Education and notification approaches for harmful algal blooms (HABs), Washington State, USA

While numerous strategies have been used to educate and notify the public about potential hazards from exposure to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), at present there are no national guidelines or suggested outreach approaches. To raise public awareness and determine effective HAB outreach methods, two Washington State agencies and three counties in the Puget Sound region implemented several education and notification strategies. These approaches were rated for effectiveness by state and county public health and water quality professionals. At the state level, the most effective action was a three-tiered advisory posting protocol for notifying external users that was introduced to local health jurisdictions at workshops around the state. Supplemental permanent signage is recommended for lakes with blooms to overcome the time lag between HAB onset and testing/posting. The state also implements effective notification of toxicity test results through a web-based HAB database and listserv. Lake residents were best notified through electronic alerts including email and social media while mailers to lake residents were useful during initial HAB events and to gain subscribers to electronic alerts. Press releases were most valuable when used sparingly for severe blooms or for blooms in large lakes. Initial analyses of lake recreational use indicates these strategies encourage behavior change in lake users. Based on these findings, a general framework for HAB outreach and a specific notification strategy is proposed to assist other regions or agencies that are developing HAB education and notification programs.