On July 5, NOAA and partners officially announced the seasonal harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecast for Lake Erie, the first in the Great Lakes region, during an event hosted by Ohio State University Sea Grant’s Stone Laboratory. Following on the heels of the worst HAB season in decades, NOAA predicts the 2012 season will be a mild one, a welcome change for residents and managers who have seen increased HABs in the region since 2008.
At the event, NOAA researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and Heidelberg University will join Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory researchers to demonstrate the validation methodologies that they will employ this summer to further refine both forecasts. Reporters and members of Congress have been invited to participate.
The weekly forecasts resumed in late June.