Characteristics of Blue Green Algae

Environment

• Blue-green algae are often found in slow moving, warm bodies of water with high mineral content. The species is highly adaptable and has an ability to thrive in a variety of water conditions. While most often found in ponds and lakes, blue-green algae are not unique to aquatic environments and can be found in desert and forest areas.

Reproduction

• Blue-green algae reproduce asexually. Generally, this occurs through the growth of exospores, which break off after reaching maturity, or through endospores, wherein an individual cell divides once it reaches maturity. Blue-green algae commonly -- though not exclusively -- use photosynthesis to convert sunlight to food.

Color

• Individual blue-green algae are microscopic and only become visible when conditions are ripe for a "bloom." As its name states, many blooms lend a murky, blue-green hue to the water, which is often described as resembling green paint floating on water. This is due to the presence of two pigments, the green pigment chlorophyll and the blue pigment phycobilin. While these two pigments are present in all blue-green algae blooms, other pigments are present as well. These other pigments can give a blue-green algae bloom a much different hue, such as the bloom that gives the Red Sea its name.

Smell

• Blue-green algae give off a distinct musty odor as older blooms die. In extreme cases, the odor smells like sewage. Near urban areas, dying blue-green algae can also lend a malodorous smell to drinking water

Health Risks

• Toxins emitted from blue-green algae have been known to cause a range of health concerns from relatively minor issues such as itchy skin and rashes to more severe issues such as breathing difficulties and liver infections. Furthermore, a blue-green algae bloom can also deplete a lake of its oxygen content, killing fish and damaging the aquatic ecosystem of a given lake or pond. While not all types of blue-green algae are toxic and because there is no quick and easy way to identify toxic and non-toxic species, avoid touching or drinking any water that may be contaminated. The only way to properly identify blue-green algae in water is through laboratory testing.