Assessing Community Need for a Saginaw Bay Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast

Session: Beyond Peer Review: Why You Must Connect Your Science to Stakeholders (and how to do it) (3)

Devin Gill, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, [email protected]
Meaghan Gass, Michigan Sea Grant, [email protected]
Chiara Zuccarino-Crowe, Michigan Sea Grant, [email protected]
Mark Rowe, NOAA GLERL, [email protected]
Craig Stow, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, [email protected]

Abstract

The impact of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on Lake Erie communities is higly visible, and many professionals support public education on this topic. Although Lake Erie HABs present a clear issue, blooms occur in other Great Lakes locations with varying levels of severity. The impacts of blooms elsewhere in the Great Lakes are comparatively understudied, and not as many public education resources exist. This study sheds light on the occurence of HABs in Saginaw Bay by connecting scientists with stakeholders to identify what is known about the blooms, and whether a Saginaw Bay HAB forecast would be useful. The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research and Michigan Sea Grant conducted a workshop with stakeholders from throughout the region. Initial inquiries determined that stakeholders know little about HABs, because information about the Saginaw Bay blooms is limited and difficult to access. During the workshop, researchers from the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab and stakeholder participants identified what is known about Saginaw Bay HABs, what stakeholders would like to know about HABs, and participant concerns regarding potential impacts of HABs on surrounding communities. Researchers used these discussions to inform their decision to pursue the development of a Saginaw Bay HAB forecast.

Twitter handle of presenter
gilly_devin