Removal of the blue-green algae by hand
Pros:
Would easily disperse and clear out the algae that had collected on the lake
Would effectively clear out the top layer of algae allowing sun light to reach species that subside at the bottom
Easily helps to clear out any animals/insects/plant species that are trapped within the layer
Cons:
A very tedious task
Could possibly interfere and uproot other native species
Could expose you to different diseases or contact hindrances if the proper safety gear is not worn
Will be difficult to completely mitigate the algae. If it is not completely removed the algae will simply grow back and continue to spread
Although this is a valid solution, the cons heavily outweigh the pros and the work completed would be mitigated by future blooms. This solution is very tedious and the product would only act as a resolution in the short term. There are apparent pros however including visually and immediate results due to the physical nature of this removal.
Place fish and other species that feed on the algae or help to mitigate other elements
Pros:
Natural solution
Depending on the fish/native species added it will not disturb the pond ecosystem
Depending on the fish/native species added it will provide an additional food source for preexisting species in that environment
It is relatively easy to obtain the fish or seeds
Cons:
Fish might be aggressive to other species in the water or coil disturb the ecosystem
The additional plants could act as invasive species and take up vital nutrients
Might cause additional competition within the ecosystem as the fish could eat the plant/animal that i another species main food course which could lead to starvation and eventual extinction within that environment
While this solution is a strong possibility, it again should not be resorted to as a first choice. The risk factors regarding the integration of additional species into the ecosystem would detrimentally impact the environment, food chain/web, etc. The animal species could also start to target non invasive species and become in themselves invasive. The addition of certain plants is more possible as they could target different element levels within the environment. They could, however, start to consume too many of the nutrients in the environment leaving a very depleted ecosystem. The plants could start to indirectly affect the animal species as they could become harmful/toxic for the animals to touch or eat as well as they could shelter and increase the amount of top tier predators.
Amelioration of the water with non-toxic chemicals
Pros:
Non-toxic chemicals (such as aluminum sulfate) would be used as to not disturb the preexisting species and environment
Would completely mitigate the spread of algae and would prohibit future blooms as well
Only would target the algae as to not affect native species
Cons:
The chemicals required are not easy to acquire and need some level of qualification to access
The chemicals are expensive depending on the quantity needed depending on the size of the area
Other than socio economic and monetary reasons, the pros of this solution completely overshadow the cons. The use of non toxic chemicals provides no negative effects for the environment or any species subsiding within. They mitigate future blooms which makes them the most permanent solution as well even if future solutions need to be implemented along with this possibility.
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