Lake Erie Algae Bloom
Why is this happening.
Lake erie algae bloom. On july 30 nasa captured an image of the bloom from space. In july 2019 a severe bloom of blue green algae began spreading across the western half of lake erie. Lake erie s annual blob of pea green algae is expected to be smaller this summer than a year ago following a relatively dry spring but that doesn t necessarily reflect significant improvement. The dominant organism a microcystis cyanobacteria produces the toxin microcystin which can cause liver damage numbness dizziness and vomiting on july 29 the national oceanic atmospheric administration noaa reported unsafe toxin concentrations in lake erie and have since advised.
An algae bloom in lake erie as seen on july 22 2011. Such blooms may result in higher costs for cities and local governments that need to treat drinking water prevent people from enjoying fishing swimming boating and visiting. Noaa soil and fertilizer runoff from a farm after heavy rains. Lake erie blooms consist of cyanobacteria also called blue green algae capable of producing the liver toxin microcystin which poses a risk to human and wildlife health.
Such runoff can lead to algae blooms. This is an ongoing problem for this area as scientists estimated that algae blooms have been growing since 2000. The current algae bloom started last week and cover over 700 square miles of lake erie. A harmful algae bloom that began growing in western lake erie in july has more than doubled in size in a few weeks.
For the past forty years scientists at heidelberg university s national center for water quality research have been measuring pollution in the rivers and streams that feed lake erie. It is the result of a freshwater algae bloom which results from excessive nutrients in the water. Recently algal blooms have once again tainted western lake erie with unhealthy sometimes toxic green slime. This web page is being provided as part of a multi agency effort to provide information about and access to existing forecasts of harmful algal blooms and other environmental information.
Lake erie algae blooms.