High Microcystin concentrations in nutrient rich Canadian Lakes

This morning I spent a pleasant hour in the sunshine by an urban pond in Winnipeg, supporting Diane Orihel, PhD Candidate in Biological Sciences at University of Alberta as she launched a paper on which she and other scientists have just published on the occurrence of algal blooms and the toxin microcystin in Canadian Lakes.

The media event was MC'd by Dr John Gerrard MLA and Manitoba Liberal Party Leader. Diane launched the research findings and stressed the need for Manitobans to take action to reduce nutrient concentrations in lakes for the benefit of the environment and their health. She was supported by Dr Robert Hecky, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, McKnight Endowed Presidential Professor in Lake Ecology, Biology Department and Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Dr Gordon Goldsborough, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, and me Dr Selena Randall, Research Development Coordinator, Watershed Systems Research Program, University of Manitoba.

The paper, published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, shows that the toxin is resent in all Canadian Provinces and is at especially high concentrations in lakes across the Prairies, including the Lake Winnipeg Watershed, where nutrient enrichment has become a recognized problem in recent years. The paper highlights the health risks of exposure to microcystin, and the need for urgent action to reduce nutrient inputs in the watershed.

Press release

Selena Randall