The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released the latest photographs of the algal blooms forming in the waters of the Great Lakes located on the border of the United States and Canada.
The new images were captured on July 28, using the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on board the American space agency's Landsat 8 satellite. The algal blooms appear as green swirls in the waters of Lake St. Clair and the western portion of Lake Erie.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted last month that this year's season for algal blooms would be most devastating in areas covered by Lake Erie. Their forecast suggests that the growth of algae in the lake's western portion could equal the severity of the algal blooms observed in 2011.
The algae that typically form in the basin are most active when sunlight and nutrients from agricultural runoff are abundant and also when the temperature of the water becomes warmer. The bloom season lasts from summer until September.
In 2011, studies confirmed that phosphorus from the runoff of farms in the area combined with conditions in the lake and favorable weather to produce the algal bloom that was three times more massive than what was initially observed.
The researchers warned that unless current practices on land management and the trends in climate change cease, Lake Erie will likely see more algal blooms on the same magnitude as the one seen in 2011.
Harmful blooms of algae have been known to cause fish kills in waters affected by the environmental condition. They also lead to water safety risks both in terms of consumption and recreational activities, such as when the 2014 algal bloom affected areas in southeast Michigan and Toledo, Ohio. Drinking water in these areas remains safe for consumption, according to the latest report as of July 30.
In April, NASA scientists and several other partner agencies launched an agreement to develop an early warning system regarding the formation of algal blooms in fresh waters. The multi-agency system is set to make satellite imagery on ocean color more readily available to managers working on water and environmental quality.
