Algal blooms in far off Lake Erie have been a concern for several decades. This concern is now on the radar for the Northland.
Euan Reavie from the Natural Resources Research Institute studies the microscopic elements of the Great Lakes, including the impact of algae. "In a place like western Lake Superior it does appear to be something that is getting worse," says Reavie. Although the blooms have been an area of concern since 1987, climate change has made assessment of the situation difficult. "Why are these blooms occurring in the St. Louis River Estuary? We don't truly know."
Tonight, Reavie will be presenting "Making Sense of Algal Blooms in the St. Louis River Estuary" at the River Talks speaker series at 6:30pm at the Lake Superior Estuarium in Superior, Wisconsin. The River Talks series is sponsored by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program.
More information on algal blooms in the area can be found on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency website. Search "algal blooms" for various stories and reports.
You can hear Green Visions at 8:20am every Wednesday on Northland Morning.
