News

A report of algal blooms around Washington last week not only sent the Sound Rivers team out on the Ripiarianne last week, but brought in N.C. State University researchers to collect water samples.

“We’ve been getting some really hot weather, and that combined with drought conditions and not a whole lot of rain is causing good conditions for algal blooms,” said Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman.

A team from the North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE), which addresses critical public health and environmental challenges associated with harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms in North Carolina’s coastal waters, collected water samples from the retention pond in front of Moss Landing, just east of the North Carolina Estuarium, and from Jack’s Creek near the dog park.

The good news is that testing revealed algae at both sites was not toxic.

Though the algae in the retention pond — euglena with some benthic filamentous — formed a scum and was pretty smelly, it came back negative for toxic bacteria.

Katey said she expects as long as air temperatures remain high, the threat of algal blooms will continue.

“If you’re seeing what you think is an algal bloom in your local waterways, if you’re out on the river, let us know,” she said.

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