WAKE UP CALL: WARMER WINTER IS A BELLWETHER FOR POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE 2023 TOXIC ALGAE SEASON
Perfect Storm of Temperatures, Rainfall Are Likely To Fuel an Uptick in Harmful Algal Blooms
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, February 10, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Warmer winter temperatures have set the stage for a potentially explosive season of harmful algal blooms. NOAA’s three month outlook forecasts1 above average temperatures for the eastern and southern U.S. in February, March, and April, with more rain than snow in the Midwest over the same period.
“Many of us are enjoying warmer than usual temperatures this winter, but we are likely to pay for it with a more severe toxic algae season this summer,” said Eyal Harel, CEO, BlueGreen Water Technologies2 (BlueGreen).
Toxic blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria) can sicken or even be fatal to people, wildlife, and pets who come into contact with contaminated water. Climate change has increased the frequency, intensity, and duration of outbreaks.
Scientists note a trend toward more frequent rain-on-snow events, with fewer days of below-freezing temperatures and a reduction in ice cover on water bodies, which increases evaporation, lowers water levels, and creates a more favorable environment for toxic algae to grow.
“Less ice cover means sunlight can penetrate the water earlier in the year, jumpstarting the production of harmful algae,” said Dr. Jessica Frost, U.S. Science Director, BlueGreen. “This also contributes to the rise that we’re seeing in harmful algal blooms year round.”
Warmer winter temperatures can also threaten water quality by unlocking frozen nutrient runoff and sending pollutants into lakes, rivers, and streams. A recent study3 shows water quality in 40% of the contiguous U.S. is at risk due to thawing nutrient pollution.
2022 ranked as the world’s sixth warmest year on record. The 10 warmest years since record keeping began in 1880 have all occurred since 2010. NOAA reports the average land and ocean surface temperature last year was 1.5 degrees F higher than the 20th century average of 57 degrees F.
“This is yet another wake up call,” said Harel. “Scientists have been sounding the alarm and this year, once again, we will see the consequences of humanity’s failure to adequately address our escalating climate crisis.”
About BlueGreen Water Technologies:
BlueGreen Water Technologies is leading the charge in helping preserve and promote life on Earth. We are restoring, safeguarding, and optimizing the health, safety, accessibility, and biodiversity of waterbodies worldwide – including their wildlife, aquatic life, ecosystems, and economies – by pioneering and applying proven scientific ingenuity and deep tech solutions. BlueGreen is the first and only company in the world to develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize a technology suite that reverses the effects of climate change in water bodies and drastically reduces greenhouse gas levels. The multidisciplinary team of BlueGreen experts is exposing the secrets of lakes and oceans – detecting, analyzing, preventing and remediating some of the most complex and dynamic problems that plague the world’s water systems.
Sally Kidd
Antenna Group
sally.kidd@antennagroup.com
1 https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=1
2 http://bluegreenwatertech.com
3 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8be5
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