The algae blooms in Florida's coastal waters, now moving into the headwaters of the Everglades have been growing over the past several months. Although algae blooms are a natural occurrence, it is believed that human activity (e.g., runoff from farms and city sewer systems) exacerbate them. Climate change and resulting phenomenon such as El Nino and warmer ocean temperatures may also encourage algae blooms by "making conditions more favorable for phytoplankton growth — both toxic and nontoxic algae — in more regions and farther north." (Quotation in article by Kathi Lefebvre, a biologist at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.)
While the impact on sea life (not to mention fishing industries and tourism) in Florida are disastrous, some of the images documenting the bloom are stunning.
The photo above is by Rhona Wise and shows water in the St. Lucie River, FL covered by algae bloom, July 5, 2016. I particularly like the multidimensionality of the image with the rippled reflection of the sky adjacent to, seemingly above, the green algae of the river. It seems to say "the earth is an organic whole" and what happens at one level impacts the rest.
– Martha McDaniel
I have seen similar algae blooms in my native country. Guayaquil is located at the mouth of the Guayas river estuary. There is so much sewage and fertilizer run off that algae can completely cover the surface of the river at certain times of the year. Not only does the algae block the light, when it dies it sucks up so much oxygen from the river that fish can no longer thrive. I've seen the algae growth become worse from the time of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteDanny W Chang