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A Waikato University scientist say lakes are warming faster than oceans or the atmosphere.
Professor David Hamilton is part of an international study on the effect of global warming on lakes.
He says lakes are warming on average about a third of a degree Celsius per decade.
This could lead to more algal blooms which can rob the water of oxygen as they decay or may be toxic to fish and animals.
Professor Hamilton says it’s particularly harmful in a New Zealand context, where a lot of end-users that rely on lakes including iwi, local and regional councils and recreational users.
New Zealand lakes are unique in that they are also affected strongly by the El Nino weather pattern which produces strong westerly winds and drought in eastern areas.
Extreme wind increases the amount of water column mixing, and reduced rainfall can turn low-lying freshwater lakes salty as there may be insufficient freshwater to stop seawater getting in.
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