ARSF project GB07/05: Strategies to manage toxic cyanobacterial blooms in lakes: remote sensing, modelling and cost benefit analysis. Led by: Dr. Andrew Tyler, SBES, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, FK9 4LA. Location: Loch Leven, Scotland, UK.

Cyanobacteria are natural inhabitants of freshwaters, fulfilling key roles in the cycling of matter and the biodiversity of aquatic communities. They present both short- and long-term hazards to the health of humans and other animals especially when growing as mass populations primarily because they produce numerous potent toxins. While progress has been made on aspects of toxic cyanobacterial risk management, substantial gaps remain. Cyanotoxin detection and analysis methods generally need a high level of technical skill, specialised equipment, are costly and do not provide synoptic indications of toxin distribution. Similarly, identification of cyanobacteria is costly, prone to observer error and often inaccurate. Early warning systems of potentially toxic cyanobacterial blooms are needed for a proactive, strategy development for health protection. Hence we proposed to develop and evaluate a synoptic approach to providing early warning of toxic cyanobacterial development for the protection of animal and human health.