Harmful Algal Bloom Event Response Program
The NCCOS Harmful Algal Bloom Event Response (HABER) Program provides immediate support to state, tribal, and local officials and/or researchers during a HAB event for response planning and management, and for advancing the understanding of HABs as they occur.
Program Details
HABER is a national program that provides modest funding, support, and planning assistance for HAB event response activities in marine and estuarine waters, as well as the Great Lakes. Support may also be available for coastal waters impacted by freshwater HABs, such as cyanobacteria. The program helps connect applicants to additional expertise and resources within NOAA or NOAA’s partner organizations.
The goal of the HABER Program is to provide actionable information to immediately support response planning and management, and to support advancing the understanding of HABs as they occur.
NOAA is authorized to respond to harmful algal bloom events by Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 4001 et seq.).
Priorities
HAB events with management or resource impacts for which additional data will be useful in subsequent management decisions.
Sudden or unexplained mortalities of seabirds, fish, or marine mammals for which a HAB linkage is suspected.
Appearance of HAB species, toxicity, or harmful impacts that are unusual or unique for a particular region.
Funding Details
Modest funding is available to help cover the costs of immediate mobilization of response efforts. Depending on need, the NCCOS HABER Program may support or provide access to toxin analysis, data collection, training, technical assistance, and ship-based sampling.
How to Request Funding and/or Support
To initiate a request, management officials or scientists responding to an ongoing HAB event should email the NCCOS HABER Program at nccos.hab.event.response@noaa.gov. The email should include a brief description of the event and the need for funding or support.
The HABER program manager will review the request and consult with NOAA colleagues, other members of the HAB community, and the U.S. National Office of Harmful Algal Blooms as necessary to determine a recommended course of action. The HABER program manager may request additional information as needed.
If it is determined that there is potential for the HABER Program to provide support, the applicant will be asked to submit a brief HABER
Support Request that includes the items below.
- Description of the HAB event, impacts, and need for urgent response
- HAB event response plan
- CV/resume of the Principal Investigator
- List of managers and researchers involved in the HAB event response plan
- Explanation of support needed and how it would enhance any existing
response efforts - Description of how outputs will be used to manage HAB event response
- If funds are requested, a brief budget with budget justification
If the HABER Program provides support, recipients are required to:
- Report important preliminary results to the HABER program manager
- Submit a brief final report
- Acknowledge the HABER Program in presentations and publications that result
wholly or in part from NCCOS funding - Notify the HABER program manager of any related publications
Contact the NCCOS HABER team for more information or to inquire about support: nccos.hab.event.response@noaa.gov
Sarah Pease, HABER Program Manager
Funding History
Since its inception in 2003, the HABER Program has provided funding to help respond to HAB events across the nation, including in coastal states, the Great Lakes, and U.S. territories.
Past Responses
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