Algae boom in Lake Erie
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 5, 2015
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Algae bloom in Lake St. Clair. [Photo/NASA] |
US scientists have drawn attention to the issue of algae boom around Great Lakes recently.
NASA released two images of algal blooms in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair on Aug. 4.
Earlier in July, NOAA scientists predicted that the 2015 season for harmful algal blooms, running through summer and peaking in September, would be severe in western Lake Erie. They suggest that algae growth in western Lake Erie could rival the blooms of 2011.
Algae in this basin thrive when there is an abundance of nutrients and sunlight, as well as warm water temperatures.
Research confirmed that in 2011, phosphorus from farm runoff combined with favorable weather and lake conditions to produce a bloom three times larger than previously observed. The researchers noted that if land management practices and climate change trends continue, the lake is likely to see more blooms like the 2011 event, according to NASA.
Harmful algal blooms can lead to fish kills and affect the safety of water for recreation and for consumption.
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