In July 2020 a dog died at Zion National Park, and its death tipped off park managers to something they had not known was there: benthic algae — algae growing on the riverbed — capable of producing a potent neurotoxin. Zion is one of many parks now dealing with harmful algal blooms (HABs), and its story was one of several told by park staff and scientists at the 11th U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae.
The symposium
The symposium, held October 23–28 in Albany, New York, drew about 500 people — scientists from many disciplines, and natural resource managers. They discussed bloom dynamics, predictive models and forecasting, remote sensing, toxins, and the taxonomy of the microorganisms that cause blooms, along with the solutions needed to prevent and reduce them. It was hosted by NEIWPCC, a regional commission that helps Northeastern states preserve and advance water quality; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and the U.S. Geological Survey, with support from the U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The National Park Service and USGS hosted a plenary panel, "Harmful Algal Bloom Science and Management in National Parks," convened by Dr. Jennifer Graham, Dr. Victoria Christensen and Hayley Olds of the USGS and Dr. Danielle Buttke, Jamie Kilgo and Dr. Kerensa King of the NPS. Graham moderated; King opened by describing what blooms do to parks nationwide, from excess biomass to significant wildlife die-offs. The session mixed in-person and recorded presentations.
Panelists Mike Bilecki (NPS), Dr. Victoria Christensen (USGS), Dr. Hannah Bonner (State of Utah), Dr. Jennifer Graham (USGS), Jamie Kilgo (NPS) and Dr. Kerensa King (NPS). Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
Parks with long histories of blooms
| Park | Bloom | Effects | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padre Island National Seashore (Kelly Nesvacil, NPS) | six Red Tide events in the park's marine waters since 2000; blooms in freshwater too | coyote and bird deaths are common, and sometimes mass fish die-offs | the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department leads response coordination; the park works with the state to monitor blooms and issue advisories |
| Fire Island National Seashore (Mike Bilecki, NPS) | Brown Tide events in the Great South Bay | eelgrass declines and shellfish deaths | with limited capacity for all its resource challenges, the park relies on partnerships with nearby universities and other agencies for monitoring and research |
Parks meeting blooms for the first time
At Zion, Robyn Henderek of the NPS described how the park responded to its newly detected benthic blooms: several complementary monitoring methods, weighed together as multiple lines of evidence, to decide when to issue recreational advisories for visitors. Dr. Hannah Bonner of the State of Utah added that benthic blooms are a widespread concern in Utah's heavily used recreational waters. Benthic algae capable of producing toxins have been found in five Utah national parks, and a changing climate may favor them.
Autumn Moya (Scientists in the Parks) and volunteer citizen scientist Kathryn Finnerty retrieve a SPATT while monitoring for harmful algal blooms at Curecanti National Recreation Area. Credit: Nicki Gibney, National Park Service.
Research and monitoring partnerships
- St. Croix National Scenic Riverway worked with the Wild Rivers Conservancy and the USGS to create the Algae Alert Network, a citizen monitoring program. Marian Shaffer of the NPS called it a huge success: volunteers learn about caring for the river, and the park gains data along the whole length of the riverway.
- The USGS–NPS Water Quality Partnership Program funds water-quality research in parks, including many studies of what drives blooms and what they do. Hayley Olds (USGS) and Jamie Kilgo (NPS) presented a nationwide study of algal toxins in 21 parks, which also aims to develop tools and strategies parks can use to monitor, assess and reduce the effects of blooms in fresh and marine waters.
- Voyageurs National Park and the USGS have a long-term partnership to study blooms and collect consistent data. Dr. Victoria Christensen's research there shows that water levels — set by an international agreement between the United States and Canada — are an important factor in eutrophication and so in bloom development.
Women in Parks interns at Canaveral National Seashore identify phytoplankton. Credit: National Park Service.
A cautionary tale
Graham closed the session with a story from Dr. Danielle Buttke of the NPS. In 2021, several bison died at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and blooms were immediately suspected. Only a few years earlier, Graham said, they would not have been on managers' minds when looking into wildlife health, and probably would not have been considered at all. This time, the cause turned out to be bacteria. As managers learn more about blooms, the lesson is to investigate wildlife health problems thoroughly rather than jump to conclusions.
The theme running through the whole panel was partnership: parks face many challenges from harmful algal blooms, and they cannot meet them alone. Federal and state agencies, universities, Tribes and grassroots organizations all contribute to the research and monitoring.
Sources
Based on "Harmful Algal Blooms: Science to Support Solutions from Shore to Shore," National Park Service, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
このページを含むマガジンTallgrass Prairie National PreserveZion National ParkFire Island National SeashoreVoyageurs National ParkSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway
ライセンス： CC0 1.0（パブリックドメイン） · 出典 www.nps.gov
1
0
0
0
コメント
