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Mystery Blob Leaves Scientists Puzzled

Emily Sohn, Discovery News

Now, the real work begins. Samples of the algae have been sent to specialists at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, who are trying to identify the species involved and are expected to release their findings this week.

The results should be telling, RaLonde said. If the goo contains blue-green algae, for example, that means that it came from a freshwater source, while brown algae and red algae live in marine waters attached to surfaces at the bottom. All of these species produce fatty acids that could explain the blob's oily appearance.

Once they know the source, scientists can begin to pin down their hypothesis for how the algal bloom formed. One possibility is that an influx of nutrients led to rapid algal growth beneath an anchored mat of algae, causing the mat to peel off and float to the surface. Blooms can also come out of freshwater rivers as salmon carcasses thaw out after a winter's freeze.

After his initial look through the microscope, RaLonde expects further analyses of the goo to show a mixture of algal species that includes a filamentous, or stringy type of diatom with long spines.

The final results will reveal whether the bloom is harmful. Some algae have abrasive spines that can shred a fish's gills and kill it. Others are poisonous to fish, birds, and mammals.

Algal blooms are already common in parts of Alaska, RaLonde said. They can grow quickly and become enormous. In one recent example, numbers of phytoplankton went from zero to 53,000 cells in two milliliters of water in just four days and got up to 812,000 cells per two milliters three days after that. Red tides can be as thick as ketchup.

As the climate warms, ice retreats and permafrost thaws, RaLonde expects a release of more nitrates into the water, which will fuel more long-lasting blooms, especially of blue-green algae. The blooms will also appear further north than they normally do now. Rising levels of pollution could even add more algae-fueling nutrients into the sea.

"Things are changing," RaLonde said. "I don't expect that this is the last time we will see something like this."

As scientists continue to examine the rapidly degrading samples, the goo is still out there, floating.

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