Category: Global Warming

Importance of monitoring

October 6, 2020 /

The June July August 2020 issue of All Animals included an article about the necessity of local water quality monitoring, specifically monitoring for cyanobacteria. Some cyanobacteria is toxic, whether inhaled, consumed, or touched as seen in the case of this article. In the Paerl Lab, we have monitored for cyanobacteria in multiple ways to help maintain healthy waterways throughout the past few decades. This sad story in the All Animals issue occurred not far from our local area, so please stress to your local, state, and federal government the need to improve and maintain our waterways through funded reserach!

Dr. Paerl spoke with Spectrum News

September 23, 2020 /

Dr. Paerl spoke with Spectrum News about how major storm events are not only becoming more frequent, but precipitation is also increasing. Lasting impacts are observed in waterways as they receive nutrients washed away from the land causing increased and fast algal growth.

Dr. Paerl suggests to “make sure your septic system is working really well. Not over fertilizing your lawns, especially not ahead of a major storm event” to prevent excessive nutrient run-off and algal growth in waters we drink, play in, and enjoy.

Summer 2020 bioassay

August 28, 2020 /

The Paerl lab conducted a bioassay from the Chowan area this week headed by graduate student Malcolm Barnard (front left)!

Exciting results to come! Stay tuned to Malcolm’s website for updates and future publications!

Neuse River update

August 13, 2020 /

Hi all,

August 5th was a couple days after Hurricane Isaias made landfall and tracked across the Neuse River watershed. On August 5th, stratification was much weaker than two week’s prior. It appears that the major impact of Isaias was wind mixing. Hypoxic/ anoxic bottom waters were not observed. There wasn’t a lot of precipitation associated with Isaias and that’s reflected in the moderate salinity levels and the salt wedge extending upstream all the way to New Bern. There were moderate intensity (chl a ~30 ug/L) subsurface peaks in chlorophyll a at stations 60 and 120.

Since, August 5th the Neuse flow has steadily increased to near flood stages. Part of this may be due to Isaias but most is likely due to a rash of high precip. thunderstorms centered over the upper Neuse basin. We’ll see how the estuary responds to the flow increase during the next sampling.

Stay well,

Nathan

Neuse River Update

July 29, 2020 /

Hi all,

The recent dry conditions have allowed salinity to creep up to New Bern in the bottom waters. The estuary is still highly stratified from New Bern downstream to station 120. True anoxic conditions occurred from New Bern to station 100, just upstream of the bend at Minnesott/ Cherry Branch. Bottom waters in this area smelled strongly of sulfur indicating that there was essentially no oxygen present. Elevated chlorophyll a occurred at the surface at station 50, and as a subsurface chlorophyll maximum downstream to station 120. Microscopic observation of surface water from station 50 indicated the bloom was a mix of small centric diatoms and nanoflagellates. The nanoflagellates were hard to identify but their morphology wasn’t consistent with any types of particular concern, e.g. toxin producing dinoflagellates.

Stay well,

Nathan

Algal Blooms Pose Possible Respiratory Threat

July 29, 2020 /

Check out the UNC “In Pursuit” article titled “Algal Blooms Pose Possible Respiratory Threat” featuring our own Haley Plaas, PhD student in the Paerl Lab! We are so proud of Haley for coordinating this as the bloom activity in eastern NC begins to heat up and for rocking her first public interview!

Hans talks with the Coastal Review Online

June 4, 2020 /

Where Storms Are Lore, Folks See Change

Dr. Hans Paerl talks with the Coastal Review Online for the third part of their climate change series to discuss the ‘new abnormal’ of wetter and more frequent tropical cyclones impacting us. Click the link above to read the full article.