A lake full of algae will wreck more than your summer swimming plans
Algae blooms in lakes and oceans generate pollution that harms people, pets, and the planet.
By Marlene Cimons Nexus Media April 23, 2018
Aquatic ecologist John A. Downing happily remembers childhood holidays at his family’s vacation home at Wabana Lake, near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The lake was upstream “from almost everything,†making it difficult for pollution to reach it, he said. But some eventually got there anyway. “It’s still beautiful, but somewhat greener around the edges,†he said. “I have been diving in these lakes since I was 9 years old, and as I get older, I notice there are more frequent surface algae blooms.â€
Algae blooms are a serious problem for lakes, rivers, streams, and seas around the world. Farmers use fertilizer to grow crops, and fertilizer runoff empties into waterways, flooding aquatic ecosystems with phosphorus and nitrogen, nutrients that support the growth of algae. Warmer waters, a consequence of climate change, are also nurturing the growth of algae.
https://www.popsci.com/algae-bloom-lake-climate-change
