Lake Erie, shallow as can be,
Fish abundance, far as the eye can see,
Memories created, in the fondest of ways,
Illuminating sunrises reflected on crashing waves.
A grim foe, threatens tranquility,
Algae blooms, green as itchy grass,
Toxic poisons, suffocating grasp,
Great water health, of the past.
Farm fields hosting banquets,
Handed on a silver platter by Summer rains,
Sponge like wetlands saving the day,
Helping organisms carry on their way.
Over the years, Lake Erie has struggled with toxic algal blooms affecting the environment and even the local economy. I wanted to create a short poem for this important topic to spread awareness of how truly destructive these harmful algae blooms are on surrounding ecosystems. These blooms are known to suffocate many different species of fish and other organisms in Lake Erie by depleting oxygen in the water (1). The major reason for these algal blooms is agriculture runoff from surrounding landscapes that eventually dumps potent concentrations of Phosphorus and Nitrogen into Lake Erie (2). These nutrients act as a food source for algae and causes them to exponentially grow into the blooms we see across the lake.
In the poem, I quickly mention the idea of wetlands because it’s believed they are a possible remedy for nutrient overload dumping into Lake Erie (3). Wetlands are fantastic at adsorbing nutrients, similar to a sponge, in any water that flows through them because of roots from surrounding dense vegetation. A large resource for algal blooms can then be greatly reduced by restoring wetlands in areas with high nutrient runoff before they reach Lake Erie.
References:
1) National Weather Service. Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom: About. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.weather.gov/cle/HABabout
2) Kozacek, C. (2014) Cause of Lake Erie’s Harmful Algal Blooms Gains More Certainty. Circle of blue. Retrieved from: https://www.circleofblue.org/2014/world/cause-lake-eries-harmful-algal-blooms-gains-certainty/
3) Mitsch, W. (2017) Solving Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms by restoring the Great Black Swamp in Ohio. Ecological Engineering. (108): 406-413