USGS Launching Algal Bloom Study

This month scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with financial support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, launched their advanced monitoring platforms and probes to study water-quality conditions and harmful algal blooms in New York’s Owasco and Seneca lakes. In the next several weeks, monitoring probes will be launched in Skaneateles Lake, too.

The USGS built these monitoring platforms last year and tested them with the first set of instruments in September 2018. The platforms were retrieved from the water during the winter to avoid weather damage, and they were reinstalled last week to start collecting data. The monitoring platforms include a variety of instruments and will allow simultaneous gathering of data and provide a fuller picture of water quality before, during and after algal bloom events. The platforms measure water-quality at many depths, and have devices to monitor light and temperature, nutrient sensors and fluorometers to measure algae and organic matter. 

Algal blooms also called Dead Zones typically form in summers when the higher temperatures reduce the oxygen holding capacity of the water and the air is still and especially in years of heavy rains that carry excess nutrient pollution from cities and farms. The usual explanation is excess nutrient pollution combined with mild weather encourages the explosive growth of algae fed by excessive nutrient pollution. While the algae produces oxygen during photosynthesis, when there is excessive growth of algae the light is chocked out and the algae die and fall from the warmer top layers to the colder depths. The algae are decomposed by bacteria, which consumes the already depleted oxygen in the lower cooler level, leaving dead fish in their wake. Only certain species of blue-green algae form the toxin, for reasons that aren't fully understood. 

 cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginos from USGS

Toxic bacteria were not a problem until the 21st century, though algae blooms are believed to be caused by both natural and man-made factors. While there have been an increased number of observed Hazardous algal blooms worldwide, it isn’t clear whether they are increasing in size and occurrence or if heightened awareness has led to more people observing and reporting them. Data is needed for scientists to answer this question. This monitoring will collect data over the next few years in New York and other high-priority watersheds throughout the. This data will help the United States not only understand the process of algal blooms, but better understand the amount of water available for human and ecological needs and where water supplies may be threatened in the future.

“Most algal blooms are harmless, but in some cases, something is triggered to overwhelm the system, which leads to potentially harmful blooms that deprive aquatic organisms of oxygen. Hazardous algal blooms also can produce toxins that pose health threats to humans and other organisms coming into contact with them,” said Guy Foster, USGS New York Hazardous algal bloom project lead. “USGS research capabilities are being deployed to figure out the environmental conditions and processes that result in the formation of Hazardous algal blooms, their growth and severity. In addition, new monitoring techniques are providing near instantaneous detection of when the public could be exposed to a potentially harmful algal bloom.”

Hazardous algal blooms have become a global concern in lakes, rivers and oceans. They occur when algae grow out of control in response to favorable environmental conditions. If the Hazardous algal blooms contain microcystis a type of blue-green algae that spreads in the summer algae blooms. Microcystis produce Microcystine or cyanobacteria toxins, that can lead to the poisoning of fish, shellfish, birds, livestock, domestic pets and other aquatic organisms that can lead to human health impact from eating fish or shellfish exposed to toxins as well as drinking water contaminated by toxins.

If you recall in August, 2014 routine water testing at the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant in Toledo, Ohio had two samples test positive for microcystin at concentrations higher than the standard of 1 microgram per liter for potable water and water to the city had to be cut off until Hazardous algal bloom had moved away from the water intake in Lake Erie.