HABs Grab 2019 research team. Credit J. Chaffin, Ohio State University.

Initiated and funded in part by NCCOS, scientists in the Western Basin of Lake Erie conducted the largest coordinated single event to sample not only the amount of harmful algae and their toxin present in the lake but also the environmental conditions associated with their presence.

The 2019 “HABs Grab,” held Wednesday, August 7, was an enhanced version of a similar but smaller event conducted in the summer of 2018. The 2019 one-day sampling effort brought together bi-national researchers from more than 11 agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to collect data at 172 locations across the entire basin (both U.S. and Canadian waters) on the same day and approximately the same times. This high-resolution picture of bloom conditions and dynamics will help scientists understand better the conditions that lead to bloom formation, the level of toxicity, and ultimately dissipation. The information will ultimately inform managers in their quest to mitigate, or better yet, prevent these recurring harmful blooms.

The HABs Grab is part of the NCCOS ECOHAB-sponsored research project “Linking Models and Field Experiments to Forecast Algal Bloom Toxicity in Lake Erie.”

Media:

• HABs Grab 2019 targets harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie (YouTube, WTOL11, August 8, 2019)
• Scientists to test water samples across Lake Erie for annual HABs grab (Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 7, 2019)
• UWindsor researchers test the waters for harmful algae bloom (University of Windsor DailyNews, August 8, 2019)

For more information, contact Felix Martinez.