Quote:
Originally Posted by ApS
Your neighbor may be referring to the precursor to cyanobacteria "poisonous blue-green algae blooms", which are the gloeotrichia. Those are the tiny gray dots that come within easy view of the surface on warm and windless days In late summer.
As a sailor, I have many hours on Lake Winnipesaukee on warm, windless, days in late summer.  I can tell you gloeotrichia are easy to see and they're all over the lake.
At night, their natural buoyancy mechanism allows them to sink to deeper waters where they recharge their energy on Phosphorus.
Nobody's come right out and said it (yet) but all that Phosphorus has a common origin. 
.
One Maine organization is collecting gloeotrichia data by means of a smart-phone app:
https://www.raymondmaine.org/content/gloeotrichia |
Hi APS,
Great information! The cyanobacteria Gloeotrichia tend to not form blooms, but they do congregate in coves and on shorelines through wind/wave action. Other cyanobacteria types found on Winni, such as Dolichispermum, can form those surface scums that you are referring to. Nutrients most definitely have a part to play in "feeding" these blooms! LWA was recently featured in a
Laconia Daily Sun article where we state "Too much phosphorus entering our lake promotes the growth of algae and aquatic vegetation, just like it helps the growth of grass and gardens."
__________________
The Lake Winnipesaukee Association (LWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the water quality and natural resources of Lake Winnipesaukee and its watershed. Through monitoring, education, stewardship, and science guided approaches for lake management, LWA works to ensure Winnipesaukee’s scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, water quality and recreational potential continues to provide enjoyment long into the future.
http://www.winnipesaukee.org/
http://winnipesaukeegateway.org/