CC&E Helps Build Partnerships to Fight Harmful Algal Blooms

 

BATON ROUGE - Algae play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, providing a fundamental building block in the food web. However, there can be too much of a good thing.

Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when algae grow out of control and cause different types of harm, including shading, hypoxia, and toxin production. The latter can directly harm people, animals and marine life. Causes – which can range from excess nutrients in the water to rising temperatures - are complex and not widely understood. This means that when a HAB occurs, successful management requires collaboration between scientists and local and regional stakeholders.

LSU CC&E recently hosted the 2nd Louisiana Harmful Algal Blooms Task Force Meeting  in order to facilitate such partnerships. The Pontchartrain Conservancy co-hosted the event, which was held in the Energy Coast & Environment Building on LSU’s campus.

“Harmful algal blooms are a serious problem globally that will require serious collaborations to solve. At this meeting, LSU CC&E and the Pontchartrain Conservancy are bringing together researchers, federal and state officials and stakeholders from local Louisiana communities in order to provide them with the most up-to-date information on HAB research and the opportunity to connect with each other,” Bargu Ates said. “It is through this kind of knowledge-sharing and cooperation that we can hope to confront these algal blooms and improve water quality across the state of Louisiana.”

Pontchartrain Conservancy Executive Director Kristi Trail said meetings like these help improve understanding of the phenomenon and its relationship to water quality.

"Algae are responsible for producing about 50% of the world's oxygen, making them vital for maintaining the balance of gases in our atmosphere. We do occasionally see large amounts of algae on Lake Pontchartrain, and we support the study of their relationship to water quality. We are always excited to bring our 25 years of data to help further algae research with LSU and other partners investigating this topic,” said Trail.

Improved communication and stakeholder networks were a focus of the meeting. Attendees listened to presentations about the latest in HAB research, and engaged in discussions designed to help organizations prepare for future algal blooms.

Kate Harrison of the Gulf of America Alliance was one of the attendees. “The Gulf of America Alliance’s mission is to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of America through increased regional collaboration.  One of the Gulf Alliance’s Water Resources Team’s priorities is the coordination of collaborations with the purpose of decreasing threats to human health and aquatic life through research projects, coordination of water science information, and providing accurate technical messaging. This meeting of the Louisiana Harmful Algal Blooms Task Force is a step forward towards meeting the Gulf Alliance’s priority issues.”