As I have been doing a little research, I have discovered more interesting news on the significance of algae growth in Lake Champlain. The invasive species of mussels, commonly known as zebra mussels, thrive on algae. They not only require it to live, but also help along the algae, shoving both species to excessiveness. "The mussels eat virtually everything they can filter - except for microcystis, which they spit out. The theory is that the mussels help foster a blue-green algae bloom by reducing competing algae." (sciencedaily.com) What this means, is that Zebra mussels are eating what they can, but 'spit out' microcystis, which is a single celled algae. From an ecological standpoint, I can see that since there is no competition for the Zebra mussels because they eat almost anything. Then, there is no equal balancing for the microcystis and other water plants, then the algae grows outstandingly. Microcystis is toxic to humans on contact, which is naturally not a pleasant attribute wanted in drinking water.
When I went to find out more specific details on what the algae does to humans, I found some slightly disturbing things; "Toxins in aerosols may cause itching and irritation of eyes, nose, or throat. Some species produce toxins that affect the liver, while other species’ compounds affect the nervous system" ("Blue-green Algae in Lake Champlain", lakechamplaincomitee.org). This research really isn't making me want to go swimming in Champlain, but it gets worse still. The article continues to explain that between 1999 and 2000, two household dog's deaths have been credited towards the algae. This is not only because they are swimming in it and drinking it, but because they lick themselves after they get out of the water, taking in even more of the toxin. Now obviously, the water is filtered some before most of us drink it (hopefully), so why is it affecting our drinking water? To me, through my research, the answer is still unclear. It seems that the main danger is while we are swimming. It is more than likely that a small amount of water will be inhaled, and still quite likely that you will intake the blue-green algae. Plus, the bacteria can give you a rash on contact of the skin. So, if you previously thought that this was just an ugly colorant in the water, you can now see that it is quite harmful. I know I won't be swimming anytime soon.
In the end, I am more than concerned about the water in Champlain, as I have clearly stated. Extensive amounts of research have gone in to the lake, and most of it shows negative news about the health of Champlain, as shown above. Honestly, there's not a lot of good news to say. It sounds as if small mouth Bass populations have increased slightly, which is certainly not bad. But Zebra mussels continue to block out all other eight species of mussels, driving them out of habitat. We'll see what more research brings, but it's looking like personal action is going to be the solution.
Nice job researching your topic! You have a good deal of information about how the algae effects swimming, but you probably also want to look into what is being done to try to solve/prevent the issues. It is not good enough to just be informative, you will need to support something in your project. At the end of the paper, you mention that "personal action" is going to be the solution. I am curious as to what you mean by "personal action" and how it will be the solution to this problem. Now that you have done some research, it would also be nice to hear a little more reflection in your writing, so you can discuss about how the information you just found will be able to benefit your project.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work,
Henry
ReplyDeleteHi Jack, I have been reading about your topic and it is very interesting. It is so similar to mine. We are not covering the same thing, but my topic(invasive plants) is actually affecting yours. Certain plants, like milfoil, clog up the rivers and streams that go into these lakes and that is affecting water quality. Some of the other things that are causing it, zebra mussels for example, are not plants, but they are invasive.
I do have a few questions for you. Who is this affecting personally? What are the methods of removing the algae? Also, how common is it for people to get sick? I swim in lake champlain quite often (though not recently) and I have never gotten sick.
I think I understand what you mean by personal action and there are a few groups that help with this issue. I recently talked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service or NRCS and they were very helpful. Their website is www.nrcs.usda.gov if you are interested.
My last question is how does the algae spread? I did some research and saw that it was mostly in lake champlain but it was in other lakes and ponds in Vermont
Does it spread like milfoil, catching on boats and being transported that way, or is it something else?
You are doing a great job!
Marianna
I'm posting on behalf of Phillip:
ReplyDeleteHi Jack,
Great post- I am enjoying learning about this issue by reading your blog!
You mention personal action as a possible result or next step. It might also be interesting to consider what actions others can/could/should take. And, are you considering personal action from your perspective as a high school student, or as a part of a farming family? What actions could farmers take to address this issue… how about governments, and drinking water providers, recreational users of the lake. What are the actions that each stakeholder in in the problem/solution equation could take.
It would also be good to think about what actions should be addressed or undertaken through voluntary behavior change and which might need to be legislated. For instance, we don’t have laws requiring people to recyle, but we have achieved a lot through education campaigns and procedures to make it easy for people to ‘do the right thing’ and recycle. But for hunting, we have enacted laws that mandate how our collectively shared natural resource will be managed and protected. What aspects of the issue you are looking at can be achieved through voluntary action by individual citizens like you and me, and which might need to be legislatively mandated?
My two cents for the week- phil.
Jack - I love to see the knowledge base grow on any issue and this one in particular.
ReplyDeletePlease reply to our responses. Let's start a conversation as we are all in this together.
Las week I posted the following: "They are great questions and are pushing you toward some very important points about our work. It needs to be Actionable, Focused, seek specific Change, and Doable in the time that we have together.
Keep thinking. Keep talking. Keep interviewing.
The hardest threshold I see for you is that you are just now becoming aware of an issue that others have worked a lifetime on, so how can you get to a place where you are knowledgeable enough to raise awareness and ask for change in meaningful, cogent, and convincing ways to people who matter? You might see this as a challenge that excites you, but it is a challenge."
These concerns are still big and are getting bigger because the blog is one week older at this point and I'm not sure if you've read them or thought about them. To take "Social Action" we ultimately must be strategic about what we are doing, how we are doing it, to whom are we looking to for an audience, and have a goal of what we'd like to accomplish. Having these things in mind makes idea ACTIONABLE, which is ultimately what we are about.
So.. please reply back and lets kick this around. You are at a pivotal point here in your learning and with the time we have to move into this arena to contemplate the questions above.
A quick read through Phil's response above sees that he is pointing toward much the same thing.
Let us know how we can help,
-Tim