Citation:

Canfield, Katherine, K. Mulvaney, E. Hilborn, AND M. Reilly. Harmful algae and the blooming of inclusive risk communication to improve environmental justice. Inclusive Science Communication Symposium, Kingston, RI, October 19 - 21, 2023.

Impact/Purpose:

Harmful algal blooms expose humans and animals to numerous health risks from recreating on, in, or near impacted waterbodies. Scientists and water managers have long-studied the potential risks of blooms, but continue to face challenges in navigating varied regulations and guidance for restricting use of impacted waters. Thus, these risks are not well-communicated or understood by many recreational users. This is especially true when looking at communities prone to environmental injustice, notably urban communities with greater racial diversity and lower socioeconomic status. This presentation uses content analysis of existing harmful algal bloom communications and interviews with both scientists and recreators across southern New England to better understand the limitations of current communication efforts. Based on this qualitative data collection and analysis, we provide recommendations for a more inclusive approach to risk communication, including better dispersal of multilingual signage and consistent use of symbology at impacted sites. Further, increased efforts to define relevant terminology in a way that relates to environmental justice communities' current priorities and uses of the waterbodies will improve understanding of risk. This work can improve risk assessment across southern New England, potentially reducing sickness and exposure to harmful algal blooms in local waterbodies while providing transferable recommendations for protecting health of environmental justice communities facing HABs.

Description:

In a world with increasing environmental hazards, harms, and challenges, environmentally just outcomes require intentional and inclusive risk communication. Standard risk communication uses a deficit approach, sharing scientific information without intentional consideration of community priorities, culture, or relationship to science and the government entities communicating risk. This study looks at the challenges of, and recommendations to improve, communications about the risk harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose to recreators, animals, and the nonhuman environment. Risk communication about HABs must tackle scientific jargon; temporal and spatial distance between pollution inputs and impact; and the uncertainty and complexity in predicting event occurrence, identification, toxicity, and impacts. The study used content analysis of current HABs risk communication and interviews with both environmental managers and recreators at ponds prone to HABs across southern New England, USA. Sites were specifically chosen to encompass a wide range of perspectives from recreators across diverse identities including primary language, ethnicity, age, immigration status, and socioeconomic status. Results uncovered communications lacking clear and consistent symbology, risk identification, and recreator behavior recommendations, as well as lack of effective and multilingual signs.  Recreators were minimally familiar with the terminology of HABs or toxic algae, and even less familiar with potential health risks. Environmentally racist comments were also observed, demonstrating a perspective among some recreators that the quality of the environment is affected by who enjoys the space. While urban ponds had more use and more types of use, the more affluent communities with pond associations had more risk awareness, emphasizing the need for more inclusive risk communications. Managers expressed a desire for more consistent guidelines for recreator risk assessment and need for greater funding to support community science monitoring of HAB-prone waterbodies. We recommend considering community nuances through defining the unique mental models that are at play in environmental risk communication. Through site-specific data and adaptation of inclusive science communication lessons, this study presents a case for more inclusive risk communication to address environmental injustices, with recommendations for improving equitable awareness and response to the twenty-first century environmental challenges that are inequitably distributed in our society.

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