Urgent: Cyanobacteria and a Call to Action

Nothing could have prepared me for the shocking sight I saw earlier today at Lake Quinsigamond, part of my town. The water, which should have been clear or close to it, was filled with algae and scum. My best guess is cyanobacteria – as that’s been relatively common in recent years in the Worcester watershed. But what truly struck fear into my heart was seeing other kids, not seeing the danger, swimming and playing near contaminated water, in other parts of the lake.

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are tiny organisms found in water bodies like lakes, ponds, and even saltwater environments. They’ve been around for billions of years and are pretty important because they can do photosynthesis, which means they use sunlight to make their own food, and in the process, they produce oxygen for the planet.

However, when there are too many nutrients in the water, like from pollution or runoff from farms, these cyanobacteria can grow significantly and form what’s called “blooms.” These blooms can be harmful because some types of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can hurt people, fish, and other animals. If you swim in or drink water that has a cyanobacteria bloom, you might get sick.

The blooms can also block sunlight from reaching other plants in the water and use up a lot of oxygen when they die and decompose, which can harm or kill fish and other creatures living in the water. So, even though cyanobacteria are a natural part of aquatic ecosystems, they can cause real problems when they get out of balance.

To bring this issue into the public view, I’ve created a Geographic Information System (GIS) map that logs the algae’s spread, the water quality reports, and the health advisories necessary to understand the Worcester crisis. You can view this map publicly at: https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=c0bbf049ac224cf0b32a1cd9ce479dcf.

Currently, I urge parents, teachers, local activists, and city officials to take notice. This is a clear danger to the environmental health of our community. As of now, I’m not sure what to expect, but I will continue to update you as new information arises. Additionally, I’ll be in contact with representatives at the Worcester Lakes and Ponds Program. Thank you for being aware of this issue.

Update (2/7/2021) – First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for your support. The contact I’ve received through email and direct messages on this blog has been incredible. I’m so excited (and not surprised!) to see that there is a strong community of environmentally focused people around Worcester, especially for these lakes and ponds. What did surprise me was the massive contact that online media, like this blog, have generated. I didn’t realize how powerful this form was, and I’m excited to see how it can help environmental conservation in the future. I’ve been in contact with the Worcester Lakes and Ponds Program, and I’ve decided that I’m going to launch a full organization related to spreading the word about these issues, using technology. It will be called Together for Waterways, and the website will be: https://www.togetherforwaterways.org. A Quinsigamond lakeside resident and a head of a local watershed organization have also joined this organization, to form the Board of Directors. If you would like to be a part of this organization, whether you are a student or a resident or simply interested, please contact me at amago06@icloud.com. I’m extremely excited to see what the future holds for this idea! Thank you!