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Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer in Lake Erie − why that's a worry for people and pets
Lake Erie algal blooms, August 2011, along the southeast Lake Erie shore of Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada, 5 miles north of the international line. | Michigan Sea Grant Gregory J. Dick, University of Michigan Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie's harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season. However, anyone who comes in contact with the blooms can face health risks, and it's worth remembering that 2014, when toxins from algae blooms contaminated the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was considered a moderate year, too. The Conversation asked Gregory J. Dick, who leads the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, a federally funded center at the University of Michigan that studies harmful algal blooms among other Great Lakes issues, why they're such a concern. bulletin_current 1. What causes harmful algal blooms? Harmful algal blooms are dense patches of excessive algae growth that can occur in any type of water body, including ponds, reservoirs, rivers, lakes and oceans. When you see them in freshwater, you're typically seeing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. These photosynthetic bacteria have inhabited our planet for billions of years. In fact, they were responsible for oxygenating Earth's atmosphere, which enabled plant and animal life as we know it. Algae are natural components of ecosystems, but they cause trouble when they proliferate to high densities, creating what we call blooms. Harmful algal blooms form scums at the water surface and produce toxins that can harm ecosystems, water quality and human health. They have been reported in all 50 U.S. states, all five Great Lakes and nearly every country around the world. Blue-green algae blooms are becoming more common in inland waters. The main sources of harmful algal blooms are excess nutrients in the water, typically phosphorus and nitrogen. Historically, these excess nutrients mainly came from sewage and phosphorus-based detergents used in laundry machines and dishwashers that ended up in waterways. U.S. environmental laws in the early 1970s addressed this by requiring sewage treatment and banning phosphorus detergents, with spectacular success. Today, agriculture is the main source of excess nutrients from chemical fertilizer or manure applied to farm fields to grow crops. Rainstorms wash these nutrients into streams and rivers that deliver them to lakes and coastal areas, where they fertilize algal blooms. In the U.S., most of these nutrients come from industrial-scale corn production, which is largely used as animal feed or to produce ethanol for gasoline. Climate change also exacerbates the problem in two ways. First, cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. Second, climate-driven increases in precipitation, especially large storms, cause more nutrient runoff that has led to record-setting blooms. 2. What does your team's DNA testing tell us about Lake Erie's harmful algal blooms? Harmful algal blooms contain a mixture of cyanobacterial species that can produce an array of different toxins, many of which are still being discovered. When my colleagues and I recently sequenced DNA from Lake Erie water, we found new types of microcystins, the notorious toxins that were responsible for contaminating Toledo's drinking water supply in 2014. These novel molecules cannot be detected with traditional methods and show some signs of causing toxicity, though further studies are needed to confirm their human health effects. We also found organisms responsible for producing saxitoxin, a potent neurotoxin that is well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Pacific Coast of North America and elsewhere. Saxitoxins have been detected at low concentrations in the Great Lakes for some time, but the recent discovery of hot spots of genes that make the toxin makes them an emerging concern. Our research suggests warmer water temperatures could boost its production, which raises concerns that saxitoxin will become more prevalent with climate change. However, the controls on toxin production are complex, and more research is needed to test this hypothesis. Federal monitoring programs are essential for tracking and understanding emerging threats. 3. Should people worry about these blooms? Harmful algal blooms are unsightly and smelly, making them a concern for recreation, property values and businesses. They can disrupt food webs and harm aquatic life, though a recent study suggested that their effects on the Lake Erie food web so far are not substantial. But the biggest impact is from the toxins these algae produce that are harmful to humans and lethal to pets. The toxins can cause acute health problems such as gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. Dogs can die from ingesting lake water with harmful algal blooms. Emerging science suggests that long-term exposure to harmful algal blooms, for example over months or years, can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems and may be linked to liver cancers, kidney disease and neurological issues. In addition to exposure through direct ingestion or skin contact, recent research also indicates that inhaling toxins that get into the air may harm health, raising concerns for coastal residents and boaters, but more research is needed to understand the risks. The Toledo drinking water crisis of 2014 illustrated the vast potential for algal blooms to cause harm in the Great Lakes. Toxins infiltrated the drinking water system and were detected in processed municipal water, resulting in a three-day 'do not drink' advisory. The episode affected residents, hospitals and businesses, and it ultimately cost the city an estimated US$65 million. 4. Blooms seem to be starting earlier in the year and lasting longer – why is that happening? Warmer waters are extending the duration of the blooms. In 2025, NOAA detected these toxins in Lake Erie on April 28, earlier than ever before. The 2022 bloom in Lake Erie persisted into November, which is rare if not unprecedented. Scientific studies of western Lake Erie show that the potential cyanobacterial growth rate has increased by up to 30% and the length of the bloom season has expanded by up to a month from 1995 to 2022, especially in warmer, shallow waters. These results are consistent with our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology: Blooms like it hot – cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. 5. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of algal blooms in the future? The best and perhaps only hope of reducing the size and occurrence of harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the Great Lakes. In Lake Erie, where nutrients come primarily from agriculture, that means improving agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and into the lake. Early indications suggest that Ohio's H2Ohio program, which works with farmers to reduce runoff, is making some gains in this regard, but future funding for H2Ohio is uncertain. In places like Lake Superior, where harmful algal blooms appear to be driven by climate change, the solution likely requires halting and reversing the rapid human-driven increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Winnipeg Free Press
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Warmer weather, cooler wines
Opinion With the mercury climbing in earnest this weekend, it's as good a time as ever to shift gears from heartier, more robust wines to warm-weather sippers — which doesn't necessarily mean ditching red wines altogether. Recent trends have seen a growing number of wineries producing lighter, fruit-driven and lower-tannin reds that are often best served at least slightly chilled. Toss the following four reds (and one orange wine) in the fridge or some ice for 15 minutes and enjoy, in even the warmest temperatures. Canadian wine of the week Pelee Island 2021 Empress (South Islands, Ont. — $27.79, Liquor Marts and beyond) This orange wine is made from Gewürztraminer grapes macerated with the skins and seeds for 28 days, giving the wine its pinkish-gold hue. Aromatically, it delivers lovely bread dough and yeast notes, along with apricot, lychee, honeycomb and saline notes that are compelling. It's a mainly dry, chalky and light-plus bodied wine, with spice, tangerine, lychee and red apple skin flavours, modest tannins and acidity and, at 12 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. Any barrel aging on this skin-fermented white was likely in larger, older vessels that are neutral in flavour. 4/5 Gerard Bertrand 2023 Cote de Roses red (Pays D'Oc, France — around $25, Calabria Market) Bright strawberry candy in colour, this southern French red's front label reads 'frais – léger – fruité' (fresh, light, fruity), and it delivers. Made from Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes, it brings plum, violet, blueberry, brambly blackberry and white pepper notes, aromatically. It's a dry, medium-bodied red that offers plum, blueberry, blackberry, violet and spice notes, light tannins and acidity and, at 13.5 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. Packaged in a tall, attractive bottle, it's more than just a pretty face. Available at Calabria Market; if you can't track it down, Gerard Bertrand also makes the Le Chouchou, another light, chillable red that's at Liquor Marts and, at 11 per cent alcohol, is also a warm-weather crusher. 3.5/5 De Bortoli Wines NV Chill Bill Spritzy Red (Australia — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Made from a blend of Tyrian, Shiraz and other grape varieties sourced from the Riverina and Rutherglen regions, this fizzy red is deep purple in colour, with ripe cherry, Tootsie Roll, red licorice and floral aromas. It's medium-bodied and medium sweet, with cherry candy and red licorice flavours, as well as chocolate and raisin notes, medium effervescence and acidity, light tannins, at 9.5 per cent alcohol, a short finish. Definitely requires chilling; without it the crunchy, slightly sweet red candied fruit flavours would seem way out of balance. 3/5 Rosewood 2020 Night Moves Gamay (Niagara Peninsula, Ont. — around $25, Kenaston Wine Market) Pale ruby in colour, this Niagara red is made from Gamay, the same grape used in France's Beaujolais region. Aromatically it brings light herbal notes as well as tart cranberry, saskatoon berry, plum and blackberry notes. On the dry, light-plus bodied palate those tart fruit flavours persist, although on this slightly older vintage it's lost a bit of its verve, with secondary woody notes, light-plus acidity and a medium-length finish. Kenaston Wine Market is blowing this out right now (it's regular $34.99), so grab it while you can then crank up the Bob Seger. 3.5/5 Famille Perrin 2022 Signature red (Côtes du Rhône, France — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) An organic Grenache-Syrah blend from France's Rhône Valley, this red is black cherry in colour and aromatically offers red licorice, cherry, iron, blackberry and violet notes aromatically. It's full-bodied and dry, delivering ripe cherry, black pepper, tar, blackberry and red licorice flavours with medium tannins, modest acidity and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a moderate finish. Chill this down for 15 minutes and drink now, or hope the tannins mellow out while the fruit stays vibrant over the next couple of years. 4/5 uncorked@ @bensigurdson Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. 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