Ithaca, NY -- In August 2010, Sodus Bay,
Lake Ontario, suffered from algal bloom (Microcystis sp.). Now, with New York Sea Grant (NYSG)
funding, a team led by Dr. Gregory Boyer, from the SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, and Joseph Atkinson form the
University of Buffalo, is developing a model to provide better understanding of
the nutrient and algal dynamics of Sodus Bay.
Boyer is a
recognized leader in algal blooms research, having worked on red tides along
the Atlantic Coast and more recently focusing his efforts on the blue-green
algae blooms that occur in the Great Lakes. Boyer has developed an analytical
technique for measuring microcystin and other toxins produced by blue-green
algae.
Water quality
managers are among the stakeholders impacted by Boyer’s research. The results
of the research work on Sodus Bay will aid decision making by the Bay’s natural
resource managers and marina operators.
“New York Sea Grant
projects address the critical needs of coastal stakeholders. Dr. Boyer and his
team are focused on applying their academic expertise to better understand and
control harmful algal blooms. What we learn from this project on Sodus Bay should
lead to valuable information for use by shoreline communities throughout the
Great Lakes region,” said NYSG Extension Director Dr. Katherine Bunting-Howarth,
Ithaca, NY.
The Sodus Bay
project has received $192,381 in Sea Grant funding. Monies for these projects
come via NYSG’s parent organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP), Silver Spring,
MD.
The Sodus Bay
project funds are among the $2.4 million New York Sea Grant has received for
projects in 2012-2013.
In addition to
addressing important problems and opportunities, NYSG's 2010-2013 Omnibus funds
will support NYSG research, extension and education efforts on important
coastal issues related to storm surges and flooding, seafood safety, wetland
habitats, fisheries, and harmful algal blooms, among others. The funds will
also provide graduate students with financial support through the Sea Grant
Scholar Program, and sponsors conferences, seminars and workshops on a variety
of coastal issues each year.
New York Sea Grant is a statewide network of integrated research, education, and extension services promoting the coastal economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness about the State's marine and Great Lakes resources. One of 32 university-based programs under the NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, NYSG is a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University. Learn more online at www.nyseagrant.org, where you can find the NYSG RSS news feed, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. #
More
Info:
· Algal blooms occur in both freshwater and
marine environments.
· Algal blooms may appear as discolored water,
often green, but also yellow-brown or red, depending on the species of algae.
Large clumps of algal bloom may wash up on shore.
· Algal blooms can be harmful to the aquatic
environment. As algae decays it consumes dissolved oxygen. Lowered levels of
dissolved oxygen can cause aquatic plant and animal die-off.
· Algal blooms may also impact the quality of
public drinking water sources.
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