Oceanographers Hard At Work To Find Answers Behind Huge Spike In Toxic CA Algae Blooms

[hatrack]

Marine scientists are trying to find out why previously unknown blooms of toxic algae are suddenly proliferating along the California coast, killing wildlife and increasing the risk of human sickness. The mysterious blooms have recently been bigger and have occurred more frequently than ever before, an alarming trend that a team of scientists led by UC Santa Cruz is attempting to figure out.

"It is a huge problem for wildlife," said Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz and the lead scientist for the study, which began last week. "We've seen a lot more of what we consider unusual events. It's not always the same organism, but new things keep cropping up. The million-dollar question is: What exactly is the change in the environment that these things are linked to?"

The danger was disturbingly apparent starting in August when a deadly red tide killed tens of thousands of abalone, sea urchins and other mollusks along the coast in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

Scientists will deploy an array of sophisticated ocean-monitoring technology, including robotic gliders, a network of underwater sensors and satellite observations, during the five-year, $4.3 million study. The project shoved off using an $800,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

EDIT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/27/BAMF1LVJJI.DTL

[kestrel91316]

1. Gosh, maybe it's because humans have completely screwed up the entire

global environment, including the oceans? Nah, that couldn't be it.

Instead of keeping our phosphorus on the land where it can feed crops, we are using it in such a way as to let it wash into the rivers and thence to the sea. Where toxic algae see it for the fertilizer that it is.

Duh.

[truedelphi]

2. Every other rich person in California owns a vineyard.

And of course, then there are those "non-existent" planes, seen a hundred times a day in my rural area, skimming above Konocti's mountain top by just six hundred feet. Then rising to 30,000 feet, at an angle above 55% of ascent.

Then some twelve miles later, they are back in the 3K feet range of altitude. With poisionous clouds spewing behind them. Some days the entire county smells like a dry cleaners. Or lighter fluid. (It is winter, so it is not pesticides.)

[diane in sf]

3. Pretty disturbing, got any more info?

[truedelphi]

4. Well, our elected officials say this is not happening.

If you have a snail mail address, I have several locally produced films that not only show the planes as they are in flight, there is also footage of people in several different No Calif. Counties who have measured the aluminum in rain water for decades.

And now their reports on the aluminum content of the ground soil, in areas that have never been sprayed by pesticides, is 2,000 times higher than what was recorded twenty years ago.

I had a friend who helped Jared Huffman of Marin County get elected to the state legislature - he promised that he would be on this issue. Once in office, he realized the issue doesn't exist!!