Algae and your brain. Is there a connection? Did you know that not all algae are plants? The term “algae” is actually quite broad, and refers to all kinds of photosynthetic organisms living in water. Some of these organisms are protists and some are plants. Seaweed, as a matter of fact, is a protist. So next time you go for that sushi, think, “protist!”
What causes algae to bloom in excessive amounts, causing harmful algal blooms (HABs)? While fertilizer helps plants grow with nitrogen and phosphorus, in excess, these minerals can feed a large population of algae. Fertilizer from farming ends up in local bodies of water and causes an increase in algal growth. Wastewater from water treatment facilities, also containing large amounts of said minerals, ends up in local bodies of water and causes an increase in algal growth as well.
When in oceans, an overgrowth of algae can cause other organisms to die out, creating “dead zones.” All the algae at the surface leave no room for oxygen or sunlight to get to layers below (if you wish to sound smart, you can say that “HABs cause hypoxic conditions”). This harms the other organisms in the ecosystem, because they can not get access to the materials that they need to survive. Algal blooms may be toxic to other organisms around them, and even if they are not directly toxic to an organism, they may still cause toxins to be stored in that organism. These toxins may be passed on to the organism that eats it, causing a buildup of toxins in predators. Some of these toxins are neurotoxins, and can affect a person’s or animal’s brain. So should you eat sharks from algae-infested areas? Probably not.
So are there any solutions to these HABs? Yes. One solution to the HAB problem is to grow plants at the waterfront, so that they absorb all of the fertilizer, and it does not end up in the body of water. Other solutions are to have fertilizer runoff collected and before it enters the water, or aerating lakes so that the nutrients don’t settle down and get comfy. So if you have a green thumb, let’s get cracking to solve this problem!
Post By: Roshni P. M. and Hannah W.
Photo credits: Dave Hoefler, Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/ZYweWugOH8k
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