Thursday, April 23, 2015

Four Federal Agencies Team Up

Four Federal Agencies Team Up To Resolve Algal Bloom Threat

   by Deborah Grace
 We've seen, in many places, great cooperation between agencies, and we see it again here as we attack an algae threat that will have tremendous economic repercussions as well.

Algal blooms have become a massive worldwide environmental problem which could both animals and humans at risk. It is one of the consequences of global warming and many things are at stake.

Acting director of the US Geological Survey (USGS), Suzette Kimball, explains, “Harmful algal blooms have emerged as a significant public health and economic issue that requires extensive scientific investigation. USGS uses converging lines of evidence from ground to space to assess changes in water quantity and quality, ecosystems, natural hazards, and environmental health issues important to the nation.”

The USGS is one of four federal agencies—including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—that have joined forces to translate satellite data into information which can be used to improve protection for our fresh water reservoirs.

Algal Bloom

 Algal blooms can be dangerous because some species of algae can produce toxins that can kill any wildlife and can cause major illness in humans.

Acting NOAA Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management and Deputy Administrator, Holly Bamford, adds, “Observing harmful algae is critical to understanding, managing and forecasting these blooms. This collaboration will assure that NOAA’s efforts will assist the coastal and inland public health officials and managers across the country to distribute this information to the community in an easily understandable fashion.”

Finally, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy comments, “EPA researchers are developing important scientific tools to help local communities respond quickly and efficiently to real-time water quality issues and protect drinking water for their residents. Working with other federal agencies, we are leveraging our scientific expertise, technology and data to create a mobile app to help water quality managers make important decisions to reduce negative impacts related to harmful algal blooms, which have been increasingly affecting our waterbodies due to climate change.”

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