Clicking on the graph will reveal specific readings
There is considerable spatial and year-to-year variability in chlorophyll-a concentration (a measure of algal biomass) in South Bay.
Despite that variability, consistent and intensive monitoring over the past 35 years has been able to detect a three-fold increase in summer-fall chlorophyll-a since the mid-1990s.
Increasing algal biomass occurred at all locations in South Bay. The highest concentrations in South Bay occur at the southernmost stations.
Data from recent years suggest that concentrations have reached a new plateau. Given past abrupt changes, consistent monitoring, along with modeling and special studies, will be needed to assess condition, understand the underlying causes of change, and forecast future conditions.
