Adaptation10: December 2024

Thanks, Adaptation10 Readers!

Welcome to the final edition of Adaptation10 for 2024.

Daniel and his team at DSR & Partners have showcased close to 100 adaptation companies this year, from deep tech weather forecasting startups to old-school manufacturers of climate-resistant building materials.

Since the tie-up with Climate Proof, the Adaptation10 series has focused on businesses tackling drought, flood, heat, storm, and wildfire risks. These are well-known climate hazards that have often made the front pages in recent years. However, there are many, many other climate risks that don’t get nearly as much media attention but are no less dangerous, or less in need of innovative solutions, for that.

In 2025, we intend to publicize more of these underappreciated climate risks and the companies working to address them. In this edition, we offer something of a preview: a list of businesses combatting harmful algal blooms (HAB).

Thank you, Adaptation10 readers, for your interest and engagement this year. We look forward to presenting many more companies in 2025.

As always, you can reach out to Daniel or myself via email with thoughts, feedback, and ideas on what to cover in the new year.

The Horror of HABs

This summer, a member of the DSR & Partners team vacationed in the US. They returned with an eye-opening story on the dangers posed by harmful algal blooms (HAB).

On a particularly scorching day — they recall it being around 38°C (104°F) — they decided to go swimming in one of the local lakes. But upon arrival, they were met with a sign warning would-be bathers about HAB risks in the area.

The lake in question was in American Fork, Utah, where the summers are hot and dry. HABs thrive under these conditions — a combination of high temperatures, stagnant water, and limited inflows of fresh water can cause algae colonies to grow out of control and take over vast tracts of lake and coastal water.

These blooms are more than just an inconvenience to bathers and beachgoers. HABs release toxins that can cause skin irritation, respiratory issues, and even severe illnesses in humans. They can also decimate aquatic ecosystems by deoxygenating the bodies of water they take over, causing massive fish die-offs and suffocating plant life.

Their effects can have catastrophic economic consequences, too. In 2019, a HAB caused by the species Chrysochromulina leadbeateri killed over 8 million farmed salmon in Norway. This single event cost the industry approximately US$80mn, and underscored just how vulnerable even advanced aquaculture systems can be to algal blooms.

HABs are not isolated incidents; they are intensifying as a direct consequence of climate change. Rising global temperatures are creating the ideal conditions for algal blooms to flourish, meaning they are likely to become more frequent and severe in the years to come. Coastal and lakeside communities that rely on the water to support their populations and power their economies are all at risk.

They must adapt in order to survive. Proactive measures can help mitigate the risk of HABs. For example, communities can take steps to reduce nutrient runoff into water bodies and improve water flow. Investing in monitoring systems can provide early warning of emerging blooms, while nascent technologies can disrupt them before they form.

In this edition of Adaptation10, we showcase some of the companies working to combat HABs and protect our lakes and coastlines amid rising temperatures.

We hope the report motivates readers to explore this emerging market further and engage with broader efforts to safeguard our waters from this particularly pernicious, if underappreciated, climate threat.

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Thanks for reading!

Louie Woodall & Daniel Schmitz-Remberg