Benthic Toxin-Producing Cyanobacteria in Rivers and Streams of the United States – June 24, 2:00 – 3:00 pm EST

Register Now

This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of benthic cyanobacterial blooms in rivers and streams across the United States, highlighting their emerging potential threats to ecosystems, animals, and human health. Attendees will learn about (1) the challenges of sampling and characterizing the risks from these blooms and (2) how EPA’s National Rivers and Streams Assessment was used to characterize the nationwide distribution of benthic cyanobacteria, particularly Microcoleus anatoxicus. The presentation will also cover recent EPA-led studies (2023 to 2025), which evaluated field and laboratory methods at multiple pilot sites, and discuss preliminary findings from four system-scale surveys focused on evaluating the relative impact of harmful cyanobacteria. Additionally, this webinar will include a discussion on how survey findings inform public health protection efforts against harmful benthic cyanobacteria. Finally, presenters will give an overview of EPA’s local partnerships and analytical support in the Mountain West in regions such as southern Utah and the Rocky Mountains.