Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Victoria Times Colonist: Scientists Solve Riddle of Toxic Algae Blooms!



Wow!

This article in the Victoria Times Colonist is extraordinary for a few reasons. Number one is that scientists have solved why algal blooms form and kill fish, poison water supplies, spoil beaches, etc.

The answer: Phosphorous!

Number two is the revelation (to us anyway) of the existence of Canada's Experimental Lakes Area.
"The Experimental Lakes Area?" we said. What's that?

Turns our that Canada has many hundreds of lakes in one area, and they offer them to scientists to run experiments on. This means pumping them full of various pollutants and measuring what happens.

Just to make clear, we are firm believers in science, scientific research, and controllable large-scale experiments. That the scientists are using the lakes a laboratories doesn't bother us.

What bothers us is that the Experimental Lakes Area has existed since the late sixties and no one ever bothered to tell us!

I mean, really, the ELA doesn't even have a wiki.

Cripes.

And also they figured out how to stop large, poisonous Algae blooms.

Come on world, keep us in the loop.

Great news anyway.

Here's the article.

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