Stay Smart About Algal Blooms In 2018
Published: Thursday, June 28, 2018
New York Sea Grant is partnering with the Pennsylvania and Lake Champlain Sea Grant programs and New York State Parks to remind dog owners to enjoy the water this summer, but remember to stay smart, safe, and informed about algal blooms and their impact on people and pets.
“Harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs, are dense populations of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Not all blooms are harmful, but some algal blooms can produce toxins that affect the liver, nervous system, and skin of humans and their pets,” says Jesse Lepak, Ph.D., Great Lakes Fisheries and Ecosystem Health Specialist with New York Sea Grant.
Dog deaths suspected as a result of harmful algal blooms prompted New York Sea Grant to develop a Dogs and HABs informational brochure in 2014. The brochure, updated in 2017, is downloadable from http://seagrant.sunysb.edu/articles/r/2748 with video clips.
Toxic HABs can develop in less than 24 hours, which can be faster than testing for toxins can be completed.
Noted algal bloom researcher Dr. Gregory L. Boyer, Ph.D, of the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, comments, “While it is very difficult to prove that animals died from ingestion of blue-green algal toxins, pet owners can take steps to reduce their dogs’ exposure to those toxins. Be diligent about keeping animals out of the scums when algal blooms are present and not letting them eat beach wrack. If the dogs swim in water where blooms are visible, they should be thoroughly washed off immediately to prevent the ingestion of toxins from cleaning their fur.”
Dr. Karyn Bischoff , a toxicologist with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, advises, “Prevention is the best protection for domestic animals. The most severe effects of HABs are from ingestion. The clinical signs depend on the toxins present in the HAB. Neurotoxins can cause immediate effects, including drooling, tremors, and seizures; hepatotoxins can destroy the liver. Both can be rapidly lethal. Animals that have been exposed should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Time is of the essence in these cases.”
In addition to Boyer and Bischoff, those assisting New York Sea Grant with development of the Dogs and HABs brochure included the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, US Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA National Ocean Service, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and Sea Grant Network colleagues.
In 2017, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation listed more than 100 potentially harmful algal blooms in waters across the state. The number of HABs has been increasing such that NY Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a $65 million initiative to combat HABs.
New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices in Buffalo, Newark, and Oswego, NY. For updates on New York Sea Grant activities, www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links.
This article first appeared in the Summer Issue (Jul/Aug) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Dept of Natural Resources, Great Lakes, Kids & Pets, Lake Ontario, safety
