(C) Wisconsin Watch
This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Harmful Algal Blooms: Contributing Factors and Impacts [1]

[]

Date: 2024-06 

Algae are an important part of ecosystems in fresh waters, salt waters, and brackish (a mix of fresh and salt) waters. However, under the right conditions some types of algae can be harmful when they grow too quickly or make toxins.

Ecosystems are made up of living things and their physical environment. People, animals, plants, and local environments are all part of an ecosystem.

Contributing factors

Many factors can help harmful algal blooms grow:

High nutrient levels

Too many nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in water help harmful algal blooms grow.

Nutrient pollution in water can come from:

Fertilizer (used on farms and home lawns, for example)

Sewage or poop from people and animals

Run-off from cities and industrial buildings (during rainstorms, for example)

Deep ocean water rising towards the surface also increases nutrient levels. This rising of water is called upwelling. It can happen along the western U.S. coast when there are changes in temperature between the ocean and the air above the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Warm water

Harmful algal blooms are more likely to grow in warm water. Blooms happen more often in summer or fall but can occur any time of year.

Slow-moving water

Harmful algal blooms are more likely when water levels are low and water is moving slowly, such as during a drought.

Changing conditions

Changes in water conditions like pH or turbidity (how much "stuff" is floating in the water) can impact the growth of harmful algal blooms. For example, when turbidity is low, light can shine through the water easily. This helps algal blooms grow.

Changes in the local ecology can also impact the growth of harmful algal blooms. Ecology is how living things interact with the environment and with each other.

Climate change

Climate change can increase the growth of harmful algal blooms in fresh, salt, and brackish water. It can make blooms occur more often and be more severe. For example, warming temperatures in Lake Erie have contributed to large harmful algal blooms of cyanobacteria (blue-green alage) that last into the early winter months. In recent years, such blooms have been found more often and in more places across the United States.

Researchers are still learning how climate change is affecting harmful algal blooms and how different parts of the country are impacted.

Learn more about climate change and harmful algal blooms on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) website and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) website.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/harmful-algal-blooms-contributing-factors-and-impacts.html

Published and (C) by Wisconsin Watch
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-ND 4.0 Intl.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/wisconsinwatch/