Didymo Found in Lower Section of Batten Kill in Washington County NY

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that didymo is present in a section of the Batten Kill in Washington County. It is the first known presence of this aquatic nuisance algae--also called "rock snot"--in New York State.

Unlike many other aquatic nuisance plants, Didymosphenia geminata grows on the bottom of flowing and still waters. It can develop thick mats even in fast-flowing trout streams. In its presence, fishing becomes difficult, the abundance of bottom-dwelling organisms declines, and trout and other fish that feed on those organisms also decline.

Didymo clings to a rock that was submerged

Meandering for 29 miles from Vermont to the Hudson River, the Batten Kill is a celebrated trout stream, as well as a popular watercourse for kayaking, canoeing and tubing. Didymo, which resembles rotting cardboard when exposed and dried, was observed in a section around and downstream of Route 22 where it crosses near the Village of Salem. Vermont also has confirmed the presence of didymo in a section just upstream of the border with New York State.

The microscopic algae cling unseen to waders, boots, boats, lures, hooks, sinkers, fishing line, and other fishing gear, and remain viable for several weeks under even slightly moist conditions. Absorbent items--for example, the felt-soled waders and wading boots commonly used by stream anglers--require thorough attention as discussed below. Anglers, kayakers and canoeists, boaters and jet skiers can unknowingly spread didymo.

Read the entire article, including tips for prevention and control at http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/36890.html
Source: Environment DEC, NYS DEC's online newsletter

NALMS Blue Green Algae Initiative

NALMS has taken a leadership role on the issue of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) toxicity with their Blue Green Algae Initiative. Their new website contains information on conditions favoring blooms, human/animal health issues, toxicity, and much more.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms have been occurring throughout the world for thousands of years. Cyanobacteria produce a number of nuisance compounds, including those that are toxic or cause severe taste-and-odor problems in drinking water supplies. Cyanobacterial toxins can make drinking water and recreational use of water unsafe. Animals die yearly as a result of cyanotoxins, and though human death is not common, many people experience symptoms indicative of cyanotoxin exposure. Very little is known about the long-term side affects of ingestion of cyanotoxins, so alhtough there is a guideline set by WHO for safe concentrations, minimal concentrations could cause an effect over time.

Visit the NALMS Blue Green Algae Initiative page at http://www.nalms.org/Resources/BlueGreenInitiative/Overview.htm

U.N. says number of ocean "dead zones" rising fast - Yahoo! News

U.N. says number of ocean "dead zones" rising fast
By Daniel Wallis Thu Oct 19, 9:19 AM ET

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The number of "dead zones" in the world's oceans may have increased by a third in just two years, threatening fish stocks and the people who depend on them, the U.N. Environment Program said on Thursday.

Fertilizers, sewage, fossil fuel burning and other pollutants have led to a doubling in the number of oxygen-deficient coastal areas every decade since the 1960s.

Now experts estimate there are 200 so-called ocean dead zones, compared with 150 two years ago.

"Some successes are being scored but in other areas -- like sewage, nutrients from fertilizer run off, animal wastes and atmospheric pollution; sediment mobilization and marine litter -- the problems are intensifying," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said in a statement.

read the rest of the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061019/sc_nm/environment_deadzones_dc_1

Oil from Algae?

Ever wondered if you could get OIL from ALGAE? Do you wonder now that I mentioned it? Check out the "Oil From Algae" Yahoo Group described below:

oil_from_algae : oil from algae: "Is it feasible to grow algae, harvest the oils, and use the algae oil for fuel? Discuss techniques, research results, and future directions. "

Thanks to OfA group moderator (?) Tom Catino for the heads-up on this one.

Algae returns to Great Lakes

Algae returns to Great Lakes: "Algae returns to Great Lakes

By JOHN FLESHER, Associated Press Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Call it the return of the green slime.

Back in the 1960s, foul gobs of algae along Great Lakes shorelines made swimmers and sunbathers miserable before a crackdown on phosphorus pollution repelled the invasion.

Now, the algae are mounting a comeback and controlling it may be tougher this time, according to the Michigan Environmental Council, an umbrella organization for a host of environmental and public interest organizations in the state.

'The nightmare may be poised to repeat itself,' the council said in a statement accompanying a report released Wednesday.

Algae blooms have been on the rise since the mid-1990s in parts of all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, whose icy waters are not as hospitable to the slimy aquatic plants."