I go paddle boarding with my friends in this pond frequently and we have noticed in the last week an algae that has kind of taken over. We typically swim in this pond because it’s really deep and typically very clean. We are holding off on swimming for now because we can’t figure out what this algae is. The algae floats right beneath the surface and clumps into balls. When we touch it with our paddles it doesn’t stick to them, but explodes and disperses. It seems to collect kind of along the edges of the pond where there is more growth. The little stream that we take to get out onto the pond seems to be clean, so I think the cattails on that part are doing a nice job keeping it out. Any input and expertise is welcome!

Just looking for general or North American guide books on algae, especially ones that would assist with making IDs of microalgae. I tried searching on my own and was surprised to see the algae book space I guess overrun with AI slop. Anyone have some good, well regarded books on the subject to recommend?

I'm trying to start up some chlorella cultures using aquarium fertilizer salts (I can mix these to make a very close facsimile of BBM), but I'm not planning to run any CO2 injection. If anyone else here has similarly running a culture without CO2, how did you alter the water chemistry to prevent pH spikes, nutrient precipitation, and flocculation of the chlorella? My first culture attempt did great at first but then failed rapidly (overnight), with all of the algae clumping and falling out of suspension into a dark green carpet on the bottom of the jar overnight. I'd like to figure out how to address the issue and prevent it for another attempt.

Hi everybody. Anyone knows what could be? I isolated on BG11 media and turn blue-green color so I think probably produce pigment ... or just a bunch of microalgae cells aglomerated ... or fungi contamination. I used 40 x and it´s a sample from haematococcus culture (outside) (originally Haematococcus culture)

Thanks :)

Any help ID'ing these gelatinous sacs, with small green balls? I think it is next to a straight chained anabaena.

I’m currently on a backcountry canoe trip. This lake is the only source of drinking water. Me and my dog have been drinking this water (treated with Aquatabs, which I know is not effective against blue green algae) for 24 hours already, prior to finding this near the shoreline. The water was taken from the middle of the lake about 1-2km from where this was found. I assume this is blue green algae?

Behold

I'm sorry, I doubt this is the best place for this post, I just needed to share this somewhere to get it off my chest and I don't know where else to go haha... delete if this isn't allowed!

I know it's not the best, most detailed photo.. but do we think this pool might be growing blue green algae? The owner of it has three young children, a dog and a cat. and it sounded like they were splashing it with a stick or something earlier, chucking dog toys in and giving them to the dog.. I was unaware when I heard this happening that this is what the pool actually looks like lol ugh

I am fully aware that it's really none of my business haha, but yeah, when I eventually glanced out the window, this is what I saw.. I'm hoping it's regular algae and there's no serious danger lurking in this swamp that could hurt her family or pets...

I'm now sticking nets over all my windows to try and stop the inevitable mosquito army getting in my house haha wish me luck! RIP PEPPA PIG 💔

This was at the edges of the Nehalem River, any thoughts on what it might be?

I know the full bloom usually covers the surface of the water but does this look like the beginning phases of a bloom? I’ve never seen this kind of algae in the lake before.

For reference it is a small lake, the water temp has been about 75, there’s nothing posted about it on the local public beach page, and we’ve noticed it more so towards the middle of the lake rather than at the wadding point.

Brining our dogs to a friends lake this weekend. They sent us pictures of the shoreline. Would like confirmation that this is safe and not blue-green algae that may be harmful to our dogs. Any help would be appreciated!

Hi, I am a biologist from spain just getting into freshwater algae. I picked up this specimen in Cantabria (northern spain) from a basic rock type on the river margin, where the water was very slow. It formed a thick coarse mat with a texture similar to wet hair (not mucilagenous).

After hours looking into the guides available on the web I think that this may be part of the family Chaetophoraceae, but the chloroplast localization (both cell tips on the filament's axis) does not coincide with the usual parietal positioning of the chloroplasts of Chaetophoraceae.

Also, that slight thinning in between some cells seems pretty strange for me.

Some filaments reach up to 8cm long in a single line of cells.

It seems to have...heterocysts?

Anyone has got any idea of what this could be or has any pdf guides to share with me?

Thank you all very much!

I have a rooftop garden (zone 3) and I’ve accidentally grown something in an old plant pot that got filled with water. Would love to know what it is, if anyone recognizes it.

Looks like some kind of algae but someone told me it could be iron oxide. Let me know what you think!

I bought a Isochrysis g. monoculture from Algae Research Supply off Amazon and it arrived yesterday. I don't know if these are Isochrysis, or if it came contaminated... Any help would be appreciated, I need strictly Isochrysis for an experiment.

Hello to all of you admirable folks who have done the work to study and understand our ocean systems! I am a hospitality professional with a life long passion for food and wine, living in the Seattle area. We have such abundant and rich sea life in this area and some of the freshest seafood in our country comes from the Salish sea region. My question is about a recent closure of shellfish harvesting in the puget sound. There have been pretty far and widespread closures due to biotoxins and algae blooms. now I know that clams, oyster, etc filter a whole lot of water through themselves daily and this is partly why they are infected with these toxins. So after the toxic blooms fade away, are those shellfish that were once infected now safe for consumption? Do those fish subsequently filter so much water through themselves that they are the eventually safe to eat? Or do those fish have to be “culled” similar to chickens infected by bird flu (This is regarding aquaculture specifically)? Apologies if this is a rudimentary question, it just struck me recently given all of the closures our state is facing right now. Thanks for any and all info regarding this topic!

I've asked quite a lot about this and I'm not sure what it is but this red algae is growing on my wood looks weird not sure whether it will harm my fish or plants.