Services Division of the Irish Marine Institute is responsible for monitoring water samples collected from shellfish production areas for the presence of potentially harmful algal species. This information is used by the Marine Institute as an early warning of potential harmful algal events, as an indicator of what type of toxin analysis needs to be carried out and as scientific evidence to supplement the results of toxin analysis of shellfish. However, due to a variety of reasons, it has not been possible to demonstrate a direct correlation between numbers of potentially toxic phytoplankton in water samples and the presence of toxins in shellfish. Therefore, phytoplankton counts on their own are not used to decide the toxicity status of shellfish production areas. Symptoms of DSP appear after 30 mins to a few hrs of consumption and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Ingestion of shellfish containing the PSP biotoxin acts quickly (within 30 mins of consumption) and can cause numbness, and tingling of the lips, tongue, face and extremities, difficulty in talking, breathing, swallowing and muscle spasms. In severe cases death can occur due to respiratory paralysis. The Biotoxin Unit of the Marine Institute regularly monitors shellfish for the presence of toxins using both mouse bioassays and analytical chemistry methods. Production areas are closed for shellfish harvesting if the mouse bioassays are positive, i.e., 2 out of the 3 mice die within 24 hours of being injected intraperitonally with a Di Ethyl Ether (Note: Di Ethyl Ether replaced Acetone as the chemical extractant in 2001) extraction of toxins from the homogenised shellfish hepatopancreas. In addition, the use of remote sensing data has been identified as one of the key components of the Marine Institute's proposed HAE forecasting system. To evaluate the application of this technology, SeaWiFS images that have been compiled as part of the EU funded BIOCOLOR project by the Remote Sensing Data Analysis Service (RSDAS) in Plymouth, U.K., have been re-analysed by NOAA/NOS and Marine Institute personnel. The re-analysed images were taken in 1998 during a large bloom of Karenia mikimotoi formerly known as Gyrodinium aureolum) that extended across the northern Celtic Sea and a region of the Irish shelf adjacent to the large bays of southwestern Ireland.

The ECOTOXicology Knowledgebase (ECOTOX) has been in development since the early 1980s and is maintained by the U.S. EPA Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division. ECOTOX includes curated data from toxicity tests from aquatic and terrestrial species, with results available on the web-based application: www.epa.gov/ecotox. This paper includes overview summaries of the entirety of the data currently included in ECOTOX (as of September 2020 update), with the source data for these summaries included in this Excel file. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Olker, J., C. Elonen, A. Pilli, A. Anderson, B. Kinzinger, S. Erickson, M. Skopinski, A. Pomplun, C. LaLone, C. Russom, and D. Hoff. The ECOTOXicology Knowledgebase: A Curated Database of Ecologically Relevant Toxicity Tests to Support Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, USA, 41(6): 1520-1539, (2022).

HABSOS (Harmful Algal BloomS Observing System) is a data collection and distribution system for harmful algal bloom (HAB) information in the Gulf of Mexico. The goal of HABSOS is to provide environmental managers, scientists, and the public with a data driven resource for HAB events. Cell counts and environmental information are combined into a single product and distributed using the HABSOS Mapping System. HABSOS strives to provide the most accurate picture of harmful algal bloom location and quantity by using the latest sample data available. This dataset contains data from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as data along the Florida Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coast of Florida in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The excel spreadsheet includes sample IDs and labeling information for DNA sequencing raw data. In addition, DNA concentrations for all the biofilm samples analyzed are presented. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Jeon, Y., l. li, J. Calvillo, H. Ryu, J. Santo Domingo, O. Choi, J. Brown, and Y. Seo. Impact of algal organic matter on the performance, cyanotoxin removal, and biofilms of biologically-active filtration systems. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 184: 116120, (2020).

The excel spreadsheet includes sample IDs and labeling information for DNA sequencing raw data. In addition, DNA concentrations for all the biofilm samples analyzed are presented. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Jeon, Y., l. li, J. Calvillo, H. Ryu, J. Santo Domingo, O. Choi, J. Brown, and Y. Seo. Impact of algal organic matter on the performance, cyanotoxin removal, and biofilms of biologically-active filtration systems. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 184: 116120, (2020).