MSGID: 1:317/3 63090a2a   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   August 26, 2022 - Blooming Lake Erie   
      
      Lake Erie   
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      The waters of Lake Erie were awash with swirls of blues and greens on   
      August 24, 2022, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image.   
      
      These startling colors mark massive floating blooms of tiny plant-like   
      organisms, most likely a mix of algae and the microscopic marine algae   
      called phytoplankton. Both of these plant-like organisms contain   
      chlorophyll and other pigments that can create beautiful colors when   
      present in large numbers. The swirls and eddies show where the masses   
      of floating organisms are carried by currents and buffeted by winds   
      that blow across the surface of the lake. Some of the lighter tints may   
      contain sediment carried off the coast by runoff or churned up from the   
      shallow floors of Lake Erie.   
      
      Blooms of algae and the smaller phytoplankton are a regular occurrence   
      in Lake Erie, usually starting to emerge in June and July as warming   
      waters encourage abundant growth. By August and September, the colors   
      (and numbers of organisms) typically reach their peak. Although most of   
      these organisms are harmless, one colorful type of algae can cause   
      serious problems to pets, people, birds, marine mammals and even the   
      local economy. The most common Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie   
      is Microcystis, a type of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). This   
      organism produces potent toxins that can cause numbness, nausea,   
      vomiting and (rarely) liver failure. The presence of HABs is monitored   
      for Lake Erie and most of the surrounding waterways, and localized   
      outbreaks tend to occur repeatedly each summer, then disappear in the   
      cold waters of winter.   
      
      A Microcystis cyanobacteria bloom has been present in the western end   
      of Lake Erie from much of the summer. According to the National Centers   
      for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), on August 24 the western Lake Erie   
      Microcystis bloom covered an area of about 340 square miles, which is a   
      decrease in area since August 23. The densest bloom is between Monroe,   
      Michigan and Maumee Bay, Ohio, with some part of the bloom stretching   
      to Stony Point, Michigan eastward along the shores to Port Clinton,   
      Ohio. A portion also extends around the ed of the plume of the Detroit   
      River to the Ontario coast. Sandusky Bay also has a local cyanobacteria   
      bloom.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 8/24/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (312.5 KB),  500m (920.5 KB),  250m (2.1 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-08-26   
       
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