No evidence of widespread algal bloom intensification in hundreds of lakes

Algal blooms, the rapid proliferation of algal biomass often to nuisance or harmful levels, diminish aquatic ecosystem services. Freshwater blooms can cause substantial economic damage by interrupting water supply, limiting recreation, and reducing property values. The interaction between eutrophication and climate change has been hypothesized to drive widespread intensification of blooms in inland waters, although there is little empirical evidence that this trend is pervasive. Here, we show that bloom intensification in inland waterbodies -defined as trends in chlorophyll-a of increasing bloom magnitude, severity, or duration -has not been widespread for hundreds of lakes in the US. Only 10.8% of the 323 waterbodies analyzed had significant bloom intensification. Conversely, 16.4% of the waterbodies had significant decreasing trends during the same period. While it is encouraging that bloom intensification is not currently widespread, continued efforts toward aquatic ecosystem protection and restoration are imperative for maintaining ecosystem services into the future.

Automated summary

This study found that intensification of algal blooms in US waterbodies is not widespread, with only a small percentage showing significant increasing trends. Conversely, some waterbodies exhibited significant declining trends during the same period. Therefore, continued efforts towards protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems are crucial for maintaining ecosystem services into the future.