GOOD NEWS ON CAYUGA!

Over the past weeks, we've been wondering if there would be a "bloom" of the blue-green algae anabaena in Cayuga Lake. With unusually warm surface water temperatures and an abundance of nutrients left over from spring rains, the stage was set. This type of algae has caused recent beach closures around New York due to its potential to produce neurotoxins. The picture to the right was recently taken at Oneida Lake.

With help from eco-cruise participants, GIAC's Summer Conservation Corps, and youths from Danby, Ithaca, Trumansburg, Dryden & Lansing, we collected frequent samples and noted a mild anabaena bloom! Over the past week, however, Cayuga's surface waters have been teeming with zooplankton, which have almost completely consumed the problematic algae!

At this point, it looks like Cayuga Lake is resilient enough to stay healthy, even during an especially hot, dry summer. That's good news! If you'd like to learn more about the ecology of Cayuga Lake, check out our "Cruise Prep" pages for more on lake sampling and collected data!