Clear Lake’s green algae is visible from space, NASA photo shows. It's also beneficial
“Think of it like a fish bowl sitting in the sun, the water starting to warm up.” A NASA satellite captured a view of Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake, showing the effects of a spring algal bloom. Angela De Palma-Dow, who works for the water resources department of Lake County and for the watershed protection district, explained that the algae is important to the ecosystem as it produces phytoplankton, which is fish food for wildlife. Clear Lake is the oldest lake in North America and its shallow location plays a role in this phenomenon. While algal blooms are common, their timing and winds can affect when this happens. During warm periods, the growth of blue-green algae, which could potentially produce toxins, can be determined by testing. Three of the species of this algae can potentially impact human health.
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A NASA satellite captured a view of California’s largest freshwater lake appearing emerald green earlier this month.The striking image of Clear Lake from May 15 showed the effects of a spring algal bloom.Water researchers are used to it. Angela De Palma-Dow works for the water resources department of Lake County and for the watershed protection district. She also answers questions about the lake in her “Lady of the Lake” column for the Lake County News. De Palma-Dow said she’s been getting calls about the NASA photo and explained that green algae is important to the ecosystem. “People that have lived here for a long time are like, ‘Oh yeah, this lake does this every year,” she said. She said that once the weather starts to warm up the lake gets a boom in the production of phytoplankton, which is basically fish food for the wildlife there. Clear Lake is the oldest lake in North America and is shallow, which plays a role in the phenomenon. “Think of it like a fish bowl sitting in the sun, the water starting to warm up,” she said. “And you know, if you or your son or daughter leave their fish bowl in the window, you’re going to get some algae growth.” She said the algae is important to aquatic life. “It’s spawning season, mating season for wildlife, so you really need that big base of phytoplankton, green algae in the lake to support that, and that's been something going on at Clear Lake,” she said. “Clear Lake is close to 2 million years old, there has been water at the site for that long. The current shape of the lake is about half a million years old, of what it looks like today, in that shape and that much water. And there have been prolific fish populations and wildlife in the lake that whole entire time because that green algae, phytoplankton, is so prominent and so productive.” While algal blooms are common, she said the blooms can differ on their timing and winds can impact when this happens. This year’s bloom was a little earlier. In other years, the bloom happens in April or even as late as July, she said. She shared photos she took last week that showed parts of the lake not covered in green algae. One thing to take note of during warm periods is the growth of blue-green algae, which is called cyanobacteria. That could run the risk of producing toxins, which can be determined by testing. You can’t determine whether the cyanobacteria has produced a toxin by looking at a photo, she said. NASA says that out of more than 130 algal species, three of the species of blue-green algae can impact human health. De Palma-Dow said officials have been monitoring cyanobacteria and waiting for data to come back from the lab from samples in stagnant water. She said that people who see “big mats, big chunks” where the water is thick should probably move to another part of the lake, which has 120 miles of shoreline.“What’s going on one side of the lake is not necessarily going on the other side of the lake,” she said. De Palma-Dow said that people can water ski, fish, paddleboard and kayak year-round. If they go to a public beach, she recommends looking for signage about any possible concerns. People can also call Lake County Water Resources before visiting anytime to inquire about conditions at 707-263-2344 or check for possible cyanotoxin issues on a map here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
المواضيع: Space, NASA