Note: Algae outbreaks can be symptomatic of industrial waste or sewage contamination in additional to naturally produced conditions.

River closed after outbreak of toxic algae

Authorities have closed the Myall River, at Port Stephens, to fishing and swimming following an outbreak of a toxic algae.

Local fisherman and charter boat operator Michael Johnson says the closure follows the recent discovery of ulcerated fish in the area.

He says the outbreak is having a serious impact on tourism.

"Since last week there's a bit of an uproar because you know, it's a touristy town-cum-fishing town and the smell of this algae coming down the river with the big tides - we have now put a lot of people off," Mr Johnson said.

"Of course, there's no tourist fishing or amateur fishing in the river proper so that's really upset a lot of people because you know it relies more on tourism than anything else."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/regionals/newcastle/regnew-23jan2000-1.htm

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 23, 2000

Answers

In the past few years toxic blue green algae has appeared throughout the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Darling Rivers systems. Also known to occur in the Torrens River at Adelaide and rural creeks. Grazing paddock runoff seems a major contributor to high nutrient waters that cease flowing in hot summers spells.

The East coast of Australia north of Sydney into Queensland is experiencing extremely hot weather. The conditions are perfect for large algae blooms to occur. Y2K related mishap can influence algae blooms, although I think to assume so every time would be stretching it a bit.

Algae blooms choke the waters by decreasing oxygen content, killing the marinelife by asphyxiation.

In South Australia we recently had a red bloom in seawaters. All algae blooms are indicative of continuing land care and river management problems. Such problems are noticable and effect lifestyle and quality of life.

On a previous forum thread an algae bloom was mentioned off Florida. This was certainly quite unusual as it happened in your winter.

Regards from OZ

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), January 23, 2000.

Pieter said:

"Y2K related mishap can influence algae blooms, although I think to assume so every time would be stretching it a bit."

What a pathetic statement to make. It is stretching the bounds of probability to near infinity.

-- Mr. Sane (hhh@home.com), January 23, 2000.

Thanks for the info and insight Pieter...

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 23, 2000.

Levi bank growth and waterway choking algae effectively close the drains in the South East of South Australia at times. When this happens notices in the local paper announce spaying contractors will apply compound products to open the waterways. Until recently a poison used was atrizene.

My research papers and notes I loaned to a trout farmer effected by these sprays. I also had a meeting with a journalist and local member of parliament who confirmed the usage of atrizene. When I pointed out that its use overseas was banned he promised to follow it up.

This issue was also brought to the attention of the Environment Protection Auhority, and the Greens lobby who live in an office at Wakefield Street in Adelaide. We had photos showing atrizene broadcasting by spraycontractors in shorts.

Meanwhile I can't say any more because I've been shunned, more or less. Atrizene is no longer mentioned in the local announcements though.

Regarding the Myall River algae toxic bloom I bring to your attention that when I fished there in the 1970s shacks along the foreshore had septic systems with overflow into the water. There were a lot of shacks.

This issue is not necessarilly a Y2K glitch and many factors need to be considered. For example if human waste and pasture runoff effects so many people and the marine eco-system what resolve does the Labor Government have in addressing the issue? Can they give concrete evidence that the issue is actually treated with some urgency. Why do these questions need asking in the first weeks of a new millenium? Does the local member of Parliament enjoy his/her career?

And so it goes on.

Regards from OZ

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), January 23, 2000.

Algae? Since when do fish get ulcers from algae? Sounds more like Pfiesteria piscicida, a "dinoflagllate" organism, well known in Virginia and the Carolinas.

See The Cell from Hell"

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 23, 2000.

Thanks for drawing my attention to this URL, Tom.

Algae blooms are indicative of underlying problems.

This is a genuine concern to some of us in Australia. Locally during the 1960s to 1980s the paper mills discharged into Lake Bonney badly polluting the large body of water. I camped on the lake shore for 6 days in the 1980s collecting aqua and marine samples. There were translucent yabbies, deformed mullet with multiple growths looking like second heads, bend over twisted apologies of minnow with lesions and crabs that were just strange. Heavy metals and nitrates etc. made for a potent mix that smelled pretty ordinary.

We weren't really that popular then with TPTB, but lots of cleaning progress is continuing and the lake looks healthier now, confirmed by visiting it last Saturday.

Y2K didn't cause these problems though, but Y2K mishap can hinder the rehabilitation programs.

Regards from Down Under

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), January 23, 2000.