Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Exploring the links between harmful algal blooms and human well-being: how and why communities take action
EPA Grant Number: R836939Title: Exploring the links between harmful algal blooms and human well-being: how and why communities take action
Investigators: Gould, Rachelle , Stockwell, Jason , Stommel, Elijah , Fisher, Brendan , Kraft, Jana , Miller, Todd
Institution: University of Vermont
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2019 (Extended to July 31, 2022)
Project Amount: $598,321
RFA: Integrating Human Health and Well-Being with Ecosystem Services (2016) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health
Objective:
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) impede ecosystem services and enhance ecosystem dis-services. Our study elucidated the links between HABs and human well-being, and investigated how a community discussed and considered taking action based on data about those links.
This study had six objectives:
- Objective 1: determine relationships between HABs and nutritional value of fish species
- Objective 2: understand the impact of aerosolized neurotoxins from HABs on human health
- Objective 3: explore impacts of nonmaterial connections between HABs and human well-being, specifically by exploring whether the blooms cause stress as measured by salivary cortisol
- Objective 4: determine factors that have impeded water quality improvement in St. Albans Bay
- Objective 5: evaluate the effectiveness of informational framings to motivate action to reduce HABs
- Objective 6: develop nuanced understanding of how communities accept, process, and understand scientific information related to HABs, and how they feel empowered or disempowered to affect change.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Over the five years of this project, we established multi-faceted relationships with multiple community partners, collected tens of thousands of datapoints, and are in the midst of scores of analyses. We attended to our quality assurance statement in all aspects of the project, indicated by the specific details below.
COVID complications
In reviewing our accomplishments under this grant, please note that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and closures took effect in the middle of the grant period; this dramatically impacted our progress. The full report provides details.
Summary of outputs and work still in progress:
We have completed all data collection and most analysis for this project (details are in the full report). We have one manuscript in review (at the high-impact journal Environment and Behavior). Due to COVID complications, we are still actively engaged in analysis for a minimum of four additional academic studies (two focused on social science and two focused on natural science).
Conclusions:
Fish and water fatty acids and toxins:
- Preliminary fatty acids results: Eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA comprise approximately 1% of fatty acids in the seston in July, increasing to about 3% by October. Fish EPA and DHA show a slight decrease throughout the sampling period (June-October). Liver samples typically had more EPA and DHA compared to muscle (both tissues ranging 30-40% EPA and DHA), with fat samples being the lowest in proportion of EPA and DHA (~12% or lower).
- Phytoplankton community – preliminary analysis shows cyanobacteria are dominant throughout most of the study period (from late July to mid-September)
- Low levels of cyanotoxins were detected in open water during the fish sampling period (well below federal and Vermont recreational guidelines for microcystin, 8 ug/L and 6 ug/L respectively). Cyanotoxins were slightly higher in surface water compared to integrated samples
- Fish toxins: 38 liver samples have been completed with 2 detects: 16.7 ug/g microcystin in one liver and 25.15 ug/g nodularin in another liver (nodularin not detected in water samples); 23 muscle samples completed (no toxins detected)
Aerosol toxins:
- Microscopy of aerosol samples shows that cyanobacteria cells are present in some of the aerosol samples. Software analysis of microscope images needs to be completed to determine number and size range of cell
- Shoreline water samples collected alongside aerosol collectors show low microcystin concentrations (0.135 - 0.446 ug/L) detected in 17 samples from mid-August to September (113 samples tested out of 126 total water samples)
Stress-related impact of blooms:
- Viewing images of HABs, as compared to viewing images of clean water, does not seem to dramatically impact salivary cortisol levels in the short term (though this is only from preliminary analysis). However, respondents’ descriptions and explicit reactions to HABs indicate emotional.
Community understanding of and intended action related to blooms: distress and anxiety.
- Community members interviewed have high levels of knowledge about the causes and impacts of HABs but often focus on one or two causes/impacts when talking about the actions they want to see taken to address water quality. Frustration with the lack of visible change and progress was expressed as both ecological grief and lost confidence in science to help find solutions.
- Over the last six decades, local newspapers have addressed HABs most often as a health issue, with a secondary focus on the negative impacts to recreation and aesthetics.
- There is no overall effect of communication framing on self-reported intended behavior. However, respondent groups are differently impacted by different messages. In particular, waterfront residents are more impacted by individual framings of HAB information, whereas non-waterfront-residents are more impacted by collective framings.
- Low-income community members (e.g., people experiencing homelessness) are on average extremely interested in science related to HABs, and are eager to engage with both science and action related to dealing with this environmental issue.
- Science-fiction storytelling as a communication method does not seem more effective than a more realistic story-based and interactive approach to science communication.
This project has many components that involve service to and education with the community (see above). In addition to ongoing work with our project partners, we engaged in the activities listed below.
- We supervised, over the course of the project, over fifteen undergraduate students who aided us in research activities.
- Shared project plans and preliminary results with members of a community ~50 miles south of the target community in a well-attended evening event. (Faculty panel for Community Discussion and Film Screening of “Lake Effect”, Lewis Creek Association, Ferrisburgh, Vermont, October 2019.)
- Conducted seven community workshops at the project’s conclusion, to share the results with low-income area residents and receive their feedback and ideas
- Aided partner organizations in their annual outreach activities (e.g., tabling at annual lake-related events)
- Helped local Masters’ student to organize a “St. Albans Bay” storytelling event at a local bayfront park.
- Presented the work as part of the Vermont 4-H Teen & Leadership Program QuaranTeen Virtual Science Café program
- Hosted a site visit of the Missisquoi Valley Union High School Field Studies program to learn about the project’s different research components
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
toxicity; fatty acids; ecological griefRelevant Websites:
St. Albans Area Watershed Association Exit , Franklin/Grand Isle Community Action Exit , Ecocultural Values Workshop Exit , UVM Ecosystem Science Laboratory Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
- 2021 Progress Report
- 2020 Progress Report
- 2019 Progress Report
- 2018 Progress Report
- Original Abstract