Blue Green Algae

While exploring the Redwoods last summer, my family walked down to the Eel River. We couldn’t swim in the river because of blue-green algae warnings, so we made water peepers to help us see down further into the water without going all the way in. We saw water insects, fish, and a snake swimming by. We scooped up water into cups to see what living things would be in it and then let the creatures go. Our exploring made me think of how one drop of water could be a whole microscopic world.

I wanted to find out what blue-green algae is and how it hurts people and animals. I looked it up on-line with help from my mom.

Blue-green algae is also called cyanobacteria. It can make animals sick. There are many cases of pets, especially dogs, dying from exposure to this. It can make people sick too. It can cause eye irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcer, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold and flu-like symptoms.

It is especially harmful to small children.

Phosphorus from manure, fertilizers and untreated sewage helps them to grow thick.

So it sounds like pollution is what causes this blue-green algae to grow. The Eel River is so fun to swim in. I was really sad that I couldn't swim because of pollution. Hopefully it will go away so we can swim in it again.