Toxic algae massively poison ponds in Florida

Lake Okeechobee, the water heart of Florida, is once again experiencing a toxic algae invasion. This week, a thick green mass leaked along the Kaloosakhatchche river to the southwest coast. Silty algae reached the eastern banks, approaching homes and millions of enterprises located along the mouth of the River Saint Lucie.

Фото: Depositphotos

According to the state water samples, only a small amount of toxic cyanobacteria was found in lakes and rivers, writes Miami Herald. But the non-profit group Calusa Waterkeeper has published the results of a recent analysis that showed levels of dangerous bacteria hundreds of times higher than the safe limit for humans.

“This is terrible,” said Chandler Molds, 19, as he cast a fishing hook into a thick layer of weeds at Barron Park in LaBelle. “I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

If this continues, the “slimy summer” could have widespread consequences, from politics to business. Gov. Rick Scott, who has slashed funding for state environmental regulators, has issued emergency orders in an attempt to stem the spread of a green wave that could blight his Senate campaign. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has vowed to halt all activity on the East Coast for nine days to allow currents to carry away the algae, but warns contaminated water levels will rise if the rains come.

The last serious algal bloom outbreak was observed in Saint Lucie in 2016. Residents and businesses remember well how it was, so they are preparing for the worst.

"The water was just starting to clear, and now it's happening again," said Mary Radabough, an employee at Central Harbor in Stuart, where an 8-inch (20-centimetre) layer of algae crippled life and movement two years ago.

For environmentalists who have insisted for decades that the state needs to do more to monitor and clean up its water, the blooms are further evidence of government abandonment of cleanup efforts. The problem, experts say, will be as inevitable as the summer itself.

Experts began to worry this spring, fearing that the lake will bloom after hurricane Irma, which literally whipped up the muddy bottom with storm winds. The mass of storm water, which brought even more nutrients to microorganisms, was constantly mixed with the flora and fauna of the lake. In May, heavy rains began, breaking the century record.

Typically, the US Army Corps of Engineers maintains the lake's water boundaries and controls the water level, keeping it higher during the dry season and lower during the rainy season. This is important to protect life in the lake and to relieve pressure on its old earthen dam. The Corps is now halfway through $1,6 billion worth of repairs to strengthen the levee in select areas. But heavy rain ruined everything. Last week, the bloom covered half the lake and began to accumulate along the river banks and canals. In the Oaks River area west of LaBelle, algae accumulates on pilings and docks, gets stuck in pontoons and interferes with sailing vessels.

The locals could not believe their eyes for a long time, especially those who lived for many years in this region. But they too had to admit that the situation had worsened in the last couple of years.

“You go fishing and you don't even have a boat anymore - it's just a waste of fuel,” says Nicky Gaffey, owner of a fishing lodge on the coast.

A water study this week found frightening levels of cyanobacterial microcystins, ranging from 172 parts per billion to 1970 parts per billion. This is many times higher than the 4 parts per billion that are considered safe in the United States. The results were transferred to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. A department spokeswoman, De Ann Miller, said that the organization takes satellite imagery to search for and control especially large-scale spots, but weather conditions and algae growth patterns can change the picture too often.

Depending on the intensity and rate of spread, algae can cause significant damage to the ecosystem. In addition to a threat to public health, seemingly unpleasant blooming mucus kills fish, oysters, and aquatic plants. In humans, they can cause various reactions: from rash to severe allergies.

The locals are frightened and they say it's time to change the strategy for working on the lake. In the meantime, such decisions are in the process of federal approval, authorities in the region are hoping that temporary pumps and emergency measures will help to keep toxic emissions and save the coast from flooding with green mucus.

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