More-than-human Aquatic Relations and Algal Blooms

The way humans relate to the environment is changing as the result of the ongoing ecological crisis. Among the most important aspects, there are important transformations in the composition and quality of water bodies. One of the main outcomes of this is the increased presence of algal blooms in the Finnish lakes and coastal areas. This increase is most prominently linked to the rise in nutrient concentrations associated to different forms of pollution and the warming temperatures of water linked to climate change. Algal blooms affect the balance of existing marine and freshwater ecosystems, fish and other aquatic animals on which humans depend for subsistence, and the recreational value of lakes and coast. The MARBLOOM project investigates how the work and life of different communities changes in connection to algal blooms: scientists, policymakers, fishers, farmers, without forgetting the inhabitants of lake and coastal areas.