West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • CONTACT
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox

Search the site

No Result
View All Result

Get WSR FREE in your inbox

Please Don’t Touch the Algae and Keep Your Dog Away Too; How to Tell If It’s Toxic

October 11, 2021 | 4:13 PM - Updated on October 12, 2021 | 10:51 AM
in NEWS, OUTDOORS
9
Photograph, the Pool near 100th Street, by Ilona Cohen. This is duckweed, often mistaken for algae, harmless.

By Lisa Kava

Did you ever stroll to edge of the Turtle Pond or the Lake in Central Park or the Harlem Meer, hoping to gaze upon their sparkling blueness, only to discover they were covered with a vile green slime?

This phenomenon is often caused by algae blooms, which form in warmer weather, according to Rebecca Gorney, a research scientist from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). “Algae blooms commonly occur between May and October, dissipating when the weather cools,” Gorney explained. The DEC works in partnership with both the Central Park Conservancy and the NYC Parks Department to monitor Central Park’s water bodies for algae that might be dangerous.

HABs, Harmful Algal Blooms. Photograph by Ilona Cohen.

While some algae blooms are harmless, others, known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) can be toxic to people and pets. HABs can cause a variety of illnesses, ranging from gastrointestinal upset to respiratory illness, to neurological symptoms, according to the Parks Department website. Symptoms and illness can occur from ingesting or simply touching affected water. “The toxins emitted from HABs can be especially dangerous for dogs, so we as ask our visitors to follow all dog-walking rules and etiquette outlined by NYC Parks,” a Central Park Conservancy spokesperson said.

HABs have been confirmed as recently as October 5th in the Turtle Pond and The Lake, and September 13th in The Harlem Meer, Gorney said. Yellow signs are posted by the NYC Parks Department, indicating the presence of these harmful blooms, which should be avoided. “These three lakes have experienced this phenomenon annually since routine reporting began in 2015. HABs are not commonly reported on other waterbodies in Central Park,” Gorney said.

“Cyanobacteria thrive in warm temperatures. Late summer and early fall are generally when the water is warmest and when DEC receives the highest number of HAB reports each year,” Gorney told West Side Rag. “They prefer warm conditions more than other types of algae.”  Both harmless algae and HABs might look like “pea soup, a green paint spill, or thin blue or green mats, but HABs often appear as a murky greenish foam on top of water surfaces,” the Central Park Conservancy spokesperson said.

Because it is difficult to the untrained eye to tell the difference between non harmful blooms and HABs,  all three agencies recommend avoiding water bodies with any algae.

Photos of HABs can be found on the DEC website here:

https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/81962.html

More information on HABs and safety tips can be found here: https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/harmful-algal-blooms

guest
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

9 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mark Moore
Mark Moore
10 months ago

Not to be confused with duck weed, Which can cover the surface.

0
Reply
nemo paradise
nemo paradise
10 months ago

How do you write an article about pond scum in New York City without mentioning a single politician?

0
Reply
Josh
Josh
10 months ago
Reply to  nemo paradise

Its not just NYC.

0
Reply
chuck d
chuck d
10 months ago

honest question from a city slicker. How difficult would it be to skim the algae a couple of times a week? Is there an ecological reason to let it continue to bloom all the time?

0
Reply
Josh
Josh
10 months ago
Reply to  chuck d

Skimming is a challenge because they quickly replicate and the blooms will proliferate very quickly. This makes skimming a never ending saga.

However, the three ponds are all fed from the NYC water system. The algal blooms are a product of the overabundance of fertilizer in the water. Maybe the answer is to drain the the water bodies over the winter and refill them. It will take years for the fertilizer levels to increase back to high enough cause the blooms. The Lake and Reservoir are both much larger water bodies, so the level of fertilizer is lower, since more water is diluting them.

0
Reply
Wayne Z.
Wayne Z.
10 months ago
Reply to  chuck d

Not difficult at all. Obviously much less expensive to do nothing aside from putting up a few signs.

0
Reply
Lawrence Braverman
Lawrence Braverman
10 months ago

It’s always something… especially these days.

I’d blame trump, except I always blame trump.

0
Reply
tman2u
tman2u
10 months ago
Reply to  Lawrence Braverman

I blame you for always blaming Trump.

0
Reply
mlg
mlg
10 months ago

Does this relate to the green growth that appears on window sills? I have green growth on wide window sills that face the park.

I’m another city slicker who doesn’t know if there’s any relationship at all, but have always wondered about the health factor.

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

Here’s the Dish: Zaad’s Falafal Sandwich
COLUMNS

Here’s the Dish: Zaad’s Falafal Sandwich

August 16, 2022 | 12:29 PM
Upper West Side Real Estate Market Bulletin, August 2022 Edition
NEWS

Upper West Side Real Estate Market Bulletin, August 2022 Edition

August 16, 2022 | 11:32 AM
0
SHARES
43
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Previous Post

Monday Bulletin: Teen’s Death Deemed a Homicide, Scaffolding Protest, Statue Vandalized

Next Post

Openings & Closings: Popz Toys, Rampoldi, The Cottage, Gong Cha

this week's events image

Explore Your Favorite Subject

20th precinct 24th precinct american museum of natural history animals art bicycling bulletin central park closings columns community board 7 coronavirus crash crime development dogs events fdny fire food gale brewer helen rosenthal history jcc lincoln center monday bulletin morning bulletin nypd openings pedestrian safety photography photos politics public schools pupper west side real estate restaurants retail riverside park silver stars fitness snow sponsored subway upper west side uws

CITY NEWS

Brick Underground
City Limits
Eater
Gothamist
NY Daily News
NY Post
NY Times

LOCAL RESOURCES

Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
Central Park Conservancy
CB7
Community Education Council 3
Assembly District 67
The New York Historical Society
Riverside Park
West End Preservation

UWS Blogs

Bloomingdale History Central Park Blogger
North River Notes
Next Post
Openings & Closings: Popz Toys, Rampoldi, The Cottage, Gong Cha

Openings & Closings: Popz Toys, Rampoldi, The Cottage, Gong Cha

Here’s the Dish: Polpette 71’s Homemade Tiramisu

Here's the Dish: Polpette 71's Homemade Tiramisu

Lack of Guidance Leaves Columbia Students and Professors Unsure About The Fall

Columbia Graduate Students Threaten Strike After Change in Payment Timing

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2022 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • CONTACT US

© 2022 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.