Why Don’t We Talk About Algae?
Algae is in full bloom in more than a few places around the world, and yet it seems no one is talking about it. Outside of a high school or college environmental science class, or perhaps a research lab that dedicates its studies specifically to algae, these clusters of plant-looking, photosynthesis-performing, slimy-feeling organisms float under the radar. But they shouldn’t, and it’s time we talked about why.
According to the National Ocean Service’s website, algal blooms happen when algae, which usually lives (more or less) harmlessly under the water, reproduce at an uncontrolled rate and overtake the ecosystem in which they once quietly lived. These blooms are often toxic to the organisms in those ecosystems, as well as to other organisms that might live hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. In the rare case that they aren’t toxic, algal blooms also eat up vast amounts of oxygen in both fresh and saltwater systems, again, killing the other living creatures around them. In the very rare case that these blooms don’t kill something or hog all the oxygen they possibly can, they undoubtedly make the water look ugly, and smell pretty bad too.
So then how do they happen? If the world was left to do its thing naturally, algal blooms would certainly happen from time to time. Unfortunately, the world plays host to humans, who help to speed up the process of these blooms, while simultaneously creating more of them. Runoff acts as the biggest proprietor in the algal bloom business. When fertilizer is spread over soil, by both large scale farmers and small scale homeowners alike, the excess flows into the waterways when it rains. Ok, so what? At least it’s not on my yard for my dog to eat and my kid to run around in. True, but now it’s in the water that your dog is currently drinking, and that you used to cook mac and cheese for your kid last night.
See, the nitrogen and phosphorus in the fertilizer — the elements that are essential for plants to grow — also happen to be a pretty great source of nutrients for algae. When this fertilizer ends up in the water, not only does it make its way back into your kitchen in one way or another, but it also feeds the algae that sit silently in the depths of lakes, rivers, oceans, and bays that surround us. When this feeding occurs, the algae takes over without regard for any other life, and it does so quickly. The results? The death of hundreds of thousands of organisms, from seaweed, to oysters, to trout; the pollution of our drinking water; the loss of huge amounts of money usually cashed in by fisheries and other water related entities; and the downright destruction of the beauty of our waterways and shorelines.
However, these blooms can be limited, if not stopped completely. The first step is to talk about them. Groups like National Geographic (pictured above) attempt to shed light on algal blooms, and other human-caused, destructive phenomena, happening in the world. Pictures, like the one above, are one of the most efficient, and most heart-wrenching ways to get people talking about environmental issues. These pictures, or Econs as they are sometimes called, play a crucial role in stirring the general public to act. Here’s how it works: the picture draws attention, attention creates intrigue, intrigue leads to people reading and becoming educated, education results in a new sense of care for the topic, a new sense of care elicits action, and action provokes (hopefully) a solution. But without the pictures, that domino effect never happens, and we don’t stand a chance.
