mini red tide

June 2nd, 2013 § 1 comment

Fung Lim at North Brooklyn Boat Club reported to me at my post at Newtown Creek Alliance that the ever-troubled creek had turned a dramatic shade of dark red. We went looking for answers:

newtown_bloom

Photo by Fung Lim

Randall Austin from NYSDEC – “Conditions would be right for an algal bloom: rainfall (runoff) followed by a “heat wave” – would kick up the algae count…these normally occur at the end of the Summer when the ambient water temp has risen gradually. It can happen under the recent weather circumstances, though.”

John Lipscomb from Riverkeeper – “Yes we see it often in summer during sunny dry spells. I was on Newtown Creek last Friday and we saw it then.”

In conclusion, phytoplankton eat sewage and love sunshine.

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