HABs (algal blooms) may be damaging the great lakes ecosystem

As a basic living organism with singularly instinctual intelligence, algae will grow and multiply any way it can, in any compatible environment. Recently the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched a new system for tracking and predicting HABs.

While not typically fatal to humans, HABs present a series of nuisances to local wildlife and they contaminate human water supplies like the great lakes. That’s why scientists have a keen interest in understanding where HABs are forming and predicting their drift  patterns.

When HABs are spotted in Lake Erie for example, the new system will broadcast location and forecasting information to local scientists who will then be able to disseminate that information to their communities.

Jill Lis, environmental health services supervisor for Cuyahoga County, Ohio’s Board of Health says “having a forecast bulletin for Lake Erie will allow us to study the impacts of excess nutrients on beaches and coastal waters, including impacts of harmful algal blooms,” according to an NOAA press release.

HABs can cause “skin rashes, liver damage, fish kills, and taste and odor issues in drinking water”. Algae has a mixed reputation, because it also has the potential for producing renewable energy.

Outbreaks like this though that act as toxins in our fresh water ecosystems could eventually cause political problems for energy from algae initiatives as they battle the inherent perception of risks.

Some solutions from companies like Martek Biosciences Corporation use a fermentation method, which captures excretions from the algae and converts them to energy. That’s well and good in a controlled environment but the great lakes have no such processing capability.

Beyond the health risks, HABs also present an economical cost from fisheries losing stock to reduced tourism traffic because of the unappealing appearance. Those are some compelling reasons to keep an eye on HABs, especially as ecosystems continue to change and potentially become more compatible for algae growth.