Although harmful algal blooms happen in the summer, the algae themselves are year-round residents of the water bodies they inhabit – but very little is known about other times in the annual cycle of blooms. In particular for Lake Erie, ice cover and extreme weather conditions in winter and spring prevent regular monitoring and safe sampling.
By partnering with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, researchers at Bowling Green State University are able to take advantage of those ships’ ice-breaking capabilities to sample offshore waters in winter and early spring, before state and federal agencies start their monitoring efforts.
In winter of 2016 and 2017, the researchers collected 60 surface water samples for analysis, specifically looking at nutrients such as phosphorus, as well as phytoplankton biomass to determine how algae were growing below the ice. The two winters coincided with low-ice years on Lake Erie, possibly providing a look into the lake’s ice-free future due to a warming climate.
The Bottom Line
Collaboration with Coast Guard personnel has provided scientists with the opportunity for Lake Erie sampling during hard-to-access winter and spring months.