Posts in category: In Case You Missed It

On December 6th, 2023, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring Gina LaLiberte (Wisconsin DNR) and Dr. Anna Boegehold (Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research-CIGLR). Gina focused on public perceptions, expectations, and realities around harmful cyanobacterial blooms, while Dr. Boegehold shared 10+ years of western Lake Erie water quality monitoring data from NOAA GLERL and CIGLR.

On October 4th, 2023, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar discussing how understanding algal blooms’ dynamics is essential for ecosystem and human health. While there’s been a hypothesis of climate-driven bloom intensification, U.S. lake data showed it’s not widespread. Early warning indicators of declining resilience may predict severe blooms in some cases, especially when significant ecosystem changes occur. This webinar featured Dr. Wilkinson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who explored these complicated dynamics.

On June 7th, 2025, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring two harmful algal bloom researchers from the North Central Region. Dr. John Lenhart from The Ohio State University presented his research on factors controlling activated carbon cyanotoxin removal. Dr. James B. Cotner from the University of Minnesota discussed how a changing climate is influencing HABs.

On April 5th, 2025, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar discussing the effects HABs have on wildlife and the importance of community science. Dr. Refsnider from the University of Toledo presented her research on the effects of Lake Erie HABs on wildlife health. Dr. Argerich from the University of Missouri discussed the importance and lessons learned from 30 years of community science in Missouri.

On February 1st, 2023, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring Donna Hill with the Office of Research and Development with the US EPA. Hill provided an overview of health effects seen in humans and animals from freshwater cyanotoxin blooms. Completed and planned cyanotoxin research in her EPA lab were also outlined.

On December 7th, 2022, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring featured Dr. Richard Stumpf from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science at NOAA and Dr. Jessica Ward from Ball State University. The session examined forecasting and monitoring cyanobacterial blooms and overviewing a recent assessment of the effects of developmental exposure to neurotoxins on minnow interactions.

On October 5th, 2022, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring Corey Markfort, Ph.D., and Greg LeFevre, Ph.D., discussing the exploration of complex HABs mixtures and mid-range remote sensing in Iowa lakes. Then Jennifer Graham, Ph.D. discussed the structured decision-making research around cyanoHABs management in New York state parks.

On August 3rd, 2025, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar focusing on the removal of cyanobacterial blooms. Presenters, Dr. Halis Simsek and Dr. Pankaj Bhatt discuss the HABs research being conducted in their lab at Purdue University. More specifically, how cyanophages interact with the cyanobacteria and how this knowledge is applied to remove blooms.

On June 2nd, 2025, the Algal Bloom Action Team hosted a webinar featuring Dr. Callum Whyte from the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences and Dr. Jia Liu from the University of Southern Illinois Carbondale. Dr. Whyte manages a monitoring program for the presence of toxin producing plankton in shellfish production areas in Scotland. Dr. Liu discusses her studies on mitigating HABs under visible light for the first time using an innovative magnetic nanomaterial.