Worst algal bloom on record for Lake Erie

Initial analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) indicates that the 2015 Lake Erie algal bloom was the most severe this century, worse than the record setting one in 2011. According to the index used to measure the amount of biomass, the 2015 bloom ranked 10.5 compared to 10 for the 2011 bloom. Fortunately, the bloom moved into the center of the central basin, rather than along the shore (as happened in 2011), resulting in less impact along both central basin coasts, NOAA said. The seasonal forecast made at the beginning of July was for the second worst bloom since measurements began in 2002, with a severity index of 8.7.