1.   The algae can cause the death of fish and other aquatic organisms, and can also trigger painful skin problems for people who come into contact with their slime.

2.   The sharp increase in effluent has deprived aquatic organisms of oxygen.

3.   Although many scientists have expressed concerns about the effects of increased ultraviolet exposure on aquatic organisms, the research has been limited and sometimes contradictory.

4.   But agency geologist Stacey Verardo estimated the changes by counting and dating fossils left behind by warm-water-loving, single-celled aquatic organisms called dinoflagellates.