Blue-green algae increases in sea, lakes

Lack of winds increased blue-green algae surface blooms in inland waters and at sea, said Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in a press release on Thursday.

There have been sightings of blue-green algae in almost all of Finland this week.

Although the sightings have increased, the situation remains typical for inland waters and coastal areas. There are also sightings of blue-green algae mixed with water and floating on the surface in sea areas.

SYKE observes the cyanobacteria occurrence as part of the monitoring of the state of the environment in Finland.

The national cyanobacterial monitoring is carried out as part of the monitoring of the state of the environment in cooperation with the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, municipal environmental and health authorities, and the SYKE. Finnish Rotary Clubs are also actively involved in nationwide cyanobacterial monitoring.

The cyanobacterial monitoring is based on the monitoring of cyanobacterial deposits in surface water. The intention is to provide an overview of the cyanobacterial situation in different water bodies.

The monitoring includes about 400 permanent observation sites across the country on inland and coastal waters and in the archipelago.