New Brunswickers should expect more cyanobacteria in rivers and lakes from now on
Teams tracking toxins in the St. John River say there are ways to protect your kids, pets
Pack your swimsuit and towel, lather on sunscreen, and don't forget to check the water for floating scum.
That's Sarah Blenis's advice for a day in a river or lake in New Brunswick from now on, since cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, is here to stay.
"Given the warmer water temperatures, it is very likely that other water bodies will continue to experience cyanobacteria blooms," said Blenis, project manager for the Hammond River Angling Association.
Public Health put out the first safety advisory about the potentially toxic bacteria on May 15 this season in Wards Creek, near Sussex. That's earlier than researchers normally detect it, Blenis said.
The province has put out five new advisories since, and there are 20 other locations that remain on the list from previous outbreaks.
The bacteria grows as a natural part of ecosystems in warm waters. But some of them develop toxins that are harmful to skin and eyes and can cause serious illnesses for humans and pets alike if ingested.
"It can impact your liver," said Blenis, whose team informs the province about where bacteria is found in New Brunswick. "Some of the toxins also have neurological consequences as well."
To keep your family and your pets safe, Blenis said, you need to know what to look for first.
How to deal with potentially infected waters
New growths of cyanobacteria, or blooms, tend to show up in two forms in New Brunswick.
Surface blooms form a layer of blue and green scum on top of the water, almost like paint streaks. If they've been there for a while, they can also carry a foul smell.
Benthic mats, on the other hand, grow underwater. They are small clumps that look like vegetation and can grow brown, grey or dark green.
"Look for things that are growing on the bottom of the river like a thin carpet," Blenis said.
Benthic mats are also a risk because they can release from the ground and wash up on the shore. It can irritate skin and eyes, and can cause gastrointestinal issues if ingested.
It's good practice, Blenis said, to scan the shoreline and the water before you let children or pets approach it.
Public Health recommends showering after being in recreational waters. The bacteria can also live on equipment like boats and paddles, so it's best to clean any gear before you bring it back home.
If you've been fishing in waters with potential blooms, Public Health recommends removing the fish's organs and cleaning it thoroughly before eating it.
The risks are even more serious for four-legged friends who are naturally attracted to the bacteria's odour.
The toxins are harmful to a dog's liver and brain, which is why Public Health suggests looking out for signs of vomiting, seizures, difficulty breathing and diarrhea. If pets ingest the toxins, they can collapse, and it can even cause death.
You should stop your pet from drinking the water, and always bring fresh water with you. Public health suggests calling a veterinarian right away if you suspect your dog has ingested cyanobacteria.
But thanks to new technology popping up in rivers across the Saint John region, researchers like Blenis are now able to detect how blooms occur.
And it's helping her team notify the public sooner.
Floating trackers gathering data every 30 minutes
If you see a small, dome-shaped device floating on the edge of a riverbed in the St. John River, it's not a UFO.
Although Blenis said that's what it looks like, it's actually a solar-powered cyano tracker.
Weighing two pounds, the device floats on the surface and is attached to an anchor and buoy. It analyzes its environment like water and air temperature, and sends data to Blenis's research team every 30 minutes, around the clock.
"We were blown away by how much data they were collecting," Blenis said about when the pilot project first began in 2022.
The devices also track how clear the water is, and detects vegetation growth.
When studied together, this information helps researchers to better understand what it takes for cyanobacteria to bloom in that specific lake or river.
"We know when a bloom is going to happen, so we can have the right people at the right place at the right time to collect samples."
Blenis said if the samples are found to be toxic, her team immediately contacts the province which advises the public.
The trackers cost between three to five thousand each, Blenis said, plus a yearly fee to connect to the data dashboard.
Thanks to the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, the association now has 18 of them deployed in lakes and rivers across the south-southwest part of the province, from Yoho Lake in Hanwell to Meenan's Cove in Quispamsis.
"We definitely have, here in New Brunswick, the largest amount and largest area covered by the cyano trackers," Blenis said, adding that the team can access all of the data on an online dashboard as it's sent by the devices.
The team chose areas that are regularly accessed by the public, and the trackers stay in place until the fall.
The tracker that Colin Forsythe manages on behalf of the St. John River Society at Gerow's Wharf about an hour from Gagetown is a game-changer.
"I will get thousands and thousands of data points which I simply couldn't do with myself or any of my summer students," he said.
He said getting updated results in specific areas of the province will help mitigate incidents like the one he said happened in Belleisle.
"A family got in the water with a cyanobacteria bloom because [their] neighbor told them it was just pollen." he said. "It was not pollen … and they did end up getting a stomach flu."
Blenis's goal is to make the data available to the public to make it easier for swimmers, boaters and anyone who accesses rivers and lakes to know if their area is at risk.
"It'll allow the public to check in on the health of local water bodies in almost real time."
She said the team hopes to make the website public in the next two weeks.
"We're really hoping that this will not only help the public, but it will help other researchers that may not even be in New Brunswick. … It could really provide a lot more insight into cyanobacteria in general."
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