Blue-green algae rises in seas, unchanged in lakes in Finland

The number of blue-green algae observations has so far remained nearly unchanged in inland waters and along the coast due to warm and relatively calm weather, said Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in a press release on Thursday.

In open sea areas, observations have increased in many places.

The situation is typical for midsummer but may change rapidly, if weather conditions continue to favour algae growth.

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 Finnish Environment Institute (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.

Syke reports on the national cyanobacterial situation on a weekly basis every Thursday from 19 June to 7 August 2024. The weekly algal reporting was launched in 1998.