Puget Sound Nutrient Watch: Algal Blooms

Welcome to our fourth installment of “Puget Sound Nutrient Watch,” an ongoing series of blogs that will focus on the problem of excess nutrients in Puget Sound.

Noctiluca scintillans bloom at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines June 4, 2018. Photo by Laura Hermanson.

During the first week of June, Laura Hermanson from the Department of Ecology BEACH Program noticed a red algae – Noctiluca – bloom during regular weekly bacteria monitoring at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines. 

Other blooms were also recently reported to Ecology. There was one reported to us at Seattle’s Alki Beach on June 2. And staff from our marine monitoring program, Eyes Over Puget Sound, also found presence of Noctiluca blooms present at Budd Inlet, Central Basin and Whidbey Basin during their regular fly overs of Puget Sound.

So what is this tomato soup looking stuff near our shorelines? What causes it? Is it harmful? 

Is this part of a natural cycle or abnormal?

We learned in our third installment of “Puget Sound Nutrient Watch: What is the Problem with Nutrients?” that excess nutrients can cause an explosion of algae growth called algal blooms. This rapid growth of algae can starve the aquatic environment of light and dissolved oxygen, compromising its ability to support aquatic life.

What causes these spring and summer blooms?

Each spring, Puget Sound receives an influx of fresh water from melting snow fueling our rivers. This less dense fresh water flows into the Puget Sound mixes with salt water to create a warm, nutrient-rich, surface layer that supports growing plankton populations. Spring and summer in the Pacific Northwest are marked by long days, warmer temperatures, and few storms. All of these factors contribute to slow circulation of water and an increase in layering within the water, called stratification.

Extra nitrogen and other nutrients that enters Puget Sound from human and natural sources, help feed these plankton populations until their populations grow to a bloom. Eventually the plankton bloom will use all the nutrients in the surface waters, their growth will slow until they die and sink deeper and some to the ocean floor to decay.

Budd Inlet taken from an Eyes over Puget Sound flight June, 2018.

Is this harmful?

An increase in the abundance of Noctiluca is an indication of an unbalanced system, and while the plankton is not toxic itself, their presence creates a cascade of effects in the marine food web. 

Please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website if you are interested or have concerns about Harmful Algal Blooms or other Marine Biotoxins.

What is it?

Noctiluca is a single-celled organism, in a group called dinoflagellates, that eats smaller phytoplankton and planktonic larvae that make up the base of a healthy marine food chain. Noctiluca contains high concentrations of ammonia which make them unappetizing prey in the food chain. Studies have shown this ammonia has a negative impact on juvenile fish within the population.

An Ecology study conducted from 2011-2015 explored the conditions in the Puget Sound that led to Noctiluca blooms by affixing sensors to ferry vessels to continuously measure plankton populations between Seattle and Victoria B.C.. When large blooms of Noctiluca exist in Puget Sound, their ravenous feeding patterns lead to a boom-and-bust of the plankton populations. 

While Noctiluca are naturally occurring and blooms have been observed and recorded in Puget Sound since the 1940’s, there is growing concern that human-caused nutrient over-enrichment is increasing the intensity, changing the timing, and increasing the spatial distribution of Noctiluca blooms.

What is being done?

Eyes over Puget Sound takes to the air once a month to obtain high-resolution aerial photographs, record observations, and gather water quality data at 37 remote marine monitoring stations to track and record how weather and climate are shaping Puget Sound water quality. Their June monitoring showed Noctiluca blooms present in Budd Inlet, Central Basin and Whidbey Basin. This recording and communication of large scale influence and impacts has helped inform Ecology’s nutrient reduction work.

The Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Project aims to use science and collaboration to develop a plan to restore and protect Puget Sound water quality from local human sources of nutrient over-enrichment which feed algae growth. The Puget Sound Nutrient Forum is a collaborative stakeholder process that is actively seeking additional community involvement. To learn more and sign up for updates regarding the Puget Sound Nutrient Forum, visit our website. 

To learn more about Noctiluca and eutrophication, read “Dead plankton leave clues to a food-web mystery” by Christopher Dunagan at the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound.

By: Samantha Russell, Water Quality Program

Reflections on first Puget Sound Nutrient Forum

Next forum on May 30 continues conversation on finding water quality solutions

Padilla Bay

On April 25, key decision makers, scientists, and practitioners met at the first Puget Sound Nutrient Forum to form an advisory workgroup, to learn about what’s threatening Puget Sound water quality, and suggest ways to reduce human sources of nutrients.

“There were a lot of questions on the science.  What is the science saying about the problem and why do we need to do something about it? It was very encouraging to hear,” said Ecology’s Dustin Bilhimer.

Bilhimer is our manager for the Puget Sound Nutrient Source Reduction Project.  The project aims to use science and collaboration to develop a plan to restore and protect Puget Sound water quality with respect to nutrient over-enrichment.

What’s the problem?
Stormwater runoff containing fertilizers, human waste leaking from septic tanks, and outfalls of sewage, processed or not, creates a nutrient-rich environment in Puget Sound that feeds algae growth and chokes out important aquatic life.

As our regional population continues to grow, our impacts on the Sound intensifies. We are seeing signs throughout Puget Sound. And the situation will only worsen unless we take steps over the next decade to address growth and development in ways that won’t degrade water quality and impair the ability of marine species to survive and thrive.

We must support and improve the ecological systems that make Puget Sound more resilient to the effects of population growth and climate change.

Puget Sound and Seattle

Looking for collaborative solutions
The workgroup includes of members of the wastewater treatment plant and stormwater regulated community, environmental groups, tribes as well as local, state, and federal agencies. Many members of the public also attended.

By convening the first forum, Bilhimer hoped to create a space for collaboration on options for nutrient reductions in the Sound. He was pleased there was so much interest in the first meeting and knows this is only the beginning.

“The feedback was all very good.  Folks appreciated the opportunity for input. They appreciated the method we were using to get feedback from the public, industry and tribes. I want to make sure the meetings are meaningful and we get meaningful feedback from the participants. We are using that feedback to structure the next meeting.”

Bilhimer is encouraging anyone who is interested to be a part of the next event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 30th at the SeaTac Red Lion. He is looking for people from local areas, industry, tribes, recreational groups, conservation districts, salmon recovery groups, or anyone else.

“We need to keep educating people so they understand why nutrients are a problem what is needed to correct that problem, and to be a part of the solution. We want to bring scientists from Ecology and from other places together to help get the full picture of what is happening in the Sound. It’s going to be a long process.”

The next series of forum gatherings will include more on the science of Puget Sound, including trends, aesthetic uses, and climate change impacts, the food web, and acidification. Future meetings will also look at what we are doing about the nutrient issue, including modeling, measuring recovery, source control options, permitting, learning from similar efforts in other states, implementing solutions, affordability and funding sources.

All forums are open to the public and we will be posting materials on our website.  Those who can’t attend in person can participate via webinar.

 “Ideally at the end of this project we will have a plan, supported by stakeholders, that Ecology can implement through our regulatory authority and that achieves our water quality improvement goals and meets standards,” said Bilhimer.

For more information on the Puget Sound Nutrient Forum, visit our website.

The Sound at sunset

Puget Sound Nutrient Watch: A new blog series

Welcome to our first installment of “Puget Sound Nutrient Watch,” an ongoing series of blogs that will focus on the excess nutrient problem in Puget Sound.

A healthy Puget Sound is an integral part of our cultural history and future. Are nutrients causing it to change?

In this post we will be going over why we care about excess nutrients and how they are affecting Puget Sound. Read on to learn about:

• Our recent Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue that brought together scientists from across Puget Sound region to discuss the latest science on nutrients.
• Why you should care. Understand what happens to a water body that is overly rich with nutrients. 
• Two brand-new publications on nutrients in Puget Sound. These review new modules that have been added to the robust Salish Sea computer model. 
• The report on the Sediment Diagenesis Module describes how the model incorporates the dynamic interaction of nutrients within the sediment and water column. 
• The report on the Ocean Acidification Module reveals on how the new ocean acidification module can help us pinpoint areas in Puget Sound that are influenced the most by regional sources of nutrients.
• How can nutrients be bad? Impacts that excess nutrients cause to the health of the Sound.
• What to expect in this blog series.

Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue

We would like to thank everyone that came out to the Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue in Auburn last month, it was a great success! We had around 120 people show up ready to participate in the conversation surrounding the science of excess nutrients in Puget Sound.

Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue participants eager to save the Sound.

If you missed out and would like to participate in future events, please sign up for email notifications through our Listserv. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with others who value the Puget Sound and want to protect it from excess nutrients.

Presentation slides, a summary of the event, pictures, videos, and more from the Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue will be posted on the project webpage.

Why should we care? 

Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon are an important part of a healthy and productive marine ecosystem. Excess nutrients, however, can be problematic for marine water quality – most often nitrogen. Just as you need nutrients to keep your body healthy, too much of anything throws the system out of balance. 

We're working to understand nutrient problems in Puget Sound
so we can keep it the beautiful natural resource that it is today. 

When it enters marine waters in excessive amounts, nitrogen causes what is called eutrophication. Eutrophication is the term for what happens when a water body becomes over-enriched with nutrients. This over-abundance of nutrients will cause dense growth of algae and plant life and the death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

Nitrogen acts like a fertilizer causing algae to grow. Too much nitrogen results in excessive algae growth, which puts the health of Puget Sound off balance. When algae die and decompose, it consumes oxygen out of the water column (especially at depth). In some shallow inlets and bays around the Sound, this will deplete oxygen to low levels which stresses fish and the other critters that live in important nearshore habitats.

Thinking about our future

Our science today tells us we have a nutrient over-enrichment problem in Puget Sound. We are in the beginning phase of a long-term project that will ultimately help us address this overabundance of nutrients. Our goal is to ensure the Puget Sound we know and love remains resilient to stresses from nutrient problems caused by our growing population and exacerbated by climate change.

Latest science – understanding the problem

Salish Sea graphic of nutrient-rich zones
from the Salish Sea Model.

One of the most important tools for understanding the effects of nutrients in Puget Sound is the Salish Sea Model. The model was developed by Pacific Northwest National Labs in collaboration with Ecology scientists and with grant funding from EPA.

This robust computer model helps us better identify human sources of nutrients that are negatively impacting the health of Puget Sound by simulating the natural environment. It models complex water circulation and water quality dynamics in all of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia.

Our two latest publications - released July 2017 - help predict impacts that are influencing Puget Sound's health.

The Sediment Diagenesis Module added the capability to the Salish Sea Model to simulate sediment-water exchanges. This module simulates the way organic matter decomposes, which allows the model to more accurately reflect actual conditions in Puget Sound. As organic matter decays both within the water column and bottom sediment layers, nutrients are released back to the water and consume oxygen in the process.

The Ocean Acidification Module calculates the impacts of regional nutrient sources on acidification. Results from this effort indicate that human-related sources of nitrogen and organic carbon can influence Puget Sound's carbonate system balance.

Toxic algae blooms - like this one that happened at
Deception Pass - can be caused by eutrophication.

Blogging on how this issue impacts Puget Sound’s health

Throughout this series we will dive into the specific impacts caused by excessive nutrients in Puget Sound that have damaging effects on water quality.

These impacts potentially include:

• Harming nearshore habitat and benthic invertebrates
• Intensifying ocean acidification at some locations
• Facilitating the break-down of the marine food web
• Increasing the number of algae blooms

Stay tuned as upcoming blog features dig into each of these issues, highlight new reports, and share new information as it becomes available.

Tackling the Puget Sound nutrient problem

The Puget Sound Nutrient Source Reduction Project is using best available science to understand the nutrient problems in the Sound and develop a plan to reduce human impacts so that we can protect the health and resiliency of Puget Sound.

The Salish Sea Model is a state-of-the-art computer modeling tool that allows scientists, engineers, and planners to understand the complex physical, chemical, and biological patterns in circulation and water quality. We will be using the model to compare Puget Sound to marine water quality standards, understand how bad water quality will be if we continue with the status quo, and evaluate nutrient reduction options for improving and restoring the Sound to meet our water quality goals.

Visit our website and join our listserv to get up-to-date information concerning the nutrient problem in Puget Sound. You can also this full blog series by searching "Puget Sound Nutrient Watch". We want this to be a collaborative effort that brings all of the technical work that is happening on Puget Sound nutrients together. We need all hands on deck to find the best solutions for meeting water quality goals for Puget Sound.

By: Jenny Robertson, Ecology Environmental Specialist

Calling all lovers of the Puget Sound!

Are you interested in regional efforts to keep Puget Sound healthy and resilient? Join us in Auburn, Wed., July 19 at Green River Community College to attend our Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue. This all-day meeting will bring together those working to understand and protect Puget Sound to discuss what we’re learning from our most recent science.

Fort Lawton West Point Lighthouse, Discovery Park, Seattle, Washington (Courtesy of Kenny Rowe)

After a decade of development, we have the state-of-the-art Salish Sea environmental computer model to help us understand changes in Puget Sound and evaluate the best solutions to reduce human impacts. This model shows us that land-based human sources of nutrients are leading to cases of low dissolved oxygen levels in the Sound. We are using this tool – in combination with ongoing field monitoring data and broad stakeholder input – to develop options to reduce nutrients in the Sound.

Join the conversation and learn how an over-abundance of nutrients affect our beloved Puget Sound. A healthy balance of nutrients is essential for a healthy food web, just as we require a balanced diet for good health. But excess nutrients from human sources can cause problems in Puget Sound just as over-eating can lead to health problems in your body. The over-enrichment of nutrients is diminishing dissolved oxygen levels that fish and other species in the Sound need to thrive.

 

Click here to register!

Join us in person

When	July 19
Time	8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where	Green River Community College, Lindbloom Student Union Center
Address	12401 SE 320th St. Auburn, WA, 98092

Register by July 5 to secure your seat!

Parking and the event are free. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. Lunch will be available for purchase at the college’s newly remodeled cafeteria.

 

How can nutrients be negative for Puget Sound? 

A healthy Puget Sound is integral to our identity and our future. There is a growing body of science and evidence that shows increasing nutrients are adversely affecting the Sound. 

This dialogue is meant to bring together stakeholders, decision-makers, scientists, and the interested public to:

• Talk about the current state of the knowledge
• Discuss the effects of excess nutrients in Puget Sound
• Make connections between different areas of research
• Identify new studies that will improve our knowledge and understanding
  

Just like your human body, our Puget Sound ecosystem needs balance to be healthy. Too many nutrients in the Sound can also lead to undesirable changes in the food web, over-growths of algae that wash up on our beaches, increases in jellyfish populations, and more harmful algae blooms. Beyond changing what is considered normal for Puget Sound, these problems could reduce the Sound’s ability to be resilient to increasing pressures from climate change and the growing human population in the region.

 

Stay involved! 

Learn more about the project on our website where you can also find updated information on the Puget Sound Nutrient Dialogue as it becomes available.

Subscribe to our project listserv to receive email updates. 

By: Jenny Robertson, water quality environmental specialist