Global mapping reveals increase in lacustrine algal blooms over the past decade
(2022) In Nature Geoscience 15(2). p.130-134- Abstract
Algal blooms constitute an emerging threat to global inland water quality, yet their spatial and temporal distribution at the global scale remains largely unknown. Here we establish a global bloom database, using 2.91 million Landsat satellite images from 1982 to 2019 to characterize algal blooms in 248,243 freshwater lakes, representing 57.1% of the global lake area. We show that 21,878 lakes (8.8%) spread across six continents have experienced algal blooms. The median bloom occurrence of affected lakes was 4.6%, but this frequency is increasing; we found increased bloom risks in the 2010s, globally (except for Oceania). The most pronounced increases were found in Asia and Africa, mostly in developing countries that remain reliant on... (More)
Algal blooms constitute an emerging threat to global inland water quality, yet their spatial and temporal distribution at the global scale remains largely unknown. Here we establish a global bloom database, using 2.91 million Landsat satellite images from 1982 to 2019 to characterize algal blooms in 248,243 freshwater lakes, representing 57.1% of the global lake area. We show that 21,878 lakes (8.8%) spread across six continents have experienced algal blooms. The median bloom occurrence of affected lakes was 4.6%, but this frequency is increasing; we found increased bloom risks in the 2010s, globally (except for Oceania). The most pronounced increases were found in Asia and Africa, mostly in developing countries that remain reliant on agricultural fertilizer. As algal blooms continue to expand in scale and magnitude, this baseline census will be vital towards future risk assessments and mitigation efforts.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-02-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Nature Geoscience
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85124134947
- ISSN
- 1752-0894
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41561-021-00887-x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 171f73e3-2a64-4492-bbab-37a470c49e94
- date added to LUP
- 2022-05-16 15:39:47
- date last changed
- 2022-05-16 15:39:47
@article{171f73e3-2a64-4492-bbab-37a470c49e94, abstract = {{<p>Algal blooms constitute an emerging threat to global inland water quality, yet their spatial and temporal distribution at the global scale remains largely unknown. Here we establish a global bloom database, using 2.91 million Landsat satellite images from 1982 to 2019 to characterize algal blooms in 248,243 freshwater lakes, representing 57.1% of the global lake area. We show that 21,878 lakes (8.8%) spread across six continents have experienced algal blooms. The median bloom occurrence of affected lakes was 4.6%, but this frequency is increasing; we found increased bloom risks in the 2010s, globally (except for Oceania). The most pronounced increases were found in Asia and Africa, mostly in developing countries that remain reliant on agricultural fertilizer. As algal blooms continue to expand in scale and magnitude, this baseline census will be vital towards future risk assessments and mitigation efforts.</p>}}, author = {{Hou, Xuejiao and Feng, Lian and Dai, Yanhui and Hu, Chuanmin and Gibson, Luke and Tang, Jing and Lee, Zhongping and Wang, Ying and Cai, Xiaobin and Liu, Junguo and Zheng, Yi and Zheng, Chunmiao}}, issn = {{1752-0894}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{02}}, number = {{2}}, pages = {{130--134}}, publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}}, series = {{Nature Geoscience}}, title = {{Global mapping reveals increase in lacustrine algal blooms over the past decade}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00887-x}}, doi = {{10.1038/s41561-021-00887-x}}, volume = {{15}}, year = {{2022}}, }