Article Title: Algae Blooms' Sudden Spread Stumps ScientistsPicture: This picture shows a goose attempting to swim in the abundance of algae. Not only is this aglae an annoyance and eyesore, but it is also a toxic threat to the wildlife and people that live around it.
Summary: Suddenly and rapidly, algae had begun to grow along the coasts of California, becoming a threat to the ecosystem. The toxic algae would actually kill wildlife and make humans ill that lived around the blooms. Scientists are at a loss as to how this algae had grown so rapidly, but are going to do their best to find out. The UC Santa Cruz and its team of marine scientists have begun a study to determine what had caused the algae growth. Raphael Kudela, lead scientist of the group, says that what they need to focus on is what change in the environment has led to this occurrence. What had made the scientists aware that they needed a solution to the algae was when a deadly red tide killed tens of thousands of abalone, sea urchins, and other mollusks along the coast of Sonoma and Mendocino. The UC Santa Cruz was able to get a start with an $800,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; they will continue their studies for a 5 year period, spending 4.3 million dollars. The equipment they are using consists of robotic gliders and a network of underwater sensors and satellites. At the moment, the scientist's primary focus is a single-celled diatom called Pseudo-nitzschia, which Kudela says has become the single biggest biological threat along the California coast.
Reflection:
I could not believe that algae could actually do that much damage! Actually, I didn't even know that algae would have toxins in it; I figured it was just another producer helpng out our ecosystem. Apparently, though, that's not the case in California. One time when I was at the beach a hurricane brought up a bunch of dead sea creatures and seaweed...but I couldn't imagine seeing ten thousand shellfish washing up at the shore! I honestly hope that the UC Santa Cruz scientists find a way to help the animals surrounding the algae blooms, because it would be really upsetting if the entire ecosystem in that area falls to the algae.
Questions:
1) Is the algae affecting the productivity of beaches and other coastal areas?
2) What is a diatom, and how did it become so popular in the California coasts?
3) Is the public able to help in any way with the algae problem?
I was surprised too! I thought algae was actually good for the environment and I did not know that it could do damage. It would be really bad if the whole ecosystem crashed because of one little thing, but then again that happens all the time. I also hope that the Santa Cruz scientists can find a way to fix it.
ReplyDeleteAnswering Haley's question number 1, I think potentially it could affect the productivity of beaches because everything that the algae kills, eventually will wind up on the shore. Sometimes it could end up on the coast all at one time and that would take a while to clean up.
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteThis was so outrageous to hear. Like, Haley I didn’t know algae could be toxic. I wonder if this could be because a certain species left the ecosystem. If a species helped keep the algae from growing out of control and for some reason left, the algae could then grow uncontrollably. I wonder how long it will take to find out why this is happening.
Expansion:
I found this article also regarding the algae blooms
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609103232.htm
In this article it explains that the algae could give sea lions seizures! This problem needs to come to an end. If it continues sea lions could have negative long term effects.
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteI am very unhappy to hear that such damage also done in the United States.I remember once being in a fishing club, we went to a lake to fish (obviousely...)and I was always annoyed of the gigantic algae population that dominated the lake and that would get stuck in the fishing hook all the time! Such growth in algae population is mostly likely caused by lack of predators that control the algae and that is quite strange. All I would hope for is that the scientists would find out the cause of this problem and would fix it.
Expansion:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/npr.php?id=149551060
I found this article too. I think it also explains about the algae problem as well.
Answer Question 1)I think with the disatasteful view that the algaes give and how they are destroying the western coast ecosystem is indeed a way of lowering of productivity. Also, with these creatures making toxin and using up resources, the fish population will probably go down, meaning that the fishing business in the western coast is probably getting hit very hard. Thus the productivity has been lowered by the algaes.