![]() Even when water is available, flushing the blooms may not reduce them. However, there is not always enough water available to reduce algal blooms. Sometimes environmental water holders can help manage algae by changing where water is released into the system or releasing new water. It can be very difficult to stop a blue-green algal bloom once it has started. To try and reduce the likelihood and intensity of algal blooms, river operators consider how water quality will be impacted when making decisions on water delivery and management. The MDBA does what it can to help local authorities manage algae. However, higher frequencies were recorded at upstream sites and lower frequencies at downstream sites. The report found that the amount of algal blooms has not changed much within the river system between 19. When large numbers of blue-green algae take oxygen out of the water, there may not be enough left for fish and other aquatic life to breathe.Ī 2011 report on blue-green algae in the Murray looked at long-term trends. Instead, they use oxygen in a process called respiration. Like plants, blue-green algae do not photosynthesise at night. This has serious consequences for Basin communities and farmers, as well as the tourism industry.Īlgal blooms can also contribute to fish deaths. is difficult and expensive to treat to make it safe for drinking.is not safe for recreational activities such as swimming and boating.can poison wildlife, livestock and domestic animals.This can potentially mean water affected by an algal bloom: ![]() Some blue-green algae produce toxins that are dangerous to humans and animals. This looks like a scum on the water, and is usually green.Īlgal blooms can affect the colour and taste of water, as well as how safe it is to drink. When this happens, the blue-green algae form what is called an ‘algal bloom’. With the right conditions blue-green algae can reproduce very quickly, particularly when it’s warm and sunny and there are high levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. Blue-green algae photosynthesise, like plants, so they need sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow. The death of algal blooms can also have harmful effects.īlue-green algae are a type of microscopic bacteria known as Cyanobacteria. Algal blooms can make water unsafe for humans and animals to drink, and it can even be unsafe for humans to come into contact with it, making swimming and even boating dangerous. Too much algae in the rivers of the Basin is bad for water quality. Why blue-green algae is a problem in the Murray–Darling Basin
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