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 18 May 2008 00:13 BST

Harmful algae 'thriving on global warming'

Friday, 04 Apr 2008 17:29
The algae in Lake Taihu, China
While a number of species could suffer from climate change a harmful type of algae is likely to thrive from global warming, scientists say.

Cyanobacteria – blue-green algae - thrived on weather extremes that accompany climate change.

The algae is more prevalent in developing countries and has been linked to digestive, neurological and skin diseases and fatal liver disease in humans.

It grows on key bodies of water across the world, including Lake Victoria in Africa, the Baltic Sea and Lake Erie.

Writing in the journal Science, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say warm and wet weather enables it to spread.

As temperatures rise waters are more amenable to cyanobacteria blooms while wet, soggy ground experiencing periodic floods enables the algae to thrive.

During droughts, when other algae and aquatic organisms die off, cyanobacteria increases.

Fish and other animals can suffer from the spread of the algae as it crowds the surface water, shading out plants that fish feed on.

"It's long been known that nutrient runoff contributes to cyanobacterial growth," said Hans Paerl, co-author of the Science paper.

"Now scientists can factor in temperature and global warming."
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