Algae Blob Blankets Lake Erie

[hatrack]

"Recent satellite photos show a vast green mat floating about ten miles of Maumee Bay near Toledo. Bob Heath, a limnologist at Kent State University, says the bloom is a strain of microcystis, a toxic blue-green algae. It's been recurring almost every year since 1995 and showed up in Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron in 1997.

EDIT

Heath says zebra mussels and other grazers won't eat the algae, so it's out competes (sic) other food sources, resulting in fewer sport fish. It can also poison fish and waterfowl and lend drinking water an earthy taste."

EDIT/END

http://www.wcpn.org/news/2003/07-09/0908microcystis.html

Other reports I've seen on this say that the blob is about 25 miles in length.

[liberalhistorian]

1. Oh, goody.

Given that I'm near Cleveland, it's probably heading our way. Like there haven't been enough bacterial warnings on our beaches this year! Yep, there's that wonderful Shrub environmental policy in action, again.

[MercutioATC]

3. You still swim at Cleveland beaches? Bleeeeaach!

I gave up on the beaches years ago. Sandusky Bay isn't bad for skiing, but it seems there are bacterial warnings every other week at most of the beaches...

[gristy]

2. Shit

Next thing we'll hear is that they've imported something from somewhere else and put it in the lake to eat this toxic algae.