A Stinkin' Mess 4/21/05
Heaps of algae, loads of questions
Despite much research, it’s
not clear why massive mats of algae have been fouling Lake Michigan
beaches in recent years. Suspects include increasing phosphorus, zebra
mussels, lower lake levels, and other factors. Whatever the cause,
getting rid of the ugly, foul-smelling stuff isn’t easy.
Those were the take-home
messages from a public forum on the issue held Feb. 18 in Cleveland,
Wis. The day-long event was sponsored by Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Department of Natural Resources and UW–Extension.
About 100 people, including scientists, homeowners, beach managers and
concerned citizens, filled an auditorium at Lakeshore Technical College.
Beach managers along
Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shoreline said the algae is keeping visitors
away. Several homeowners and members of citizens groups expressed
considerable frustration about the unsightliness and odor of the algae,
known as Cladophora. Scientists discussed what is known -- and the considerable amount not known -- about the problem.
Erika Jensen, an environmental scientist at the UW–Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute, presented research showing that Cladophora often contains high levels of E. coli and other pathogens, and that it prolongs their survival.
Many scientists addressed the role phosphorous may play in promoting algae growth. Erica Young,
a biologist at the UW–Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute, was one of
several scientists who presented research indicating that phosphorous
already in the lake’s water and sediments, rather than new inputs, may
be spurring Cladophora growth. Vicky Harris, UW Sea Grant water quality
specialist, pointed out that roughly two-thirds of all phosphorous in
the lake is harbored in the sediments and recycled each year. Even so,
phosphorous input into the lake is the only factor that people can
significantly control, Harris said.
Several scientists noted that
zebra mussels have dramatically altered nutrient cycling in the lake by
removing phosphorous from the water and concentrating it on the lake
bottom where they live. The mussels also increase water clarity,
allowing more light to reach Cladophora, and they provide a hard surface for Cladophora to grow on.
John Berges,
a UW–Milwuaukee biologist, suggested other relevant factors might
include changing wind patterns, water temperatures and currents, and
lake levels.
People have tried many ways to control Cladophora
since the 1950s, when it first became a problem on the Great Lakes.
These have included removing it with machines, killing it with
chemicals, speeding its decomposition with bacteria or fungi, and
masking the odor with lime. However, these approaches have been too
expensive, impractical, or even counterproductive where they have been
tried, reported DNR Water Resource Management Specialist John Masterson.
Scientists at the DNR and the
UW–Milwaukee WATER Institute are planning more research this summer to
better understand the roles of phosphorous, zebra mussels, water
clarity, temperature, wind and water currents, and other factors in
producing excessive algae.
The proceedings of a Dec. 8 workshop at the WATER Institute for scientists, beach managers and policy makers at can be found at www.uwm.edu/Dept/GLWI/cladophora.