How scientists can work effectively with local communities dealing with harmful algal blooms
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EmailUnderstanding key audience information needs can help scientists prioritize key science communication and engagement opportunities.
Are you a scientist studying harmful algal blooms (HABs) and wondering how you can best reach lake audiences with the results of your work? The good news is you don’t have to do it all — by understanding the needs of key audiences you can pursue effective science communication to maximize the impact of your work. Focus groups led by the community engagement core of the Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health show that lake associations and local governments need information on general aquatic ecology and the role of algae, HAB monitoring and responses and treatment options. Resources are also available to help scientists deepen their skills including science communication and community engagement training (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Science communication training and other resources, 2023.
| Name | Resources |
| COMPASS https://www.compassscicomm.org/ |
Trainings |
| Alan Alda Center for Communication Science https://aldacenter.org/ |
Trainings |
| American Association for the Advancement of Science-Public Engagement https://www.aaas.org/programs/public-engagement |
Toolkit |
|
Advancing Research Impact in Science |
Webinars |
|
Portal to the Public |
Workshops for researchers to learn informal science education teaching techniques to use at museums, zoos, aquariums, and science centers |
|
Scholars Strategy Network |
Workshops for researchers to communicate with policy makers |
|
The Conversation |
Workshops and online platform for researchers to communicate with journalists |
|
Association of Science Communicators |
Workshops |
Scientists will benefit from identifying where their community work fits on the outreach to engagement continuum and then pursuing training or approaches aligned with that position. Boundary spanning organizations like Sea Grant, community engagement cores and others can help scientists make these connections with key audiences by helping scientists discern what the best communication approach is for their work, creating communication materials, assessing scientists’ efforts and facilitating partnerships.
For educators working with algal bloom scientists, making HABs information visual and easily shareable on social media will improve the likelihood of its use. The timing for release of outreach products is also important. In the winter, lake associations want general information on aquatic and lake ecology, HAB research and long-term management and treatment options. In July and August, lake associations want just in time resources to visually identify the algae species, determine who to contact and find out more about testing procedures and treatment options.
Boundary spanning for engagement is also critical. As a home rule state, Michigan is comprised of 1,240 townships, 275 cities, 258 villages as well as 83 county governments and drain commissioners and over 1,000 intercounty drainage systems. Coordinating HAB outreach with local governments helps clarify each group’s role in HAB monitoring and response, reducing misunderstandings and conflicting information presented by individual groups.
This research arose out of the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health (Great Lakes Center), a collaborative effort among ten universities to understand and prevent harmful algal blooms that was headquartered at Bowling Green University from 2018-2024. These regional centers have a community engagement core that fosters university-community partnerships. The results of this open-access study are based on three open-ended group interviews with lake associations and agencies responsible for responding to HABs as well as twelve individual interviews with scientists associated with the Great Lakes Center.
Michigan Sea Grant has started to implement these suggested outreach practices through free online webinars (HABs 101; Algae 101), a curated resources page and in an upcoming social media toolkit.
Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and its MSU Extension, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of 34 university-based programs.
Funding provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (awards 1P01ES028939-01, 2P01ES028939-06) and the National Science Foundation (awards 1840715, OCE-2418066) to the Bowling Green State University Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce through the Regents of the University of Michigan (awards NA180AR4170102 and NA22OAR4170084). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are solely the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Commerce, or the Regents of the University of Michigan.
