Climate Change Contributes to Shift in Lake Erie’s Harmful Algal Blooms

By Kathiann M. Kowalski

Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms have started sooner and had longer peak periods over the past decade compared to earlier years, newly released data shows. Warming temperatures linked to climate change are a cause, according to researchers for NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, with interactions among species likely playing a role as well.