What is a cyanobacterial bloom?
A mass of algae in a body of water is called a bloom. Blooms are often found in standing water in lakes, ponds, ditches, lagoons, or embayments of rivers. Because many cyanobacteria species can regulate their buoyancy, they rise to the surface of the water and form a surface scum. A scum is a thin oily-looking film that can become several inches thick. When conditions are good for a bloom, a lake or pond can change from clear to turbid within just a few days.
