Blue-green algae decreases in Finnish seas, lakes

The number of blue-green algae observations has decreased in inland waters, along the coast, and in open sea areas compared to the previous week, said Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in a press release on Thursday.

In inland waters, blue-green algae occur less than usual for this time of year, while the situation along the coast and in the open sea has remained at an average level.

However, the situation varies by region, and individual, more abundant occurrences have been observed in different parts of the country.

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.