Lakes across the world have seen an increase in algal blooms that strangle freshwater ecosystems, according to an analysis of satellite images from 1982 to 2019
Environment 3 February 2022
By Chen Ly
An algal bloom in Lake Erie photographed by a Landsat satellite in September 2017
Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory using Landsat 8 data from the U.S. Geological Survey
Blooms of algae that strangle freshwater ecosystems are occurring more often in lakes across most of the world, according to the first study to map their incidence globally.
An algal bloom is the rapid build-up of algae in a body of water after excess nutrients, such as nitrogen or phosphorous, pollute the ecosystem – often as a result of fertiliser use on farms. The bloom can harm other organisms, including fish and insects, by blocking out light, …