On May 21, a researcher from NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) presented recent findings at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Nearshore and Nonpoint Source Work Group, led by EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office. The work group seeks to further understand the link between phosphorus runoff with blooms of toxic and noxious algae in Lake Erie that threaten drinking water supplies and recreational fishing every summer. One of the working group's goals is to provide guidance for regional planning and activities and evaluation of scenarios for reducing phosphorus flowing into the lake.

The presentation, "Interannual Variations in Cyanobacterial Blooms in Lake Erie," provided a brief overview of remote sensing models developed by NCCOS as well as early information regarding the role nutrients play on the formation of blooms of this species of algae.