Trump Admin weakens Great Lakes protections against toxic algae. #GreatLakes #ToxicAlgae #EnvironmentalProtection
https://www.propublica.org/article/noaa-michigan-lab-toxic-algae-blooms-great-lakes-drinking-water
Toxic Algae Kills Over 200 Marine Species Off South Australia Coast.
#Australia #environmentalhazard #marinelife #Toxicalgae #wildlifedeath
https://blazetrends.com/toxic-algae-kills-over-200-marine-species-off-south-australia-coast/?fsp_sid=31593
Dead little penguins washed up on multiple Eyre Peninsula beaches https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-09/dead-penguins-found-on-eyre-peninsula-beaches/105267478
#ToxicAlgae off Southern California kills hundreds of sea lions, dolphins, birds
This is the earliest the algae has appeared with its most severe accumulations between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, according to NOAA Fisheries.
By Sheri Walsh, UPI
Published Apr 1, 2025
March 31 (UPI) -- "An early toxic algae bloom off the coast of Southern California is killing or sickening hundreds of sea lions, dolphins and seabirds, while forcing rescuers to make tough choices about 'which animals to save.'
"The West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network says it is receiving more than 100 calls a day about sea lions having seizures, acting erratically or lying dead on beaches, as dolphins are discovered swimming circles in shallow waters.
"'We are having to do triage on the beach as we try to identify those animals where we have the greatest chance of making a difference,' said John Warner, chief executive officer of the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles.
"#DomoicAcid, released by algae blooms, is harmless to fish but can be deadly if consumed by sea mammals or birds. The toxin causes seizures, coma or even death.
"This is the earliest the algae has appeared with its most severe accumulations between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, according to NOAA Fisheries. Impacted marine life was first observed around Feb. 20, near Malibu. Some scientists believe runoff from this year's wildfires in Los Angeles may have contributed as earlier studies have found elevated nutrients offshore following previous fires.
"'What is unique about this event is that this bloom is very early in the season and doesn't appear to be associated with strong winds or a thick marine layer like we have seen in the past,' said Michelle Herman Kowalewski, founder and director at the Channel Islands Cetacean Research Unit.
"In addition to the early bloom, researchers also report finding higher concentrations of the toxin.
"'We've been seeing more toxin both in the organism itself and then also in the animals that are acquiring it,' said Clarissa Anderson, director of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System.
"'They seem to have more toxin in their tissues. So it may be that the naturally occurring plankton is starting to produce more toxin over time, and that might be why we see more impacts,' Anderson added.
"This is the fourth consecutive year an algae bloom has impacted Southern California marine life. While there is little that can be done to help dolphins, veterinarians say sea lions can be brought into rehabilitation facilities where the domoic acid can be flushed from their systems."
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/toxic-algae-off-southern-california-kills-hundreds-of-sea-lions-dolphins-birds/1761408
#ToxicAlgalBlooms #HABs #ClimateChange
#LakeElsinore was already dealing with water issues even before the #airportfire
'Anything that can be built can be taken down': The largest dam removal in US history is complete – what happens next?
The #KlamathRiver is free of four huge dams for the first time in generations. But for the #Yurok tribe, the river's restoration is only just beginning – starting with 18 billion seeds.
by Lucy Sheriff, September 3, 2024
"This is decades and decades in the making," says Thompson. 'We were told it was never going to happen. That it was foolish to even ask for one removal. We were asking for four.'
"The #KlamathBasin covers more than 12,000 square miles (31,000 sq km) in southern Oregon and northern California, and was home to the JC Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams, all owned by #PacifiCorp, an electric utilities company. The Klamath was once the third-largest salmon producing river on the US's West Coast before the construction of the dams blocked fish from accessing almost 400 miles (640km) of critical river habitat for almost 100 years.
"Fall #ChinookSalmon numbers plummeted by more than 90% and spring chinook by 98%. #SteelheadTrout, #CohoSalmon and #PacificLamprey numbers also saw drastic declines, and the Klamath tribes in the upper basin have been without their salmon fishery for a century, since the completion of #Copco 1 in 1922. The situation became so bad that Yurok tribe – who are known as the salmon people – began importing Alaskan salmon for their annual salmon festival, traditionally held to celebrate the first return of fall chinook salmon to the Klamath River.
"The dams also had a severe impact on #WaterTemperature and quality – growth of #ToxicAlgae behind two of the dams resulted in health warnings against water contact.
"'It was painful,' says Willard Carlson, a Yurok elder who is known as a #RiverWarrior and was part of the inter-generational campaign. 'All those years seeing our river damaged like that. I remember as a kid we'd have other people from nearby tribes making fun of our river. 'Oh, you're Yurok, your river is dirty.' For us, the #dams were a monument to the [#coloniser] people who conquered us."
[...]
"Restoring the land
But something that does need "a helping hand is the restoration of 2,200 acres (890ha) of land that is above ground for the first time in a century following the emptying of four reservoirs.
"'Removing the dams is one thing, restoring the land is quite another,' says Thompson, a civil engineer and part of the crew working on the restoration project – which is being managed by Resource Environmental Solutions, an ecological restoration company."
#ClimateChange Contributes to Shift in #LakeErie’s Harmful #AlgalBlooms
Blooms over the past decade have started earlier in July and had longer peaks, according to #NOAA researchers.
By Kathiann M. Kowalski
July 26, 2024
"Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms have started sooner and had longer peak periods over the past decade compared to earlier years, newly released data shows. Warming temperatures linked to climate change are a cause, according to researchers for NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, with interactions among species likely playing a role as well.
"The NOAA scientists discussed the shift and forecast a moderate to above-moderate algal bloom for the lake’s western basin this summer during a briefing last month at Ohio State University and Ohio Sea Grant’s Stone Laboratory, off the coast of Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie.
"Algal blooms occur when #cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, grow out of control due to a combination of excess #nutrients, #weather patterns and other #ecological factors. The blooms can be a serious public health problem because some types of cyanobacteria produce toxins. #Microcystin, for example, can lead to skin rashes, gut problems and liver and kidney issues. Relatively high levels of it in August 2014 prompted a two-day shutdown of #Toledo’s public #WaterSupply, which comes from Lake Erie."
Read more:
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26072024/lake-erie-harmful-algal-blooms-climate-change/
#HABs #ToxicAlgae
#Fish #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #WaterIsLife
#WaterTemperatures
It seems I was right about #GambierdiscusToxicus being the cause of #sawfish deaths in #Florida. Not sure why they aren't announcing it (tourism?).
Scientists continue to search for answers as #Florida sawfish continue to die
By Heather Walker, Diana Reed
July 12, 2024
"The FGCU scientists said that once again, their samples showed high levels of a microscopic algae called Gambierdiscus. It is a naturally occurring toxin that is normally harmless but can be dangerous at high levels."
#HABs #HarmfulAlgaeBlooms
#Florida #Extinction
#ToxicAlgae
#Fish #ClimateChange
Algal Toxins and Wildlife Health
By National Wildlife Health Center September 30, 2019
"Harmful #AlgalBlooms (#HABs) have the potential to harm fish and wildlife, domestic animals, livestock, and humans through toxin production or ecological disturbances such as oxygen depletion and blockage of sunlight.
"To investigate the effects of algal toxins on wildlife, the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) has examined over 300 dead animals collected during freshwater and marine #HAB events since 2000. Varying levels of algal toxins were found in over 100 of these animals. In some cases, the history, clinical signs, and high toxin levels have allowed scientists to attribute mortality to algal toxicosis. Recent events have included Kittlitz’s #murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) in Alaska that died after consuming sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) high in #saxitoxin (Shearn-Bochsler et al. 2014), #GreenTreeFrogs (Hyla cinerea) in Texas with suspected #brevetoxicosis in association with a #RedTide event (Buttke et al. 2018), and #LittleBrownBats (Myotis lucifugus carissima) in Utah found dead during a HAB event at a reservoir commonly used for recreation and as a source of municipal #DrinkingWater (Isidoro-Ayza et al. 2019).
"In other cases, algal toxins have been detected in wildlife, but their contribution to mortality remains unclear. Part of the reason these detections have been difficult to interpret is that the toxic dose of many algal toxins in wildlife species is unknown and the microscopic lesions (if any) particularly in birds, have not been well described. To better understand the effects of these toxins the NWHC is conducting laboratory exposure trials to determine the lethal dose of toxin in birds and to examine the repeated exposure of waterfowl to sub-lethal toxin ingestion. In addition to exposure trials, NWHC is undergoing a retrospective review of previous detections of algal toxin from NWHC’s case archives to examine demographic, spatiotemporal, and diagnostic features associated with wildlife exposure to algal toxins."
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/algal-toxins-and-wildlife-health
#AlgaeBlooms #WaterIsLife
#Cyanobacteria
#ToxicAlgae #Wildlife
Something is stressing out the algae and causing a release of #DomoicAcid. Could it be #Radioactive #Fukushima wastewater? Radiation is known to cause oxidative stress in algae (I've read the studies and have posted them for years).
ROS is what changes some algae to #ToxicAlgae. It has a number of triggers. #Radiation is one of them...!
Paper from 2016: Sensitivity of the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to gamma #radiation: photosynthetic performance and ROS formation
"The aquatic environment is continuously exposed to ionizing radiation from both natural and anthropogenic sources, making the characterization of ecological and health risks associated with radiation of large importance. Microalgae represent the main source of biomass production in the aquatic ecosystem, thus becoming a highly relevant biological model to assess the impacts of gamma radiation. However, little information is available on the effects of gamma radiation on microalgae species, making environmental radioprotection of this group of species challenging. In this context, the present study aimed to improve the understanding of the effects and toxic mechanisms of gamma radiation in the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii focusing on the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus and ROS formation.
"Algae cells were exposed for 6 hrs to gamma radiation (0.49-
1677 mGy/h) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters obtained by PAM fluorometry, while two fluorescent probes carboxy-H2DFFDA and DHR 123 were used for the quantification of ROS. The alterations seen in C. reinhardtii PSII functional parameters after 6 hrs of exposure to gamma radiation showed modifications of PSII energy transfer associated with electron transport and energy dissipation pathways, especially at the higher dose rates used. Results
also showed that gamma radiation induced ROS in a dose-dependent manner under both light and dark conditions.
Results:
"The exposure of C. reinhardtii cells to gamma radiation resulted in a significant production of ROS over time for both the H2DFFDA and DHR 123 probes (Supplementary Figure A5), where 6 hrs exposure provided the best response, as seen in previous experiments (Almeida, 2015)."
https://nmbu.brage.unit.no/nmbu-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2572806/1422512.pdf?sequence=1
cc: @bsmall2
The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Plant Response to #Radiation
From Works cite:
Ultraviolet-B radiation stress triggers reactive oxygen species and regulates the antioxidant defense and photosynthesis systems of intertidal red algae Neoporphyra haitanensis. Front. Mar. Sci. 2022, 9, 1043462. [Google Scholar]
States Are Eyeing Bird-Friendly #Wetlands to Help Rid the #GreatLakes of #ToxicAlgae
"The #OneidaNation has restored wetlands that help to improve water quality in Wisconsin’s Green Bay while creating valuable habitat that attracts many birds."
Words by Andy McGlashen
Senior Editor, Audubon Magazine
Published June 17, 2024
"In the ongoing effort to bring the problem under control, the region’s leaders are increasingly reaching for a primitive but proven tool for capturing and cleaning water before it enters the lake: wetlands. No one believes that #swamps and marshes alone can starve the algae blooms, but experts say they are an important part of the solution. 'Wetlands are wonderful filtration systems,' says Richard Stumpf, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration who monitors #algae outbreaks. And because wetlands around the Great Lakes offer vital habitat where birds can rest during migration or raise their young, restoring them not only improves water quality but also brightens the outlook for vulnerable avian species.
“'There’s momentum building behind #NatureBasedSolutions,' says Kyle Rorah, regional director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited. 'There’s a huge opportunity to get serious about taking a chunk out of the problem.'"
I heard about this on NPR today... It sounds promising, but we're going to need them everywhere (just like the scrubbers in The Peripheral), and they need to be affordable!
#Nanobubbles help this lakeside cope with #ToxicAlgae — and the changing climate
by Caleigh Wells
Jun 5, 2024
"#ClimateChange is wreaking havoc on some freshwater lakes. They’re getting warmer, and that is spawning lots of toxic algae. When the algae runs rampant like it did 15 years ago, it can kill every other living thing in the lake. Sometimes the city of #LakeElsinore, situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, has to close the lake to prevent people from getting sick."
[...]
"Fresh water bodies across the globe are falling victim to [the toxic algae] problem as the climate crisis makes water warmer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 40,000 bodies of water are 'impaired' just in the United States.
"Lake Elsinore is the largest natural freshwater lake in Southern California. Now the city on its shores is spending $2 million to try out a new technology to fix it."
Read more: https://www.marketplace.org/2024/06/05/nanobubbles-moleaer-lake-elsinore-climate-change-algae/
I wonder if #Gambierdiscus is the cause? They have been testing for #RedTide, but have they been testing for Gambierdiscus?
Disoriented pelican found on Marco Island may have red tide poisoning, experts say
By CNN
May 23, 2024
A brown #pelican discovered on #MarcoIsland last week is presumed to have red tide poisoning, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
"'Typically, we first get the notion that red tide is around when birds are sick,' said Dr. Michael Parsons, of the Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University.
"The seabird was spotted disoriented on the beach, according to a release. Despite those symptoms, which are common with the #neurotoxic algae, no red tide has been detected in our area, per the Florida Department of Health in Collier County.
"'We have no signs of red tide around, FWC is aware of this situation and will be monitoring it more closely,' Parsons said."
Travel down the rab...er...#corn hole with John Oliver as he reveals the financial & environmental [& social] impacts / costs of corn-ication in the U.S. [Probably, elsewhere, too.] https://youtu.be/MI78WOW_u-Q #comedy #pollution #agriculture #heath #CorporateWelfare #ToxicAlgae #inequity #crime #racism #monopoly #monocrop #erosion #AntibioticResistantBacteria #CAFOs #water #DeadZones #anoxia #nitrates #BlueBabies #DustStorms #ClimateChange #BirdFlu
Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior
“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”
By Jen Christensen, CNN
Published Apr 12, 2024
"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.
#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."
Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms in MI Recreational Waters
By Farah Siddiqi/ Michigan News Connection
Published July 17, 2023
"The #Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is advising people on what to do if they encounter the algae. One environmental group is convinced it's being caused by thermal discharge from #NuclearPlants.
"Jesse Deer in Water, community organizer for the watchdog group Citizens' Resistance at #FermiTwo, the nuclear plant in Monroe County, said the plant's discharge is full of toxins but people rarely hear about it, because the data comes from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC].
"'The thermal discharge is the heat from the process of the cooling that's left over in the water,' Deer in Water explained. 'It comes out at temperatures well above the average, and damages the #ecosystems and fish, and the heat from it helps harmful algal blooms [#HABs] dominate the waters there locally.'
"The group is demanding more regulation and cleaner energy sources, saying nuclear power is neither 'clean' nor 'emission-free.'"
And the #SaintLucie #NuclearPlant happens to be nearby! Hmmmm...
#ToxicAlgae in St. Lucie river and canal are in dangerous concentrations, DEP confirms
"Algae in the St. Lucie canal and river is toxic in concentrations that are dangerous for people, pets and wildlife to touch, ingest or inhale, but the Army Corps of Engineers has not said it will stop Lake Okeechobee discharges."
Lough Neagh: Toxic algae potentially waking again
Louise Cullen - BBC NI agriculture and environment correspondent
March 7, 2024
"Toxic blue-green #algae in #LoughNeagh has potentially begun to wake up again already, with two confirmed reports since the start of 2024.
"Last summer, it brought the largest freshwater lake in these islands to the headlines.
"The algae also brought misery to those who live and work around and on the lough."
Read more:
https://www.aol.com/news/lough-neagh-fish-declared-safe-072656521.html
#Ireland #ToxicAlgae #HABs #HarmfulAlgaeBlooms #Extinction #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #WaterIsLife
#WaterTemperatures #NorthernIreland #UK
I'm seeing a pattern here...
"'On March 14, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources responded to a fish die off on Traverse Lake in southwest #Minnesota near the city of Wheaton. DNR staff collected fish samples and checked dissolved oxygen in the water. The cause of the die off appears to be gas supersaturation trauma, also known as gas bubble disease, likely the result of an #AlgaeBloom in the lake,' a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources told Newsweek in an email."
Thousands of Fish Found Dead as Ice Melts on Minnesota Border Lake
Published Mar 20, 2024
"Thousands of dead fish have been found in a Minnesota lake at the same time all its ice has melted.
"An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 fish were found dead in Lake Traverse, which lies along the border with #SouthDakota, on March 14, the West Central Tribune reported. They included freshwater drum, crappies, bluegills, white bass and bluegills. There was also a handful of smallmouth bass and walleye."
Read more:
https://www.newsweek.com/thousands-fish-dead-ice-melts-lake-1881449
