Research by American graduate students, who have been studying the ecosystem of Mývatn lake in Northern Iceland this summer, indicates that plant life in the lake is about to disappear. The bottom of the lake is covered with a layer of algae, bacteria and microorganisms who form the basis of the food chain in the lake.
Disappearing moss balls
Locals as well as scientiests have been worried by the disappearance of the “kúluskítur” which are known as Marimo or Moss Balls (a rare growth of balls of green algae), which characterized Mývatn, in recent years. The disappearance of the moss balls has been linked with development around the lake and the mining of diatomite from the bottom of the lake, which took place in the 1964-2004. The moss balls are formed by the algae covering the bottom of the lake.
Joseph Phillips, who is working on his MA in biology at the University of Wisconsin Madison told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that measurements taken by the team of American graduate students showed that the algae growth has been reduced dramatically due to the flowering of bacteria. Bacteria, which lives suspended in the water, blocks out sunlight which then doesn’t reach the bottom where the algae grows.
Mass deaths of ducklings
The collapse of the algae growth at the bottom of the leak leads to the collapse of the entire food-chain in the lake, Phillips points out, as the algae feeds insects and midges, which in turn are eaten by the birds on the lake. Mývatn lake derives its name from the midges which form large swarms at the lake, as Mývatn literally translates as Midge-lake.
Recent measurements show that the midge population at Mývatn lake has collapsed, leading to mass deaths of ducklings. This year there are only a few hundred ducklings on the lake, compared to tens of thousands. Hjördís Finnbogadóttir, a local resident, told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the duck population and ecosystem of the lake go through cycles of decline and growth with periodic collapses. However, this year’s collapse is larger than anything seen previously.
Unexplained white pollution
Several weeks ago biologists and local residents noticed the water in the lake had become white in large areas. Scientists have yet to explain the source of the colour, which has been described as if someone had poured paint or milk into the water, but it appears to be chemical rather than biological.
Research by American graduate students, who have been studying the ecosystem of Mývatn lake in Northern Iceland this summer, indicates that plant life in the lake is about to disappear. The bottom of the lake is covered with a layer of algae, bacteria and microorganisms who form the basis of the food chain in the lake.
Disappearing moss balls
Locals as well as scientiests have been worried by the disappearance of the “kúluskítur” which are known as Marimo or Moss Balls (a rare growth of balls of green algae), which characterized Mývatn, in recent years. The disappearance of the moss balls has been linked with development around the lake and the mining of diatomite from the bottom of the lake, which took place in the 1964-2004. The moss balls are formed by the algae covering the bottom of the lake.
Joseph Phillips, who is working on his MA in biology at the University of Wisconsin Madison told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that measurements taken by the team of American graduate students showed that the algae growth has been reduced dramatically due to the flowering of bacteria. Bacteria, which lives suspended in the water, blocks out sunlight which then doesn’t reach the bottom where the algae grows.
Mass deaths of ducklings
The collapse of the algae growth at the bottom of the leak leads to the collapse of the entire food-chain in the lake, Phillips points out, as the algae feeds insects and midges, which in turn are eaten by the birds on the lake. Mývatn lake derives its name from the midges which form large swarms at the lake, as Mývatn literally translates as Midge-lake.
Recent measurements show that the midge population at Mývatn lake has collapsed, leading to mass deaths of ducklings. This year there are only a few hundred ducklings on the lake, compared to tens of thousands. Hjördís Finnbogadóttir, a local resident, told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the duck population and ecosystem of the lake go through cycles of decline and growth with periodic collapses. However, this year’s collapse is larger than anything seen previously.
Unexplained white pollution
Several weeks ago biologists and local residents noticed the water in the lake had become white in large areas. Scientists have yet to explain the source of the colour, which has been described as if someone had poured paint or milk into the water, but it appears to be chemical rather than biological.
