Harmful Algal Blooms in Kentucky

Governor's Conference on Energy and Environment 2014

Mark MartinKentucky Division of Water

Harmful Algal Blooms: Background

What is a harmful algal bloom (HAB)?

• excessive growth of cyanobacteria aka blue-green algae – WHO, DOW and USACE recognize 100,000 cells/mL as cautionary level

• can potentially produce toxins capable of causing illness or irritation - sometimes death - in pets, livestock, and humans

• caused by a combination of environmental factors including abundant nutrients (N and P) warmer temperatures, lentic waters and sunlight

• nutrient sources include agricultural runoff, lawn fertilizers, sewage effluent and P weathered from the limestone bedrock here in the Bluegrass

What does a bloom look like?

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena

What does a bloom look like?

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena

Objective

What does a bloom look like?

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis

What does a bloom look like?

Neighborhood lake-Grant County August 2013Anabaena

What does a bloom look like?

Long Run LakeJefferson County ParksAugust 2014Oscillatoria-Anabaena-Woronichinia

What does a bloom look like?

Farm pond – Scott CountyAugust 2013Oscillatoria

What does a bloom look like?

Fox Valley Lake – Fleming Co.August 2014Aphanizomenon

Anabaena

Microcystis

What does a bloom look like?

Anabaena appears here as a filament comprised of 16 cells. The 6th cell from the left is a heterocyst that can fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Microcystis is in a colony comprised of hundreds of cells in a mucilaginous sheath

What does a bloom look like?

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis

What does a bloom look like?

Phycocyanin pigment

A Bloom might look like this

Beaver Lake – Anderson CountyAugust 2013Cylindrospermopsis

Where do the nutrients come from?

Where do the nutrients come from?

Where do they go?

What can we do about this?The only factor we have control

over is to reduce nutrient inputs.

Kentucky Nutrient Reduction StrategyPaulette AkersWatershed Management BranchKentucky Division of Water