Algae explosion in Lake Erie is posing danger to fish, tourism and locals

By: Maryanne Moll
Published: March 2, 2014

Akhila Sonti 

Summary: High levels of algae growth caused by phosphorous runoffs turned the Lake Erie green . The algae growth is harming marine wildlife and water quality. The water quality in Lake Erie has been declining for the past few decades. Although the attempt to vigorously control phosphorous runoff  and prevent high algae growth in Lake Erie succeeded in the 1980s, algae growth is now in much higher levels and is a threat to the marine ecosystem as well as tourism.  Fertilizer application along with snow melt and rainfall is what causes high amounts of phosphorous runoffs in the lake. In urban areas construction activities, sewer overflow, lawn and garden activities, etc. are also factors that contribute to the increase in phosphorous levels in the lake. Along with all of these factors, warmer climate also contributes to algal growth in the lake. Fish in the lake are greatly affected by the increasing amounts of algae because algae takes up oxygen in the water which fish need to breathe. Even people that used to enjoy fishing, boating and water sports in Lake Erie can be impacted by the toxins present in the water. The drinking water in the area is also very unsafe. Lake Erie is one the the Great Lakes. They make up the largest freshwater ecosystem on earth and the Great Lakes basin is home to more than 45 million people in the U.S. providing food and fresh water for many generations. But increasing industrialization have greatly impacted the water quality of the Great Lakes, mostly Lake Erie. In 1972, an agreement was signed by the U.S. and Canada to reduce runoffs into the lake and take up a major lake-cleanup project which was a success with the cleanup in the 1980s. In 2012, a new agreement was signed with annexes that addressed new, current challenges posed to Lake Erie and its wildlife. The U.S. and Canada are taking action and addressing this issue effectively. 

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/3958/20140302/algae-explosion-in-lake-erie-is-posing-danger-to-fish-tourism-and-locals.htm

Relevance: We learned all about different types of algae in our Microbes unit. We learned that algal blooms can impact wildlife and other factors in a major way which we can clearly see with the problem posed here. We also learned why algal blooms occur and the different types. Harmful algae also bloom during the warmer seasons and with current climate change and the warm temperatures, the growth of harmful algae is favored over the growth of non-harmful algae. As they reach the surface of the marine ecosystem, they absorb all the sunlight which causes a further increase in the water's temperature and additional algae growth. We also talked about how the harmful algae use up all the oxygen, leaving very little for the fish to use and survive and how the algae uses up sunlight which doesn't allow the plants in the bottom of the marine ecosystem to go through photosynthesis and survive.