News

Volunteers are key to LCC’s annual monitoring program. Photo by Allison Freeman

LCC’s Volunteer Algae Monitoring Program
Lauded at Regional Conference

Staff Scientist Mike Winslow was a guest speaker at the Northeast Regional Cyanobacteria Workshop in Chelmsford, MA in January. Mike spoke about the strengths and challenges of LCC’s volunteer algae monitoring program, an effort run in conjunction with the University of Vermont with funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Attendees from throughout New England and New York got to hear about all the efforts our volunteers have put into monitoring over the last seven years. Many states have no established protocols for monitoring potentially toxic algae. Others rely on reports of blooms to initiate sampling. Only LCC’s approach on Lake Champlain provides weekly information about both the presence and absence of blooms throughout the summer. Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers and our project partners for making the program possible.