Climate change driving major algae surge in Canada's lakes, study finds
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Algal growth is accelerating in lakes across Canada, including those far from human development, and a new study shows that climate change is the primary driver.
A research team led by scientists at McGill University and Université Laval examined lake sediment cores from 80 lakes across Canada to uncover long-term changes in algae levels. The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, reveals a dramatic uptick in lake algae production since the 1960s.
"Over the past 150 years, we've seen algae levels rise in most Canadian lakes, but in the 1960s, algae levels accelerated dramatically, increasing at a rate seven times faster than before," said Irene Gregory-Eaves, co-author and biology professor at McGill. "What was most surprising is that this happened even in remote lakes, far from any immediate sources of human pollution or development."
