Description:

Pathogens are ubiquitous in the environment, many of which are contagious and sensitive to the dynamics of environmental conditions.  Given both climate change and other environmental stressors, there are increasing risks to human health from those pathogens associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs).  There are atmospheric and hydrological drivers that contribute to the growth and propagation of pathogens such as cyanobacteria.  Given the complexity of these drivers at different scales, this town hall will discuss the challenges to improve our understanding of the occurrence, prevalence, and persistence of cyanobacteria in both freshwater and marine environments as well as the potential for improved warning capabilities for public health.  This can include not only toxins in water bodies, but also those that can become airborne.  This town hall will discuss the current understanding of seasonal and transient occurrences of HABs as well as the longer-term risk from climate change.  This will then lead to a discourse on the potential for advances in observing systems to detect HABs, their precursor conditions and impacts, as well as the state-of-the-art in modelling methods suitable for the creation of reliable warning systems.