New Study Validates BlueGreen's Harmful Algal Bloom Remediation as a Nature-Based Climate Solution

Published in Phycology, study demonstrates how targeted lake treatments can serve as a scalable, science-based pathway for greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon removal

HOUSTON, Nov. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueGreen Water Technologies, a global leader in watershed restoration, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in Phycology demonstrating that targeted lake remediation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) can significantly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and create climate resilience for water scarce areas. The findings provide scientific validation for BlueGreen's interventions, demonstrating how strategic HAB management can reduce high global warming potential (GWP) GHGs of methane and nitrous oxide.

Peer-Reviewed Study Demonstrates Measurable Climate Mitigation Impact

The study, "Does Phytoplankton Bloom Management Provide an Opportunity for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation?", authored by Prof. Aaron Kaplan of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Dr. Moshe Harel of the BlueGreen Water Research Center, presents the most comprehensive review to date linking HAB remediation and nutrient pollution reduction to quantifiable and long-lasting GHG reductions.

Key Findings:

• Substantial methane (CH₄) reductions following targeted lake treatments—GHG with a global warming potential 27 times that of carbon dioxide CO₂.
• Post-treatment, ~45% of HAB-derived biomass is retained in lake bottom sediments for millennia, serving as a durable carbon sink for the longer term.
• Robust validation of BlueGreen's nature-based carbon credit models, strengthening the foundation for high quality carbon credits for voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Why HABs Matter for Climate and Climate Policy

HABs occur when cyanobacteria and other microorganisms proliferate in freshwater and coastal systems, releasing toxins that endanger drinking water supplies, human and animal life and health, biodiversity, natural ecosystems integrity, community livelihoods, and economic growth. Crucially, dense and persistent blooms generate large volumes of methane and nitrous oxide during decomposition and raise water and air temperatures due to the reduction of albedo in the water, placing HABs among the most overlooked drivers of climate impact emissions. This further exacerbates increased frequency and intensity of HABs, which are already fueled by increasing surface water temperatures caused by climate change.

Projected climate scenarios indicate that, by 2050, the average number of HAB-affected days in U.S. freshwater systems may triple, due to rising temperatures, nutrient enrichment, and altered precipitation regimes. This intensification positions HAB remediation as a climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience priority.

Nature-Based Climate Action at Scale

As governments, investors, corporates, and carbon market stakeholders increasingly scrutinize the integrity of decarbonization solutions, especially for nature-based carbon credits, BlueGreen's approach provides a multiple-benefit climate solution:

1. Restoring water quality and safeguarding public health
2. Reducing potent GHGs for long-term impact
3. Creating climate resilience and water use optimization, particularly for water-scarce areas
4. Managing risks to livelihoods and economic growth
5. Conserving natural ecosystems and biodiversity integrity

These outcomes align with the global call for transparent, measurable, and verifiable nature-based solutions, particularly those capable of contributing to global and national climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

Expert Perspectives

Dr. Oori Weisshaus, Chief Innovation and Climate Officer, BlueGreen Water Technologies said:

"This study reinforces what our teams have observed across multiple geographies: effective harmful algal bloom management is not merely a water quality intervention; it is a scalable, science-grounded climate solution. Our validated approach provides governments, climate finance and carbon market participants, and environmental initiatives with a rigorous science-based pathway to reduce super-pollutant emissions and enhance climate resilience."

Global Deployments Demonstrate Real-World Scalability

BlueGreen's technology has been successfully deployed across multiple continents, restoring freshwater bodies impacted by toxic HABs and re-establishing clean water access for communities worldwide. These projects offer real-world evidence that verified HAB remediation technologies can deliver measurable environmental, climate, and economic benefits at scale, supporting climate mitigation and resilience strategies and pathways.

CEO Statement
Eyal Harel, CEO and Co-Founder, BlueGreen Water Technologies said:

"The science is clear. HABs are far more than a water issue. They accelerate a negative feedback loop, but if addressed globally and systematically, they can become a pivotal force in reversing the trajectory of climate change.

Freshwater is almost entirely absent from global and national climate finance commitments and architecture, yet the data shows it should be central. Countries now have an opportunity to strengthen and update their NDCs with high-integrity, water-based mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies, capturing climate impact that has long been left on the table while delivering critical humanitarian and socio-economic benefits.

This is how we align water restoration with real climate action and deliver measurable results at global scale. Water security is the foundation of economic prosperity and national stability, and it must become a core pillar of the global climate agenda." 

About BlueGreen Water Technologies: 

BlueGreen Water Technologies is a global environmental technology company restoring and protecting aquatic ecosystems through science-based, scalable solutions. Its proprietary Lake Guard™ technology rapidly remediates harmful algal blooms (HABs), improving water quality, restoring biodiversity, and preventing greenhouse gas emissions. BlueGreen's products are registered with leading regulatory bodies, including the U.S. EPA and are supported by its remote digital monitoring platform, BGi, that enables predictive, data-driven water management. Operating across multiple continents, BlueGreen is aligning water quality restoration with climate finance through emerging carbon markets and decarbonization strategies, demonstrating how nature-based solutions can deliver measurable environmental, social, and economic benefits.

For company updates and information, follow BlueGreen Water Technologies on LinkedIn or visit https://bluegreenwatertech.com/.

Media Contact
FINN Partners for BlueGreen Water Technologies
Nicole Grubner
[email protected] 

SOURCE BlueGreen Water Technologies