The article
“Algae explosion in lake Erie is posing danger to fish, tourism and locals”
written by Maryanne Moll on March 2, 2014 in the Tech Times is about the high
algae content in Lake Erie. The article talks about the many causes of the
phosphorus run off towards the lake. This phosphorus run off into the lake causes
algae to bloom.
In the 1980s a
similar problem occurred, but this time around it is much worse. Snowmelt and
heavy rainfall are only a few out of many contributions to the runoff.
The high amounts
of algae in the water cause oxygen levels to decrease, therefore the fish are
dying. “Warmer water temperatures, cause phosphorus to be released from
existing sediment, further increasing the phosphorus loading” This shows that
there are countless ways for the phosphorus to end up in the water, making it
even harder to control.
This article can
be related to something we learned in class in numerous ways. One of those ways
being the oxygen levels in the lake. We learned that decomposing algae causes
decreasing oxygen levels. When I was younger my family and I were going to
go boating on a pond. When we got there, the boat ride was cancelled because of
all the algae in the water. This relates to the article because of how
dramatically the algae is affecting people. They can no longer swim, or do any
water activities. Even the drinking water is no longer safe to consume.
There is no
controversy in this article, since it is simply just a news report. I think
what is happening in Lake Erie is horrible. Ecosystems are being destroyed and
wild life is dying. Also people’s lives are in danger if they consume the algae
bloom.
Good job, Alana! What really made me want to read this post was the photo of the green water. I've never seen any water that color before. You gave just the right amount of information in your summary. I really liked your connections to class and your own experience. I remember learning about algal blooms and oxygen levels in class. I think that this is a very unfortunate situation because it is very dangerous to wildlife and humans.
ReplyDeleteAlana, I really enjoyed your post. After seeing the picture that you included, I had the same question that you asked in the title. Your post was very informative without being too detailed and confusing. I agree with you that the situation is bad and something needs to be done about it. I liked how your post connected to both the ecology and cycles units, with the ecosystem being affected by the algal blooms and run off causing the problem. Overall, good job on your post.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Alana! I really enjoyed reading your post, and I found it really interesting. The connection to your own life was a really good addition to all of the information about algae blooms, Also, the picture of the water turned green from the algae was really interesting to see. I agree that what is happening is horrible, and we need to do whatever we can to prevent phosphorus run-off into the water. Overall, really good job!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw that gross green water, the first thing I thought of was the algae blooms that we learned about in class! It's strange that we have high levels of phosphorous this year, because the article says that they are caused by warmer water. I don't know why we'd have warm water this winter witht he polar vortex in the north, but like you said there are multiple other causes too. Overall great job on your post!
ReplyDelete