Community Perceptions of Harmful Algal Blooms, the Socioeconomic Implications, and Policies of Mitigation: A Case Study of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Kapitsinis, N.; McKinley, E.; Munday, M.; Thi-Thai Doan, Y., and ThiHoang, T.-H., 2025. Community perceptions of harmful algal blooms, the socioeconomic implications, and policies of mitigation: A case study of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Journal of Coastal Research, 41(6), 1000–1011. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur in coastal areas across the globe. Although ecological understanding of HAB events has improved, the human dimensions of HABs are less well explored. It is evident that understanding community perceptions of HABs is critical to developing long-term solutions. Although recent years have seen a rapid evolution of research into public perceptions of coastal issues more generally, coastal HABs have, to date, received limited attention. This paper contributes to growing this evidence base, presenting an overview of community perceptions on the drivers, impacts, and solutions of HABs. The paper uses the case of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, drawing insights from a community questionnaire and informed expert interviews. The paper reveals that the threat of HABs can be underestimated by communities because of a lack of public awareness and understanding of the phenomenon. Perceptions varied by the sector in which local people were employed or engaged. Respondents engaged in sectors expected to be most affected by HABs (e.g., tourism and aquaculture) considered HABs to be a marginal threat. The paper recommends better communication tools from local governments to facilitate residents' understanding of HABs, and place-based policies to address the socioeconomic implications of HABs.