About CYANOACTION
CYANOACTION (CA23160) is a European COST Action dedicated to tackling toxic cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems. These blooms, driven by nutrient pollution, threaten water security, ecosystem balance, and public health. Our network of experts, water managers, and policymakers work together to improve early warning detection, assess control strategies, and develop decision-support tools for sustainable water management.
By promoting scientific collaboration and practical solutions, CYANOACTION aims to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, ensuring cleaner and safer waters across Europe.
Our Mission
CYANOACTION is dedicated to improving water quality and security by tackling the growing threat of cyanobacterial blooms. Through a collaborative, science-driven approach, we develop and share innovative monitoring strategies, risk assessment tools, and effective prevention and control measures.
Our Vision
We envision a future where freshwater ecosystems are resilient, well-managed, and free from the harmful impacts of cyanobacterial blooms. By fostering international collaboration, promoting sustainable catchment-wide strategies, and empowering decision-makers with cutting-edge tools, CYANOACTION strives to protect water resources for people, wildlife, and future generations.
Goal
Our goal is to create a lasting impact on water management policies and practices, ensuring clean and safe water for all.
Objectives
- Raise awareness of citizens and end-users on cyanobacterial issues including ccurrence, impacts and management. Making or distributing of videos and E-based mobile applications.
- Determining the economic losses involved in monitoring and control of cyanobacterial blooms at a regional/national/EU level, developing international guidelines for a more comparable, tailored approach in state-of-the-art economic valuation, in particular the use of non-market valuation procedures following state-of- the-art guidelines. This will include costs involved in increased drinking water treatment, provision of alternative drinking water supplies, and (the avoidance of) economic losses to recreation, tourism, fisheries and agriculture.
- Providing guidance on the selection of monitoring methods for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in EU waters based on existing overviews (Meriluoto et al., 2017b; Kurmayer et al., 2017; Chorus & Welker, 2021) including new methods such as use of drones, citizen science and remote sensing. Development of standardized protocols to translate alert guidelines and regulations into practical monitoring methods.
- Assessing knowledge gaps and needs of water managers concerning monitoring of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, tools for lake system analysis and the effectiveness and use of management tools to control cyanobacteria and/or restore lakes to a good ecological status.
- Gather, adapt and distribute knowledge about methods to decrease nutrient losses from farmland including possible financial supports for the agricultural changes. Develop a DST to chose most efficient methods to reduce nutrient losses.
- Consolidation and harmonization of existing actions taken to control cyanobacteria in EU based on Visser et al. (2016) into one integrated Open Access (OA) database, included on the COST Action webpage (www.cyanoaction.eu) contributing to knowledge dissemination on effective management strategies.
- Evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of methods to control cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins. Development of fact sheets and an online toolbox on lake system analysis and individual methods with pros and cons for waterbody types, usages, geohydrological catchment conditions and climate types.
- Creation of an effective communication and technology transfer network between scientists, water managers, environmental agencies and health authorities at regional/national/ EU on advice and feedback from experience in cyanobacterial/ cyanotoxin monitoring and management.
- Development of Decision Support e-Tools for choosing suitable and sustainable methods for monitoring and controlling cyanobacteria and their toxins in waterbodies using also LCA according to ISO 14040. The tools will be open-access and will be used by water laboratories and authorities.