Lake Erie's Toxic Algae Bloom Seen From Space: Green Scum Rampant In The Great Lakes (PHOTOS)

Toxic algae is sucking the oxygen out of Lake Erie.

The lake is currently undergoing one of the worst algae blooms in decades, turning the water a scummy bright green. According to NASA, blooms like this did occur in the 1950's and 60's, but now phosphorus from farms, sewage, and industry have fertilized the waters.

After the 60's, increased regulations and improvements in agriculture and sewage treatment limited the phosphorus and helped to control the blooms. However, the shallower Western basin near Detroit has been more susceptible to the algae than other deeper areas.

The exact reason behind the bloom is a bit unclear, but scientists believe it could be linked to increased rainfall and, believe it or not, mussels. It seems the types of mussel, zebra and quagga that have invaded the lake feed on phytoplankton instead of algae, making it even easier for the blooms to occur, according to NASA.

While the algae doesn't directly kill fish, it's still not good. As the algae dies, it's broken down by bacteria which uses oxygen from the water. This oxygen removal creates areas where fish can't survive. In addition, if consumed, it can also create flu-like symptoms in people or even kill pets.

Former Vice President Al Gore spoke Thursday in Detroit on the matter, associating climate change with the algae problem. "We're still acting as if it's perfectly OK to use this thin-shelled atmosphere as an open sewer. It's not OK," he said. "We need to listen to the scientists. We need to use the tried and true method of using the best evidence, debating and discussing it, but not pretending that facts are not facts."

While in the past, some have criticized Gore, claiming that he's made exaggerated statements about the environment, yesterday's speech drew upon some pretty hard scientific evidence, leading many leaders at the International Joint Commission to listen a bit more intently.

This past summer, an algae bloom spread across a beach in China, dying everything in its path "a shocking bright green."

Click on the photo below to access a high-resolution version of the Lake Erie area, and see the regions worst affected by the algae:

The worst of the algae, around Detroit:

Comments

[12PeterM]

12:58 PM on 12/12/2011

And all this is mostly caused by a faulty applied test, developed around 1920 in England, most of the world used to set sewage treatment standards. When EPA implemented the Clean Water Act (CWA) it also did not realize that it only addressed 40% of the pollution in sewage Congress intended to 'treat'. Among this waste is nitrogenous (urine and protein) waste, which not only exerts an oxygen demand, but also is a fertilizer for algae. In 1983 EPA acknowledged the problems caused by this test, but never corrected the test and as one of its many negative consequences, EPA still ignores this fertilizing effect of nitrogenous waste. (www.petermaier.net)
So next time you read an article about excessive algae growth, or more likely dead zones, you will know one of its major causes (your pee), nobody is willing to acknowledge.

[SaveLakeErieOrg]

06:31 PM on 11/21/2011

Even people in India are upset about the algae blooms attacking Lake Erie...

http://savelakeerie.com/news/delhi-india-supports-saving-lake-erie

[humandecency]

11:11 AM on 10/24/2011

I'm an Ohioan that lives along Lake Erie. According to Ohio Sea Grant (a well-respected scientific organization) the algae levels are close to what they were in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Lake Erie was widely-know as "dying." Why doesn't the author of this article discuss the devasting contribution that agricultrual livestock production from confined animal facility operations (CAFO's) (aka factory farms) are making to this problem? In Grand Lake St. Mary's in Southwestern Ohio, that entire lake is literally "dead" (i.e., no living things in it anymore) because of intense livestock production. We can't sustain all this crazy meat-eating and let's tell the truth without hiding the causes.

[Stavo]

12:38 PM on 10/18/2011

It would be so cool, to wrestle down evil rightwing politicians and make them drink a couple gallons of the stuff......

[SheikArbusto]

02:38 PM on 10/17/2011

Enjoy those burgers people. The number one cause of ag run off is the meat industry.

[mamacat]

12:34 PM on 10/17/2011

The algal bloom appears to be worse on the American side of the lake. While there can be many innocuous reasons for this, one might be led to wonder if the larger algal blooms on the American side of the lake are due to weaker pollution standards.

[Charles-12881]

12:28 PM on 10/17/2011

We can place blame on the most environmentally unfriendly congress of all time, they want the return of Lake Erie Fires, and more Love Canals running under elementary schools, and the elimination of the EPA, after all it's regulations that kill jobs!

[fgrammit]

01:11 AM on 10/17/2011

i am of the mind to blame the opening of the St lawrence seaway for this. since the mussels came with the oceans boats to Toledos port.

[sharlevoix]

10:14 PM on 10/16/2011

There is an ingredient found in many of our everyday foods that is derived directly from
RED ALGAE. CARRAGEENAN is a gelling agent that is extracted from many species
of RED ALGAE. Most of these algae must be heated in order to be incorporated into
our foods. The algae itself is NOT soluble IN COLD WATER. For those interested in more
info. go to www.moleculargastronomynetwork.com AND NOW TO MY POINT.
These blooms have gone on for millions of years. They come and go sometimes worse
than others. I was born in 1963, have lived in Michigan my whole life. Ive spent WHOLE
SUMMERS ON THE LAKES. I do remember algae in the water as a child. But one thing I
do not remember at age 5 was satellites crisscrossing our world taking pictures. Show me a
satellite photo from 1967. In the photo we have been looking at the highest concentrations
of algae are located where the lakes are most shallow and hence MUCH WARMER. We
have had a very warm fall and the ALGAE LOVE WARM WATER. COLD DEEP WATER
CANNOT SUSTAIN ALGAE. In six weeks this will all be gone. In the future when it gets
bad again hopefully we will have found many ways to utilize this green algae just as we
have with the RED ALGAE.

[queeng56]

09:43 PM on 10/16/2011

This is so sad. Less than 20 years ago, I visited Lake Erie. They had cleaned it up and it was so clear we could see the bottom of the lake everywhere we went.

[TommyObama]

08:09 PM on 10/16/2011

Author Dean, Can you comment on the caption that says the worst is near Detroit, when that is not what the green patches in the imagery show? Looks like the Maumee River is more to blame than the Detroit River is. MIchiganders are touchy enough already, these days!

[Activist Annie]

06:07 PM on 10/16/2011

These pictures are some of the saddest I have seen so far. These creatures ask for nothing but to live their lives as they have for centuries without interference from insolence such as is demonstrated in these photos.

How dare the Repubs/TP even think of cutting EPA funds! It has become increasingly apparent that they have contempt for all life on this planet human, animal, feathered, forests, anything that "dares" to live their life or to enjoy their life. The helpless. They strike it down!

This makes me so angry!

[dmherb]

05:24 PM on 10/16/2011

Solution: use oil skimming techniques to clean the lakes.

[Joe Goforth]

03:49 PM on 10/16/2011

It's a plot to make biodiesel from the algae.

[Pennsanic]

03:00 PM on 10/16/2011

Runoff (phosphorous and nitrogen rich) from chicken and hog wastes from factory farms have also resulted in huge algae blooms in various states. That cr#p also contaminates drinking water.

[sherpeace]

07:23 PM on 10/16/2011

Maybe we can turn it into a huge compost pile and sell the compost for money!
I guess not since it is toxic. ;-( . . .