DEC Encourages New Yorkers to “Know it, Avoid it, Report it”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald today remind New Yorkers to learn about and be aware of harmful algal blooms, or “HABs,” as the 2024 HABs notification season starts. DEC’s New York Harmful Algal Bloom System (NYHABS) is now active, providing New Yorkers, including trained citizens, to send reports of HABs to DEC electronically via a simple user- and mobile phone-friendly form.
“As New York experiences warming temperatures, DEC is working closely with the State Department of Health and our local partners to investigate harmful algal blooms and make significant investments to prevent excess nutrients and other contaminants from negatively affecting water quality,” DEC Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “DEC’s updated map and reporting system allows for more effective monitoring of potential threats to the health or recreational use of waterbodies, and we encourage New Yorkers to be on the lookout for HABs and report any sightings.”