Public invited to learn about climate change and harmful algal blooms at Center for the Inland Bays STAC meeting

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays invites the public to attend the next Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee meeting Friday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the DNREC Lewes Field Facility, 901 Pilottown Road.

At the July 26 meeting, Nayani Vidyarathna, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Delaware, will discuss her studies of the effects of climate change on species that cause harmful algal blooms in the Inland Bays. Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of microscopic algae grow out of control while producing substances that can be toxic to fish and shellfish, and even people. The occurrence of HABs in coastal states is a national concern because they affect the health of people, marine ecosystems, and

local economies, and these harmful blooms may be on the rise. “We know that bay waters are likely to become warmer and more acidic in the future as the climate changes,” says Dr. Marianne Walch, the center’s science and restoration coordinator.

The STAC will also hear a presentation from Dr. Roman Jesien, science director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, about an innovative dam removal project in Bishopville, Md., that has opened over seven miles of the St. Martin’s River system to migratory fish such as river herring and American eels.

A draft agenda can be found on the center’s website at www.inlandbays.org/stac.