The green snot taking over the world's rivers

BBC ^ | 2014 | Larry O'Hanlon

[WhiskeyX]

A strange green organism has spread around the globe, clogging up the world's rivers

It began with a few small strange patches of slime, clinging to the rocks of the Heber River in Canada. Within a year, the patches had become thick, blooming mats. Within a few years the mats had grown into a giant green snot. And within a few decades this snot had spread around the world, clogging up rivers as far away as South America, Europe and Australasia.

This snot, which is still flourishing today, is caused by a microscopic alga, a diatom that goes by its scientific name Didymosphenia geminata. It has become so notorious it has its own moniker, Didymo. People have been blamed for the sudden, global explosion of this tiny organism, unwittingly carrying the algae from river to river on fishing gear, boats and kayaks. The huge snots it forms have wreaked havoc in waterways, forcing governments and environmental organisations to initiate huge and costly clean-up operations.

But underlying the snots’ strange appearance is an even stranger story. About Didymo itself, about what it is, and how it behaves.

[blueunicorn6]

I remember when they made companies take the phosphorous out of detergents.

[dayglored]

> 3,2,1......GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!!!!!

You think you're kidding. Check out this from the original article:

"...the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal has increased the amount of nitrogen compounds on the atmosphere. That nitrogen causes soil organisms to better use phosphorous in the soil, meaning less phosphorous runs into rivers and streams. That creates the more phosphorus-free water beloved by Didymo..."

Is that a reach or what?

It's ALWAYS the EEEEEEEVIL fossil fuels, ain't it?

[Mastador1]

So what? Harvest it and turn into fuel, there must be a gaia worshiper somewhere that will tell us we must save and treasure this crap, I say find a way to burn it for power.

[sjmjax]

...green snot taking over the world's rivers...

We should never have let Michael Moore go swimming!