Satellite system warns swimmers, treatment plants of harmful algae

Satellite images of Lake Erie sent right to your inbox can warn you about harmful algae in the lake before you decide to visit.

People can sign up for the emailed bulletin that was developed at the Center of Excellence for Great Lakes in Human Health at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They’ll learn where waves, winds and currents are expected to move algal blooms, said Sonia Joseph Joshi, Sea Grant extension outreach coordinator at the Center of Excellence for Great Lakes in Human Health at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A bloom is a large accumulation of algae. To detect one, satellite images of Lake Erie are obtained from the European space agency MERIS. That information is linked to the forecast of how currents will move to predict where the algae is going, said Joshi.

Water treatment plant operators have used the service for a couple of years. It was available to the public last year, but wasn’t publicized much as researchers worked the kinks out of the system, said Richard Stumpf, oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Approximately two years ago the bulletin was introduced to Ohio water researchers at the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center, said Brenda Snyder, chief chemist at Toledo’s water treatment plant. Everyone signed up to receive it.

Algal blooms like those of cyanobacteria make water taste and smell bad. Water treatment plants get rid of these problems before the public uses the water, but they are expensive to treat.

The forecasts can help cut costs by requiring treatment only when the threat looms.

“If we can identify the type of algae, then we know what type of toxin to test [water] for, instead of testing for everything,” said Douglas Keller, water services superintendent for Sandusky in Ohio.  “It saves money. It indicates where the algae blooms are, so we can be prepared for them.”

Treating the water for algae that isn’t present wastes a lot of taxpayers’ money, said Stumpf.

Now that the forecasts are available to the public, experts are concerned with people will react.

They could fear the presence of all the algae in the water, said Snyder.

She hopes, however, that if a person is looking at the report they will know something about the subject and avoid panicking.

Certain algal blooms can cause severe stomach flu and skin rashes, Joshi said. They can produce liver toxins and certain neurotoxins.

Animals are also at risk.

“Don’t let your dog go into scummy water,” said Stumpf, “They’re smaller than you. People think their animals are indestructible – they’re not.”

Lake Erie was chosen as the focus of this effort because of its high amount of algae.

“The biggest, worst [algal] blooms [in the Great Lakes area] are in Lake Erie and they are toxic,” said Stumpf, “There is some algae in Saginaw Bay and some in Lake Ontario, but as far as toxic algae is concerned, Lake Erie is the most severe.”

Parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are under consideration for a similar algae alert system but plenty of research is still needed, Stumpf said. Inquiries have also been made about extending the service to areas of Canada bordering Lake Erie.

In addition to the satellite analysis, water treatment experts, sample and test lake water.  A small test-tube like instrument measures water for the pigment phycocyanin which indicates the presence of cyanobacteria, said Stumpf.

It is a quick and good method for approximate numbers but another method, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, is used to obtain a specific measure of algae. It determines the amount of chlorophyll in water.

The weekly bulletin focuses on harmful algal blooms like cyanobacteria since they are toxic, said Stumpf. Other kinds of algae are excluded, as they are merely annoying.

Snyder wishes she could receive a daily report, but Stumpf said there isn’t a need for one that often.

“Some algae grow really fast; fortunately this isn’t one of them,” he said, “So water analysis is carried out once a week.”