Eutrophication News

The millions of gallons of water gushing into Tampa Bay from the abandoned Piney Point phosphate plant contains high levels of a pollutant called cadmium, as well as enough nitrogen and phosphorus to potentially cause a harmful algae bloom and a fish kill, state Department of Environmental Protection officials announced Wednesday.

MANATEE COUNTY - The water gushing from a former phosphate plant into the Gulf of Mexico in North Manatee County contains high levels of two toxic metals and nutrients that could harm a precious Southwest Florida fishery.

MANATEE COUNTY - The water gushing from a former phosphate plant into the Gulf of Mexico in North Manatee County contains high levels of two toxic metals and nutrients that could harm a precious Southwest Florida fishery.

Toxic algal blooms are turning the Caloosahatchee into a smelly green mess east of the Franklin Lock. West of the lock, the river is streaked by a brown dinoflagellate bloom. The Olga Water Treatment Plant (east of Franklin Lock) was shut down on May 5 because of algae and high salinities.

MANILA, Philippines - There is nothing “natural” in the fishkill that started in areas encircling the Taal Lake, an expert from the University of the Philippines (UP) said.

ATLANTA, GA. Trivia question: What President signed into law the Clean Water Act Amendments to cover stormwater issues? If you guessed President Ronald Reagan, you were right.

According to the EPA, communities along the Great Bay are prime contributors to nitrogen pollution, which in turn is effectively killing the bay. The problem, however, as Rochester and other communities see it, is that their treatment facilities are only part of the problem.

Delmas, South Africa: A NEW wastewater treatment plant at Delmas, in Mpumalanga, is to be commissioned by the end of this month, municipal spokesman Ronald du Toit says.

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- From far away Lake Elmdale looks like it always does, but close up, large mounds of algae have clearly taken over.

Bangalore, INDIA: Soaps and detergents are turning out to be the new killers of lakes, according to researchers from Bangalore University. Shocked by the revelations, experts have suggested that the government ban the use of phosphate in detergents and soaps, and instead switch to synthetic chemical, Zeolite.

Collier County water quality monitors are reporting various species of dead fish and discolored water in at least two Marco Island canals. Monitors are blaming low oxygen levels in the canals because of a bloom of non-toxic algae detected in water quality samples.

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) -- China's overall environmental situation is still grave while its seven major rivers and coastal seawaters are slightly polluted, according to an annual report on the country's environmental conditions in 2010 released Friday.

The Tampa City Council is on a fast track to pass an ordinance banning the use or sale of certain fertilizers during the summer rainy season. The law is intended to protect the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. Local residents and activists showed up in numbers to today's City Council meeting to support the proposed ordinance.

The fish kill experienced earlier this week appears over. Nancy Richie, city Environmental Specialist, said, "From my samples (taken on Wednesday) the canal fish kill was caused by low dissolved oxygen, resulting from a 'mixed' bloom of non-toxic algae and diatoms

The Manitoba government is to be congratulated for its announcement this week that its policy for Lake Winnipeg will focus on aggressively reducing phosphorus inputs to the lake.

A five-year study on the health of Lake Winnipeg contains some dire warnings for Manitobans. The study, released Tuesday, said if no action is taken, deadly toxic algae could form and spread.

Jellyfish are great survivors of disturbed marine ecosystems – even the oxygen-starved “dead zones” caused by coastal eutrophication – and the tipping point comes when the sum of human impacts allows jellyfish to outnumber the filter-feeding fish.

"When these blooms die and sink to the bottom, they suck the oxygen out of the water," Waldbusser said. "Low oxygen is the flip side of high CO2. People in the Northwest are starting to become aware of hypoxia and its impacts, but there hasn't been the same awareness of ocean acidification on a local level."

Louisiana's shrimpers expected 2010 to be a good year. Instead, they got the oil spill. Although many found temporary jobs working cleanup for BP PLC, hopes for recovery turned to 2011.

PHILIPPINES - "Lake ecosystems are threatened by overexploitation, pollution, the proliferation of aquaculture and fisheries structure, the introduction of exotic invasive species, solid and domestic waste," said Dr. Manuel Bravo of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources.