Advertisement. Advertise with us

Editorial

Looking an Aqua
Pandemic in the Eye

Recently, we at The Freeman’s Journal have become aware that some of our readers, and others who may not be our readers, still have questions about the toxic algae blooms that of late have been creeping up on us from the depths and edges of our beloved Otsego Lake. So here goes an effort to get it right.

According to NOAA, whose satellites, along with those of the EPA, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, are picking up images of them, these blooms have been found in 2,300 lakes in the contiguous U.S., and in another 5,000 bodies of water in Alaska.

The algae, often — but not strictly — of a blue-green color, is cyanobacteria, which grows naturally in fresh water, though it also also been spotted, although less frequently, in brackish and salt water. The bacteria can also be red, neon or brown, and when it dies it exudes a rotten smell. When the water is warm, stagnant and nutrient-rich, as it presently is here, the algae can burst into blooms, which is what we are seeing along the shores of the Lake. The blooms can, and do, produce a toxin, called cyanotoxin, which can enter the mouth, nose and eyes, or be inhaled with water vapor. They can also keep blooming into the early fall, until the temperature drops.

The toxin can be extremely poisonous, and often deadly, to pets, and annoyingly harmful to humans. There are as yet no antidotes or treatments for humans or pets that have picked up the cyanotoxins, nor has the toxin been well studied. For humans, there is evidence of nausea, rashes and itching, gastrointestinal upset, respiratory issues and, interestingly, a low birth rate in babies born to toxin-exposed mothers. Symptoms usually last from one day to a week; some, of course, may be sick for months.

For dogs, the toxin often causes vomiting, diarrhea and breathing difficulties as well as seizures and death. There is also evidence, in parts of the country but so far not here, of water contamination where the algae blooms appear near drinking-water intakes.

There is mounting evidence that these algae blooms are not going away gracefully. Global climate change, watershed degradation and increased nutrient loading are supporting and broadening the base for the algae and contributing to its frequency and incipient severity. There is, as yet, no solution.

We suggest that you who love our Lake stay away from foam, scum and colorful streaks that may be lurking on the shoreline. Keep your dogs away too, from that foam and scum, and any dead fish they may choose to roll in, and rinse them off quickly with fresh water if they stray into the algae. Lastly, pay keen attention to the work of the Biological Field Station which, with a most welcome and profoundly appreciated grant from Jane Clark and her Fernleigh Foundation is monitoring a number of sites around the Lake twice a week and releasing their findings to the surrounding towns as well as to their website.

Thank you; stay safe.

Posted

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

BFS, Lake Organizations Announce Otsego Lake HAB Testing Strategy

BFS, Lake Organizations Announce Otsego Lake HAB Testing Strategy By WRILEY NELSONSPRINGFIELD SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station announced its 2023 Otsego Lake Research and Cyanobacteria Monitoring Plan as part of the ongoing effort to study and control harmful algal blooms in Otsego County. The sampling strategy will focus on variations in temperature, nutrients, algal and cyanobacteria abundance, and toxin concentration along depth gradients in the heavily-affected north end of the lake. Additionally, the BFS has increased watershed stream monitoring and the state Department of Environmental Conservation will conduct its own lake sampling.…

Clark Foundation Grants Support for Continued HAB Testing by BFS

Biological Field Station Research Support Specialist Holly Waterfield conducts harmful algal bloom testing on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown. (Photo provided) Clark Foundation Grants Support forContinued HAB Testing by BFS ONEONTA Generous new grants from The Clark Foundation will allow researchers at SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station in Cooperstown to continue to monitor and study the presence of harmful algal blooms on Otsego Lake, just in time for the summer season. Earlier this spring, The Clark Foundation Board of Directors approved a grant with two components to the State University at Oneonta Foundation: a grant of $100,000.00 payable over two years…