ABAT Educational Resources
This factsheet includes information on the signs of toxicity in animals, tips for domestic animals and livestock and an overview of HAB toxins and their symptoms. It also includes contact information for HAB poisoning for each of the 12 North Central Region states.
In the fall of 2020, the team created a database of Frequently Asked Questions or FAQs surrounding HABS. These questions cover identifying, monitoring and treating HABS, human health and HABS, and animal health and HABS. This resource can be used directly by communities and landowners, incorporated into state-based outreach materials, or used as a reference in educational programming.
This factsheet covers general harmful algal bloom information and is intended for educators to use when conducting HAB outreach and education. It can also be shared with fellow educators and community organizers as it shares key HAB messages for engaged citizens, professionals and the general public.
This factsheet outlines what landowners can do to prevent harmful algal bloom on their property and how to approach treating blooms when they do occur.
One of the first efforts the Algal Bloom Action Team undertook was developing a white paper, which was related in August 2019, outlining the next steps to address Extension needs related to harmful algal blooms. The white paper documents existing responses to HABs related issues, outreach programming needs in the North Central Region, and outlines recommendations for strengthening research and outreach efforts.
The team is working on creating additional factsheets addressing human health, animal health and more.
Other Harmful Algal Boom Resources
In addition to the resources from our team, we want to make you aware of other harmful algal bloom resources which can be helpful to when conducting HAB outreach and education.
- For additional algal bloom factsheets and resources, explore the Great Lakes HABs Collaborative. In particular, the HABs Collaborative includes factsheets on:
- The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council has Strategies for Preventing and Managing Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms Report which highlights ways to respond and manage cyanobacteria blooms. The ITRC report also has a Visual Guide to Common Harmful Cyanobacteria as an appendix to the report which includes field and microscopic images on planktonic cyanobacteria and non-toxic surface and subsurface accumulations.
- The University of Missouri Limnology Laboratory released a factsheet on algeacides and copper sulphate and recommended land management practices for caring for your lake.
- The EPA National HAB Program has information on HAB trends, monitoring, forecasting—including links to CyApp—and HAB tools and research.
- The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has communication materials to increase the public’s awareness of HABs and cyanobacteria as a public health concern. In particular, the following health promotion materials (also available in Spanish) may be of interest to educators and outreach professionals