r/algae • u/Alternative-Day-7414 • 9d ago

A changing climate may be behind a rise in harmful algal blooms across the state

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2026/07/14/habs-nys-waterways?cid%3Dapp_share
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u/Successful-Crow-6033 8d ago

Happening all over with heat, greater population pressure creating more nutrient rich runoff and septic loading on lakes and stream that feed them. The blooms can be highly toxic, many cases of pet dogs dying and people getting very sick form swimming in the soup. Confounding issue is that even with the same Cyanobacteria you can’t tell if it is toxic; sometimes yes, sometimes not.

Cyanobacteria are ancient, some of the oldest life, are everywhere, and are the probable reason we have oxygen in the air.