Global Solutions to Regional Problems
Collecting Global Expertise to Address the Problem of Harmful Algal Blooms Workshop at Bowling Green State University
April 13-14, 2015
Harmful algal blooms are not unique to Lake Erie – they are global phenomena that affect millions of people across the world.
The goal of this NSF- and NOAA-sponsored workshop was to discuss the current science on bloom formers and factors contributing to CHABs, along with identifying knowledge gaps regarding bloom prevention and remediation. Additionally, discussion of case studies on current and prior remediation programs helped guide the development of a workshop paper that presents potential future strategies for bloom prevention, mitigation and long-term research goals.
View Workshop Agenda
Topics included:
- Biology of bloom-forming species
- Environmental factors underlying CHABs
- Sensor development in bloom detection
- Remote sensing
- Prediction of CHABs
- Best practices for control and remediation
View the Workshop Powerpoint Presentations
Biology of HAB Species – Steve Wilhelm, The University of Tennessee
Bloom and Toxin Detection – Greg Doucette, NOAA
Bloom Prediction and Modeling – Rick Stumpf, NOAA
Nutrient Sources and Land/Lake Management – Dave Baker, National Center for Water Quality Research, Heidelberg University
Economic Impacts and Incentives for Bloom Prevention – Cathy Kling, Iowa State University
CHAB Occurrences Worldwide: Recent Insights - Rainer Kurmayer, Universität Innsbruck, Austria
Case Studies on CHAB Control: Successful or Otherwise – Petra Visser, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
CHAB Mitigation/Prevention: What Works and What Doesn’t? – Hans Paerl, University of North Carolina, and Boqiang Qin, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, China
Stakeholder Open Forum
On Tuesday, April 14, a Stakeholder Open Forum was held, where future research priorities and current best practices were presented.
For more information, please contact:
George S. Bullerjahn at bullerj@bgsu.edu or Robert Michael McKay at rmmckay@bgsu.edu or Timothy Davis at Timothy.Davis@noaa.gov.

In August 2014, the municipality of Toledo issued a “do not drink” advisory on their water supply that directly affected over 500,000 residents throughout the region. This state of emergency arose from the presence of high levels of microcystin in the city’s water supply. The microcystin was produced by a large bloom of cyanobacteria (CHAB: cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom) that was localized near the city’s water intake in Lake Erie.
Sponsoring Agencies

Satellite image showing the extent of CHABs as they extend across most of Lake Erie’s western basin.