The University of Nebraska State Museum presented a program for children and families about toxic algae as part of its Sunday with a Scientist series on June 20 at Morrill Hall.
The program, "Algae: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," explored the different types of algae found in Nebraska’s lakes, ponds, and streams, as well as the science behind aquatic ecology.
The event was led by Tadd Barrow, water quality extension educator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources. Barrow and other educators from the school helped museum visitors understand more about algae and important role it plays in water chemistry and the food web.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the mysterious scum that floats in the state's surface water. Algae are rootless, microscopic plants that occur in all waters relative to the amount of nutrients available– but not all of them are dangerous. Blue-green algae, a species of cyanobacteria, are the only kind algae that have the ability to produce toxins.
The presenters brought photos and samples of different types of algae for visitors to touch and examine with microscopes, as well as to clarify which types are toxic and nontoxic. They also discussed the causes of extreme algae blooms and the harmful effects they can have on the environment and our health, such as disruption of the food chain, livestock and pet deaths, fish kills, and human illness.
Tadd Barrow, extension educator with the UNL School of Natural Resources, works primarily with surface water quality issues, particularly the restoration of degraded lakes, developing procedures for predicting toxic blue-green algae in lakes and surface-water quality management.
Tadd meets with public and private landowners, lake owners, residential lake associations, lake managers and lake users, as well as junior and senior high school students to educate them about good water-quality practices for maintaining healthy fisheries, safe recreational uses and aesthetics. For example, the heavy use of fertilizers near surface water can reduce water quality and promote toxic algae growth. With the right information and methods, landowners can correct those problems and create a healthier environment.
