Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of
Harmful Algal Bloom
The Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms (PCMHAB) program funds research to move promising technologies for preventing, controlling, or mitigating HABs and their impacts through development, to demonstration, and, finally application, culminating in widespread use in the field by end-users.
Program Details
PCMHAB is a national, peer-reviewed, competitive research funding program. Benefits to the public include healthier fisheries and ecosystems, fewer impacts of blooms on humans and the environment, reductions in nuisance or harmful algae and decreased costs for states, tribes, and local governments in monitoring and managing HABs and their impacts. Field projects to develop methods of controlling HABs must comply with guidelines developed through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) lays out the types of field research and demonstration projects that can be conducted through the PCMHAB program for the next five years. The PEA also describes limitations, monitoring, and requirements associated with field demonstration.
PCMHAB was authorized by the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 4001 et seq.) in 1998 and reauthorized in 2004, 2014, and 2017.
Program Priorities
PCMHAB’s priority areas include:
Demonstration – Test/validate novel and promising HAB technologies/strategies in the field
Transfer – Facilitate the transition of proven HAB technologies to end-users
Development – Assess and evaluate novel and unproven HAB technologies and strategies
Funding Announcement
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for PCMHAB and other national competitive HAB programs are published on Grants.gov.
Check back for available funding.
The NCCOS Competitive Research Program is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the PCMHAB Program.
Key Dates
- March 26, 2026. 2:00 p.m. ET – PCMHAB Webinar (registration required)
- April 14, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. ET – Deadline for required letters of intent (LOIs)
- May 14, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. ET – Deadline for Full Applications
Past Projects
View HAB event responses since 2015 that received funding support from the HABER Program; responses organized by funding recipient in each region and state.
- Responding to Harmful Algal Bloom – Sitka Tribe of Alaska ($12,950)
- Responding to Multispecies Mortality Event Occurring in Norton Sound Region ($15,000)
- Testing Tribal Shellfish for Toxin in Southwest Alaska ($48,507)
- Collecting Real-Time Harmful Algal Bloom Data in Alaska ($29,923)
- Communicating Harmful Algal Bloom Risk to Communities in the Bering Strait Region ($15,000)
- Investigating Unusual Marine Animal Mortalities and Possible Harmful Algal Bloom around Kachemak Bay ($5,000)
- Responding to Multispecies Mortality Event in St. George Island, Alaska ($5,344)
- Sampling Harmful Algal Bloom In Kachemak Bay ($19,800)
Ohio
Massachusetts
New York
- Investigating Diamondback Terrapin Die-Offs ($5,400)
- Responding to Ongoing Harmful Algal Blooms in Long Island ($19,000)
Virginia
Florida
- Assessing Martin County Threat of Blue-green Algal Toxin ($9,273)
- Monitoring Brown Tide in Indian River Lagoon ($7,096)
- Studying Airborne Health Risks from Cyanobacteria Blooms ($5,000)
- Investigating Unusual Fish Behavior in the Florida Keys ($25,000)
Puerto Rico
- Supporting Sargassum Response ($38,467)
Alabama
Florida
- Responding to Red Tide ($19,200)
- Examining Sea Turtle Mortalities and Dietary Exposure to Red Tide Toxins ($10,045)
- Testing Treatment for Birds Sickened by Red Tide ($8,250)
- Sampling Ongoing Red Tide to Determine Impacts ($28,000)
- Quantifying Toxin Accumulation in Seabirds and Prey Fish ($7,820)
Louisiana
- Responding to Cyanobacterial Blooms in Lake Pontchartrain Caused by Opening Bonnet Carre Spillway ($12,907)
Texas
California
- Responding to Southern California Harmful Algal Bloom Event ($14,250)
- Investigating Bioluminescent Red Tide Event Off Southern California Coast ($17,950)
- Responding to Harmful Algal Bloom in the San Francisco Bay ($15,420)
- Responding to Harmful Algal Bloom Following Marine Mammal Strandings in Southern California ($12,550)
- Responding to Marine Mammal Mortality Event Occurring in Southern California ($4,520)
Washington
Additional Resources
For more information:
- Contact Felix Martinez, PCMHAB Coordinator
- PCMHAB Program One-Pager
For additional HAB Competitive Research Programs visit
NCCOS projects identify and evaluate a range of methods to prevent, control or mitigate blooms of harmful algae in ways that are safe for the environment.