On June 25, NCCOS’s Quay Dortch was a featured speaker at the first Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) summer webinar series on harmful algal blooms (HABs) and nutrient pollution, and their impacts on freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Dr. Dortch provided attendees with an introduction to marine HABs, their toxins, causes, and their impacts. She was joined by Dr. Jennifer Graham of the U.S. Geological Survey discussing the environmental factors influencing the occurrence cyanobacteria blooms (aka blue-green algae) whose toxins can contaminate public water supplies and recreational waters. The webinar had 694 attendees from federal, state, and local resource, public health, water quality, water use, and drinking water agencies, non-governmental organizations, academics, and businesses.
The new EPA webinar series seeks to build awareness about harmful algal blooms and nutrient pollution, a worsening environmental problem and public health threat.For more information, contact Quay.Dortch@noaa.gov.