Cyanobacteria and Canada’s Great Lakes

by Paige Jessup, Climate Change Resiliency Intern Reports of blue-green algae in the Great Lakes have bloomed in the last decade. The increased public awareness has shed a light on the issue of eutrophication on freshwater lakes. However, there are other factors involved in the growth of algae like invasive species, overfishing, and food web alterations, all often caused by human activities (Pick, 2016). Canada is home to the largest concentration of freshwater lakes in the world, and ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Change Resiliency Intern Each summer, harmful algae blooms are at the forefront of local news around the country. The danger to humans, pets, and livestock have increased public awareness but these blooms also have a profound ecological impact. Could buffer zones play a role in combating these algae blooms? Toxic algae blooms of most species of cyanobacteria thrive in warm, calm, high nutrient environments. With the increase of global temperatures due to climate ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Change Resiliency Intern Despite its name, blue-green algae is not actually algae - it is a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria that lives in fresh and marine water. Most species of cyanobacteria are unicellular and photosynthetic, meaning they use sunlight to produce their own food. Blue-green algae can reproduce rapidly in warm, slow-moving, nutrient rich environments. In the right conditions, these bacteria will rapidly reproduce and cause a bloom, spreading ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Change Resiliency Intern Cyanobacteria, or “blue-green algae”, are one of the old living organisms on earth, evolving from a group of microbes approximately 2.7 billion years ago. Cyanobacteria are thought to be the cause of one of Earth's mass extinctions called “The Great Oxygenation Event” which took place between 2.4-2.1 billion years ago and wiped out almost all life on earth (Aiyer, 2022). Cyanobacteria survived this extinction and eventually went through a ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Change Resiliency Intern Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, is one of the oldest living organisms on earth and are generally unicellular. These organisms are photosynthetic and require sunlight, water, and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to reproduce. Due to current land use practices along Canada's shorelines, humans are opening up these organisms to these perfect conditions they need to reproduce each year and also to reproduce earlier in the ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern There are a lot of concerns when it comes to standard pools and hot tubs, such as their cost and health impacts. What about their environmental impacts? Most hot tubs and pools contain chlorine, bromide, salt, and algaecides which can be harmful to the environment, especially when not disposed of properly.  Ultraviolet Light A great alternative to chlorine is ultraviolet light in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide which has been shown to be very ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern Improperly draining your hot tub or pool can not only result in large fines but can also potentially result in the wastewater ending up in local freshwater bodies and making them inhabitable for some freshwater species. Most municipalities have guidelines for disposing pool or hot tub water, which can also be defined as “wastewater” or “greywater”. It is important to check with your municipality bylaws, provincial building codes, or your public ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern Many pool and hot tub owners want to get away from the harsh chemicals like chlorine, bromide, and algaecides by switching to saltwater. Using saltwater is appealing because it is believed to be gentler on skin, hair, eyes, and swimwear, and pool-grade salt costs less to maintain than a chlorine pool. In contrast, salt water is corrosive to metal and natural stone, costs more to install, uses more energy to run and keep clean, and could also ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern Wastewater Management Planning Without a reliable place to dispose of contaminated water, all other best management practices will not have the maximum effort they could. That is why it is important for a municipality to develop a Safe and Reliable Wastewater Treatment System. In order to have a successful wastewater treatment plant upgrade, municipalities should consider: Developing a long-term vision. Engaging with a wide range of decision ... Read More

by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern Pool and hot tubs are wonderful for recreational activity, aerobic activity and physical therapy, relaxation, and social gatherings. However, they may not be so wonderful for your local freshwater. Pools and hot tubs contain chlorine, bromide, salt, and algaecides which can be dangerous to the adjacent environment. Pool and hot tub water that is improperly discharged or improperly treated before being released can end up in different water bodies, ... Read More