What is a cyanobacteria bloom?
Nutrient-rich bodies of water such as some lakes or ponds may support rapid growth of cyanobacteria. With the right conditions, a “clear” body of water can become very turbid with green, blue-green or reddish-brown colored algae within just a few days. High concentrations of an alga species in a water body form “blooms”. Many species can regulate their buoyancy and float to the surface to form a thin “oily” looking film or a blue-green scum several inches thick. The film may be mistaken for a paint spill. Cyanobacteria cannot maintain this abnormally high population for long and will rapidly die and disappear after one to two weeks. If conditions remain favorable, another bloom can quickly replace the previous one. In fact, successive blooms may overlap so that it may appear as if one continuous bloom occurs for up to several months.
