Rosenbaum, L. (2018, October 03). As algae blooms increase, scientists seek better ways to predict these toxic tides. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/forecasting-toxic-algae-blooms
The amount of algae blooms present across the nation are beginning to increase. To help prevent or at least prepare for this scientists are looking for ways to predict the blooms and at least be able to warn people that are going to the blooms to stay away from them. In California the amount of the algae Pseudo-Nitzschia increases dramatically during warm-water months. Some species secrete an acid that can cause short-term memory loss, brain damage, or death in humans if ingested. Marine mammals are also being affected by this neurological attack and people have been attempting to rescue them from harm.
The algae are toxic and are heavily affecting the ecosystem, especially for the Native American tribes that live near the area. They harvest the shellfish, but if the shellfish are amnesiacs or brain damaged they are not ideal to consume for a human. This effect that the algae are having on the ecosystem is very important to deal with. If it is not dealt with soon the Natives could be driven out of their home and we could lose a valuable marine ecosystem that stems from that area. Marine mammals must also be protected in order to prevent any further damage to them from the algal blooms.
You touch on an important part of environmental problems – they are the cause (or will cause) cultural problems. It seems unfair that Native American tribes should be forced to leave and have their livelihood devasted at the fault of others. How do you get people to take responsibility for their actions? Should the Native Americans be compensated? If so, how?
It’s honestly very sad hearing how these Native Americans are being forced to leave. What ideas do you have on ways they could gain back their valuable marine ecosystem that they are about to lose?