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Lake Erie Toxic Algae Bloom Info - June 2015

Excerpting and summarizing the Jun 18, 2015 Toledo Blade story

NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

About a dozen charter boat captains take Lake Erie water samples once a week for analysis at Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory.

Planktothrix, a cousin that produces microcystin, began growing in Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay a few weeks ago, which is typical. The warmth and shallowness of water there promotes growth of planktothrix from May through October.

On Mon, Jun 15, 2015, a Lake Erie charter boat operator spotted a small area of algae, about 3.5 miles northeast of the Toledo water intake.

The sample tested had a low concentration of microcystis, about 5 to 10 percent of all algae found in that sample. The concentration of microcystis was so low that scientists don’t even know if it’s producing the toxin microcystin yet. No amount of microcystin was found at Toledo’s water intake or the city’s Collins Park Water Treatment Plant.

Microcystis usually doesn’t develop in western Lake Erie until August. Over the past 20 years, microcystis has been spotted several times in July and at least once in June. It often starts out in the Toledo area, where the water is shallow and warm, and then it moves east to near the Lake Erie islands.

Because of the June 15 microcystis sighting, NOAA will move up its planned weekly sampling by three weeks. NOAA had planned on taking water samples twice in June, and then start its weekly regimen on July 6.

Both microcystis and planktothrix are toxin-producing forms of cyanobacteria, meaning they are genetically bacteria but commonly called blue-green algae because of their appearance and because of how they mimic algae.

Most of the June 15 sample contained diatoms, which are good forms of algae because they are part of the food chain that support fish. Later this summer, when microcystis peaks, samples will have 100 percent of that cyanobacteria or close to it,

Scientists hesitated to call the June 15 sighting an actual bloom, which is thick and fans out for miles. One NOAA researcher called this week's sighting a probable “scum patch.” The algae patch was too small to be captured by satellite images. Winds this week have dispersed the patch.

Microcystis became western Lake Erie’s dominant form of blue-green algae in 1995, and has held that distinction almost annually since.

Excerpting and summarizing from a Jun 16, 2015 WSPD story

Less severe algal blooms are expected this summer in Maumee Bay and western Lake Erie. NOAA said a dry early spring caused less phosphorous to run off into the water, which should massive blooms of toxic blue-green algae. Researchers say the size and potency of algal blooms will depend on future rainfall.

That story and analysis seemed a little odd and premature.

The meteorological seasons start on the first day of the month. Summer began on June 1. Spring began on March 1.

By early spring, NOAA is referring to March and April.

I have not analyzed the data, but I think that it's safe to conclude that since mid-May, southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio have received above normal rainfall.

Our temps, however, have not been unusually warm in May and June. I don't know how important air temp is to the formation of toxic algae blooms.

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