The downtown lake Tjörnin has made a remarkable recovery in the past few years, a new study reveals. The study, which spanned the years 2015 and 16 reveals that the lake ecosystem is in a far better state than 2005, when biologists feared it had collapsed completely.
On the brink of collapse 10 years ago
Ten years ago the lake was extremely polluted, with high levels of feacal bacteria. Extremely high levels of algae in the water had suffocated all plant life in the lake and bird life on the lake was in steep decline.
Read more: More ducks at Tjörnin lake in downtown Reykjavík as its ecosystem grows stronger
All of these problems have been addressed, leading to cleaner water and a rebound of both the animal and plant life in the lake. The main problem still faced by Tjörnin is excessive algeae bloom. The biologists find that these have been in decline, and hope excessive algae growth will disappear in the next few years.
Sewage no longer seeping into Tjörnin
A biologist who spoke with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service explained that some of the old sewage lines in the downtown residential neighborhoods surrounding the lake had been found to be incorrectly linked to the city sewage, leading polluted waste water to seep into the pond. All sewage lines in surrounding neighborhoods have been renewed.
Tjörnin is showing clear signs of recovery. Nesting birds have been having more young and we have more species nesting around the lake, and another thing we have noticed is a increase in the stickleback population.
The three spined sticklebacks, a species of small fish native to inland coastal waters at northerly latitudes, is one of the most important species of animals living in the pond, a source of food for the Arctic tern which nests at the lake. The sticklebacks had all but disappeared from the pond 10 years ago.
The downtown lake Tjörnin has made a remarkable recovery in the past few years, a new study reveals. The study, which spanned the years 2015 and 16 reveals that the lake ecosystem is in a far better state than 2005, when biologists feared it had collapsed completely.
On the brink of collapse 10 years ago
Ten years ago the lake was extremely polluted, with high levels of feacal bacteria. Extremely high levels of algae in the water had suffocated all plant life in the lake and bird life on the lake was in steep decline.
Read more: More ducks at Tjörnin lake in downtown Reykjavík as its ecosystem grows stronger
All of these problems have been addressed, leading to cleaner water and a rebound of both the animal and plant life in the lake. The main problem still faced by Tjörnin is excessive algeae bloom. The biologists find that these have been in decline, and hope excessive algae growth will disappear in the next few years.
Sewage no longer seeping into Tjörnin
A biologist who spoke with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service explained that some of the old sewage lines in the downtown residential neighborhoods surrounding the lake had been found to be incorrectly linked to the city sewage, leading polluted waste water to seep into the pond. All sewage lines in surrounding neighborhoods have been renewed.
Tjörnin is showing clear signs of recovery. Nesting birds have been having more young and we have more species nesting around the lake, and another thing we have noticed is a increase in the stickleback population.
The three spined sticklebacks, a species of small fish native to inland coastal waters at northerly latitudes, is one of the most important species of animals living in the pond, a source of food for the Arctic tern which nests at the lake. The sticklebacks had all but disappeared from the pond 10 years ago.
