Skip to content
Advertisement

Researchers watching for potential algae surges as part of Hurricane Ian aftermath

Scientists have their eyes on algae after Hurricane Ian. Levels of blue-green algae surged after Hurricane Irma, causing massive mats and major fish kills months after the storm.

Advertisement
Researchers watching for potential algae surges as part of Hurricane Ian aftermath

Scientists have their eyes on algae after Hurricane Ian. Levels of blue-green algae surged after Hurricane Irma, causing massive mats and major fish kills months after the storm.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Scientists have their eyes on algae after Hurricane Ian. Levels of blue-green algae surged after Hurricane Irma, causing massive mats and major fish kills months after the storm. Could this happen again next spring? That, according to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) ecology and environmental studies professor Barry Rosen, depends on several factors. Blue-green algae competes with aquatic plants for nutrients. If those plant populations were devastated by Ian, that would give the algae more room to grow. “It’s possible that there’s been a die-off of those plants,” Rosen said, “and this spring when the blue-green algae start populating the river and they can come from the lake, both. What if the competition is gone?” The algae also needs light to thrive. Right now, the water is still clouded with pollutants and runoff. and light levels are not ideal for a major algal bloom. The cloudiness of the water will change in the next few months, but will it be enough to cause major blooms? “It’s usually March that you could start to see them,” Rosen says. “So, will it be a bad year? Hard to say.” “I don’t know if we should expect it,” FGCU Water School professor Mike Parsons said, “but there’s enough evidence that we should definitely look into it and study it.” In short, experts say it’s a “maybe” and too soon to really tell. If an algal bloom does happen, there’s no way to stop it once it starts. “If we know red tide is going to bloom, what can we do ahead of time? Almost like hurricane preparation,” Parsons said. “What can we do ahead of time to lessen the impact?” Scientists say they’re more prepared to fight back against algae this time.  “I think we’re in a better position now that we were post-Irma,” Parsons said. “We did definitely have red tide monitoring up and running before and right after Irma. But now we have more of these mitigation technologies and more response plans in place.” There are steps you can take, especially if you live next to a waterway. Cutting back on added nutrients like fertilizer can slow the algae’s growth. Researchers at FGCU plan to study the waters carefully for the next few months.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Scientists have their eyes on algae after Hurricane Ian.

Advertisement

Levels of blue-green algae surged after Hurricane Irma, causing massive mats and major fish kills months after the storm.

Could this happen again next spring? That, according to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) ecology and environmental studies professor Barry Rosen, depends on several factors. Blue-green algae competes with aquatic plants for nutrients. If those plant populations were devastated by Ian, that would give the algae more room to grow.

“It’s possible that there’s been a die-off of those plants,” Rosen said, “and this spring when the blue-green algae start populating the river and they can come from the lake, both. What if the competition is gone?”

The algae also needs light to thrive. Right now, the water is still clouded with pollutants and runoff. and light levels are not ideal for a major algal bloom. The cloudiness of the water will change in the next few months, but will it be enough to cause major blooms?

“It’s usually March that you could start to see them,” Rosen says. “So, will it be a bad year? Hard to say.”

“I don’t know if we should expect it,” FGCU Water School professor Mike Parsons said, “but there’s enough evidence that we should definitely look into it and study it.”

In short, experts say it’s a “maybe” and too soon to really tell. If an algal bloom does happen, there’s no way to stop it once it starts.

“If we know red tide is going to bloom, what can we do ahead of time? Almost like hurricane preparation,” Parsons said. “What can we do ahead of time to lessen the impact?”

Scientists say they’re more prepared to fight back against algae this time. 

“I think we’re in a better position now that we were post-Irma,” Parsons said. “We did definitely have red tide monitoring up and running before and right after Irma. But now we have more of these mitigation technologies and more response plans in place.”

There are steps you can take, especially if you live next to a waterway. Cutting back on added nutrients like fertilizer can slow the algae’s growth.

Researchers at FGCU plan to study the waters carefully for the next few months.