American Council of Science and Health: Written by Josh Bloom. July 16, 2018.
There is a real mess going on in Southern Florida. Lake Okeechobee, which is the second largest body of fresh water in the US, as well as other waterways, are being overrun by a massive bloom of blue-green algae. This bloom is threatening both tourism and health. The science here is very interesting because blue-green algae, are not algae; they are bacteria, capable of serving up some of the world's most toxic chemicals.
Although cyanobacteria, which can fix nitrogen and perform photosynthesis, play an important part in the earth's ecosystem, when blooms form, especially usually when the water is still, polluted, or warm, a substantial amount of a variety of neurotoxins is produced. Neurotoxins are not to be taken lightly.
Continue reading "Florida's Deadly Algae Bloom - Why Is It So Dangerous?"