KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Ijams Nature Center has issued a health advisory after a temporary algal bloom was spotted in Meads Quarry Lake. As part of the advisory, Ijams is warning that people and pets should not swim in or ingest the water, scum, foam, or algae that is in the lake.

Ijam’s issued the advisory Thursday afternoon, explaining that the lake is experiencing a temporary bloom of Planktothrix rubescens, a cyanobacterium that produces microcystin, a metabolite that can be toxic to people and pets when in large enough concentration.

Strands of the algae give the lake a slight pink coloration.

The bloom was found by University of Tennessee-Knoxville students and faculty who were conducting water quality tests at the lake as part of a class. When the bloom was discovered, they notified Ijams, who is now working with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Ijams wrote in a release that the high levels of microcystins have been verified.

“Ijams is very fortunate to be able to collaborate with UTK faculty and state experts, who acted quickly to help us keep everyone safe,” Ijams President/CEO Amber Parker said. “I’m thankful we have such knowledgeable and helpful scientific experts so close at hand.”

According to Ijams, the state-designated recreational water Health Advisory level for microcystin is 8 micrograms per liter. A sample collected from the lake on March 5 showed levels between 10 and 28 µg/L.

Microcystin can cause various health effects, including upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ijam’s added that exposure to concentrations of cyanotoxins higher than the state’s guideline values could potentially result in more serious illnesses.

Anyone experiencing illness after swimming or playing in the water after playing in the water should seek medical attention. Additionally, Ijams said in the release if you, your family members, or animals experience adverse cyanotoxin-related health effects, you should contact the Tennessee Department of Health to report the illness by emailing Waterborne.Health@tn.gov or call 615-741-7247.

Parker explained that the algal bloom is fairly common in deep lakes with defined thermoclines, which are transitional layers between warmer surface waters and cooler deep waters. The seasonal mixing of layers can be affected by warmer winters and unstable weather patterns, which creates a favorable condition for the bacteria to reproduce rapidly.

“The rapid changes in temperature we’ve been experiencing this year caused the lake, which is more than 75 feet deep, to transition quickly,” Parker said. “We expect that blooms of this particular cyanobacteria may become a more regular occurrence at this time of year due to climate change. Changes in aquatic systems such as this, extreme weather events, higher fire potentials, and earlier flowering of plants are all effects of increasingly warming temperatures. Thankfully, we expect this to be a short-lived event that will resolve itself before swimming season begins.”