Scientists use oranges to track blue-green algae

[Steve Arend]

Scientists use oranges to track blue-green algae

July 25, 2006, 6:45 AM EDT

SWANTON, Vt.(AP) _ Scientists studying toxic blue-green algae blooms on lakes Champlain, Erie and Ontario are using a low-tech tool to track the blooms' movements: oranges.

Lake researcher Greg Boyer joined two assistants for a boat ride out onto Lake Champlain's Missisquoi Bay on Monday to dump two crates of 25 oranges each overboard.

"Oranges are biodegradable and they float right on the surface just like algae, so they are good markers for how the algae travel," Boyer said.

Scientists use oranges to track blue-green algae