Description
Over the last decades climate change induced increase in lake water temperatures in Latvia has led to intensive blooming of potentially toxic blue-green algae and a possible transfer of their toxins through the food chain, ending up in fish species used for human consumption. The project goals: 1. To investigate the impact of intensive blue green algae blooming on the chosen demonstration lakes` ecosystem functioning, stability and biodiversity. 2. To inform local municipalities and different social groups on the progress and the outcome of the project. Target groups: local municipalities` staff, environment officers and lake managers as well as the part of general public interested in the problems related to lake ecosystems. Project results: data acquired on the functioning of the demonstration lakes` food-chains and the transfer of blue-green algae toxins, developed new neurotoxins in vitro screening method, and increased knowledge of the target on the impact of climate change on lake ecosystems within the target groups.
Summary of project results
Over the last decades climate change induced increase in lake water temperatures in Latvia has led to intensive blooming of potentially toxic blue-green algae and a possible transfer of their toxins through the food chain, ending up in fish species used for human consumption. Nevertheless, there is not scientifically accurate data on this topic available and despite posing a potential threat to human health the general public remains uninformed about this problem. To find out the climate change effects on lakes in Latvia, its impact on toxic algae blooming and how that could affect human health, Institute for Environmental Solutions in cooperation with Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology carried out a holistic survey of the Burtnieks and Alūksne Lake’s food-chain. Also to raise the awareness and expand the local knowledge on climate change effects on lake ecology and introduce the local community with scientific research methods scientists introduced local community members and school children to participate the research. In the summer of 2015 the local community of Alūksne and Burtnieki, municipality representatives, students, media and others participated science workshops. And during the field work and data gathering of autumn researchers carried out together with the local school children. During the four science workshops participants got to know lake food chain, ecological condition and learn how the climate change can affect the lake. To reach the wider audience and bring the message about the research conclusions further, as an end of the project the conference “Climate Change Effects on Waterbodies in Latvia: Science-Technologies-Solutions” was held. It gathered the attention from different municipality members, media, environmental protection specialists, students and others. During the discussions the participants confirmed that they can actually see the indicators that show the effects of the climate change, in the same time, there are a lot of other factors that affect lake ecology. As a conclusion of the discussion, it was clear that for smart and sustainable management solutions the information based on scientific research and common action of various stakeholders is crucial.
Summary of bilateral results