Blooms bring to mind the emerging beauty of spring—flowers
blossoming and trees regaining their splendor. Harmful algal blooms
(HABs), however, bring to mind a toxic blue-green body of water and
possibly a creature from the deep. These blooms, unlike spring flowers,
are odorous, unpleasant, and potentially toxic. They can turn a fresh
fish sandwich into a trip to the emergency room. They deter families
from engaging in water-related recreational activities such as going to
the shore. They discourage anglers from going fishing, which, in turn,
affects those who depend on the local fishing economy.
The amount of harmful algae has rapidly increased in recent decades
and it has adversely affected ecosystems from the Great Salt Lake, to
the Great Lakes, to Great River, NY, and beyond. Runoff from crop and
livestock production has increased the amount of nitrogen and
phosphorous in water, which has led to eutrophication—where plants grow,
but fish die due to lack of oxygen. This process has had various
negative impacts across space and time. In Lake Erie, a significant and
ever-growing hypoxic zone (an area with low or no dissolved oxygen) has
grown. This jeopardizes the local fishing industry and the livelihoods
of those who depend on it. Mitigating the risks uses a lot of resources.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that it costs
approximately $3 billion per year to deal with algal toxins in Ohio’s
public water systems. In addition, these toxic bacteria pose public
health risks to humans and animals—in 2010 alone, there were 9 probable or suspect illness cases from Lake Erie water.
Read more on the OUP Blog
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