Written by Emily Skinkis
When you think of algae, do you think it could help save the Great Lakes from microplastic pollution? Well, that could be our future!
Up to one trillion pieces of microplastic could be caught by the 129,000 tons of Cladophora algae currently in the Great Lakes. Cladophora algae resembles green hair, which plastic microfibers get tangled up in. When studied by Great Lakes researchers, nearly every penny-sized sample of Cladophora algae collected from the lakes contained at least one plastic microfiber. This attraction microplastics have to the stickiness of algae can provide insights on how natural mechanisms can help remove microplastic pollution from the Great Lakes.
Removing microplastics from the Great Lakes is important as the lakes are one of the world's largest freshwater ecosystems and the drinking water source for 40 million people, including all of us in Milwaukee. Fish that live in the Great Lakes don’t eat Cladophora, but this algae provides zooplankton and other invertebrates shelter from prey fish. Out of 330 prey fish surveyed in Lake Ontario, 97% had microfibers in their digestive tracts.
Ultimately, more microplastics will continue to show up within our water (and beer), food chain and ourselves as it mingles throughout the Great Lakes, within Cladophora algae and among food sources for fish. But continuing to learn about and implement new methods to remove microplastics, we are one step closer to healthy ecosystems and communities.