...Toxic Algae in Lake Erie – There Appears to be More Questions Than Answers A Review of “Huge toxic algae bloom expected for Lake Erie: Blue-green algae feeding off phosphorus from farm fertilizer that runs into lake” INTRODUCTION Blue-green algae blooms continue to be a problem for the ecosystem of Lake Erie and Raj Bejankiwar, a scientist with the International Joint Commission, estimates that there is a 99% chance that algae will once again be an issue this summer. Blue-green algae remove the oxygen from the lake, which contributes to the deaths of other plant and animal life in the lake. Blue-green algae require phosphorus to survive and thrive, and phosphorus has become increasingly available due to the use of large amounts of fertilizer on farms and the subsequent run-off that enters Lake Erie. It is important for farmers to use soil tests and do as much as possible to retain the phosphorus in their soil with minimal leakage. However without laws in place, it is up to individual farmers to decide how they will contribute to decreasing the phosphorus waste. The article’s objective is to provide information on the cause of the blue-green algae boom and indicate certain ways to reduce the excess phosphorus that contributes to the large amount of algae in Lake Erie. REVIEW The article, targeted at a general audience, provided the basic information on the issue of blue-green algae and their necessary food source of phosphorus, focusing on fertilizer as the primary...
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...runoff that makes its way into Lake Erie will cause algae to bloom at a quicker rate. It is the runoff from...
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...Algal biomass as plant fertilizers and Growth Stimulants. Literature review Overview In this literature review, we discuss algae characteristics, and cultivation. Moreover, we provide information about the use of algae as fertilizers and growth stimulants, the definition of biofertilizers and biostimulants, and how they help the plant to grow and to produce higher yield. Also, we provide several case studies of researches aimed to elucidate the role of algae as biofertilizers and biostimulants. General characteristics of algae Algae are one of the largest groups in the eukaryote domain; it consists of a vast group of organisms that differ in shape and size. They may be single-cellular such as Chlorella or multicellular that may reach to more...
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...herbivorous species of sea turtle, consisting of seagrasses and algae in their diet, with the exception of juvenile green sea turtles eating jellyfish, crabs, and sponges. The unique species is named for the greenish color of their cartilage and fat, not their shells, despite many misconceptions. Instead of being named for the color of their shells, green sea turtles are named for the green color of their fat and...
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...Algae and Friends 1. Why are algae important in nature? How are algae, fungi and lichens related and how is this relationship defined? Explain how the presence of algae can indicate either pollution or productivity of a body of water. Algae are a very large and diverse group of eukaryotic organisms, ranging from unicellular genera such as Chlorella and the diatoms to multicellular forms such as the giant kelp. Most are autotrophic and lack many of the distinct cell and tissue types found in land plants such as stomata, xylem and phloem. The largest and most complex marine algae are called seaweeds, while the most complex freshwater forms are the Charophyta, a division of algae that includes Spirogyra and the stoneworts. Algae has several uses in nature and for mankind. Agar is a jelly-like substance, obtained from algae, which is derived from red algae, has a number of commercial uses. It is a good medium on which to grow bacteria and fungi as most microorganisms cannot digest agar. Alginic acid, or alginate, is extracted from brown algae. Its uses range from gelling agents in food, to medical dressings. Alginic acid also has been used in the field of biotechnology as a biocompatible medium for cell encapsulation and cell immobilization. Molecular cuisine is also a user of the substance for its gelling properties, by which it becomes a delivery vehicle for flavors. Algae fuel or algal biofuel is an alternative to fossil fuel that uses algae as its source of natural...
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...living things. It forms the building blocks of life, because amino acids; constituent of proteins and nucleic acids; constituent of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), would not have existed without nitrogen.(1) We need proteins because they make up our skin and hair. Proteins also help us digest food. We get our nitrogen from plants, and plants get it from bacteria in the soil. Our atmosphere provides life with the nitrogen it needs. In the atmosphere, Nitrogen exists as a very stable molecule, N2, which is not used by plants and animals. It is an essential element for plant growth and development and a key agricultural input, but in excess it can lead to a host of problems for human and ecological health. (2) Across the globe, distribution of fertilizer nitrogen is very uneven, with some areas subject to nitrogen pollution and others suffering from reduced soil fertility, diminished crop production, and other consequences of inadequate supply. (2) The nitrogen cycle is one of the important systems for living things as it is a continuous series of natural processes by which Nitrogen passes from the air to the soil, to plants, and ultimately to sustain all animal life, and then returns back to the air or soil through decay or de-nitrification(3). In a natural ecosystem bacteria called Diazotrophs take nitrogen out of the air and change it into ammonia in the soil, this process can be either biological or abiotic and is known as Nitrogen Fixation.(6) Those nutrients help plants...
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...Dr. Sherman English 111 25 October 2012 Helping Your Community In A School for My Village Twesigye Jackson Kaguri`s main idea is to do the best he can to give back to the people of his community in Nyakagyezi, Uganda. Firstly, Kaguri wants to help solve the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is spreading throughout Uganda. Secondly, Kaguri wants to help the orphans that have lost parents to this deadly disease, HIV/AIDS. Lastly, Kaguri wants to help all the people in his community by making a source for clean water. Having a source of clean renewable water in a community is the most important resource for its success. It is Kaguri`s plan to do the best of his ability to help the people in his community of Nyakagyezi through the Nyaka school. Unfortunately this HIV/AIDS pandemic has been spreading like wild fire throughout Kaguri`s community. Kaguri says, “‘what is it you wish from me?’. . . ‘What can I do to end this suffering caused by HIV/AIDS’” (45)? Kaguri feels the effects HIV/AIDS can have detrimental effects on families. It has already taken the lives of three of his family members, and this has made Kaguri want to help his community deal with this issue even more. Kaguri`s idea is that if we have an educated generation of children in the community; then we can slow down the transfer of the deadly disease, and eventually exterminate it. So, Kaguri wants to put an end to all the horrible consequences caused by HIV/AIDS, and he wants to give better quality education; which the...
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...and nitrates are nutrients that increase algae growth and help cause blooms. So we decided to test if these claims could be true. We set up our experiment by setting up 7 cups, then we labeled them 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, and control. Next we filled each cup with 50ml of algae infused water. Now to act as runoff from the factory we put...
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...both the "hard" and social sciences. Consider this. A dairy farmer in Wisconsin loves to fish in a tiny lake adjacent to his property. In recent weeks, he has had terrible luck, catching few or no fish every time he goes out. He also notices that the lake has an unusually high amount of algae in it. Clearly, the reason for a short supply of fish and an increased amount of algae in the lake is contributed to algae blooms. These blooms are caused by “loads” of nitrogen flowing into the canal. Based on this information, I predict large amounts of chemical fertilizers are being applied on nearby farms and subsequent run-off enters the lake (Withgott & Laposata, p. 9). This occurrence then produces massive algae growth which not only obstructs sunlight, but also starves the water of oxygen, resulting in the death of the fish living in the tiny lake. To resolve this situation, the nitrogen run-off must be reduced and the lake will eventually return to normal. To test this prediction or hypothesis linking algae growth to fertilizer, a simple experiment would be to construct two identical separate pools of water (representing the lakes). After that, introduce a small quantity of algae into...
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...Aluminum foil * BIOnix (Liquid fertilizer) * Sunlight * Sticks * Two fishes * Fish food Methods: 1. Fill the half of the two containers of water, put algal culture at the same container the same time. 2. Cover the top of both containers with aluminum foil. Make sure to use the sticks to create small holes in the aluminum foil. 3. Label the containers 1 and 2. 4. Put one fish in each container. 5. Place the containers where it can have enough sunlight. Feed the fishes every day, but drop more foods on the container labelled “2”. 6. After 4 days, you can see that the water of both containers change its colour same as the colour of the algal culture we mixed at the first step of the experiment. Mix 20mL of liquid fertilizer to the container labelled 2. And leave it for two more days. 7. After two days, you can observe that the container labelled “1” will have the same volume of algae, while the container labelled “2” will be observed to have the well called algal blooms, it also change to a darker colour and an irritating smell. On the first to fourth day of experiment, both containers have the same cases. It has greenish water caused by the algal culture mixed in the water. But after the liquid fertilizer was mixed on the second container, the fish will be noticed having hard time to swim in the container. The fish in the container labelled “2” died at the fifth day the same time where the algae blooms easily caused by the chemicals...
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...Current environment problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans and animals. Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource. Florida’s water pollution problem is a matter of public health and the public must be protected. According to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protecting report, found that half the state’s rivers and more than half of its lakes had poor water quality. Water pollution has many different causes and this is one of the reasons why is it so difficult to solve. High levels of sewage, manure, and fertilizer, when put in the water cause a toxic algae and red tide that contaminates drinking water. Everyday waste water from sinks, dishwashers, and toilets flow into the sewer pipes to a treatment plant and then...
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...environment for the growth and development of the algae. In good conditions, Azolla can readily colonize areas of freshwater, and double its biomass about every three days. First you need to buy some Azolla plants. This is only needed for the very first time. After this you can breed them by yourself. Buy the specie Azolla pinnata, this specie works best in the Cambodian climate and is used a lot in Vietnam and Thailand. [pic] Example of a propagation pond After you bought some of them, you have to make a propagation pond. Place the Azolla plants on the water surface of your pond. After a while the whole water surface will be covered with the Azolla. The algae on the Azolla plant, will fix up to about 140 kg nitrogen/hectare. So you don’t longer have to use a commercial nitrogen fertilizer. This leaflet will show the steps for using Azolla to improve the fertility of the soil. How to use the symbiotic Azolla/Anabaena system? 1. Some days after transplanting your rice seedlings into the paddy, gather the Azolla from the propagation pond and spread it evenly on the area of your paddy. Their must be at least a water level of about 1 cm. Important: Enough Azolla must be left in the pond for future use, so it can multiply itself again. 2. The Azolla plants multiply themselves at great speed, so after some time a big part of your paddy is covered with the Azolla, among your rice plants. [pic] River covered with Azolla The algae on the Azolla fix nitrogen until harvest time...
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...contributing to the pollution. As non-point and point source pollution are gradually becoming equal distributors of pollutants in surface waters it’s becoming clear that point source pollutions need to be better regulated and non-point sources need to become regulated. The most potent pollutant in Lake Erie is soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), Most likely the phosphorus is coming from non-point sources due to agriculture and other point source pollutions. The use of fertilizer on farms contains high levels of phosphorus that run off into ditches and streams that end up in the lake. Non-point source pollution can be an ambiguous...
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...Environmental Concerns Associated with Fertilizer Use Use of fertilizer materials has generated numerous environmental concerns in recent years. Concerns can be categorized by their effect on water quality, air quality, and human and animal health. In each case, constituents of primary interest are nitrogen and phosphorus, although others need to be considered depending on the fertilizer source. As previously covered, there are many available fertilizer sources including commercial fertilizers, biosolids and animal waste. Environmental concerns become a potential hazard with the misuse of these materials. Misuse generally arises when fertilizer application rates exceed agronomic requirements. It is emphasized here that application of fertilizer materials is not environmentally unsound but excessive application of any of them can lead to potential hazards. In many states fertilizer use is now being regulated and it is expected that Oklahoma will follow this trend. Therefore, as an agriculture systems manager you should be aware of potential problems. By knowing the potential problems you can properly manage fertilizer inputs to maximize production yet minimize negative environmental impacts. Nitrogen Environmental concerns with nitrogen focus on water quality but also include air quality and human and animal health. Water quality issues include nitrogen concentrations in surface water and groundwater. Concerns for surface waters are related to nitrogen entering...
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...Many problems start occurring due to the algae outbreak in Lake Eire. The perch population started to decline after thirty years of the algae outbreak. Furthermore, when the algae started to decay it took the oxygen from the water suffocating and causing them to die. The algae that outbreak was the cladophora species that usually reside at the bottom of the lake. The scientist discovered what was causing this algae growth to cover the lake making it impossible for visibility. The cause was phosphorous which was impossible to eliminate from the waters, but there was a skyrocket phosphorous in 1940. The phosphorous was coming from sewage treatment plants, household detergents, and farmers’ fertilizer; all flowing into the Lake Eire. This cause great concern with how Lake Eire conditions were going to improve if you couldn’t eliminate phosphorous. The issue of the excess phosphorous brought the politicians together to aid a deal to protect the environment called the Clean Water Act. Billions of dollars was spent on cleaning waters and resurrecting it. This brought...
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