Pyramid Lake water turns dark green with beautiful swirling whirlpool currents

October 2024 will be remembered by the locals around Pyramid Lake, Nevada, for a rather unusual display of nature’s colors and patterns.

The usually serene waters of the lake unleashed a stunning exhibition of blue-green algae, dancing and swirling across the surface.

For the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Water Quality Program, this bloom was arguably the most active in recent times.

Studying Pyramid Lake from space

The bloom, which added a touch of mystery to the lake, was so expansive that it was visible from space. The locals, bemused by this phenomenon, couldn’t help but talk about it.

Luckily, providing a better look at this spectacle was the Landsat 9 satellite, which snapped astonishing natural-color images on October 8, 2024.

Looking at the images captured by Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2), you could see the mesmerizing swirling, whirlpool patterns created by the algae.

Nodularia spumigena, a type of cyanobacteria, is the culprit that is responsible for the bloom.

This particular species thrives in warm, saline waters and can pull nitrogen right out of the atmosphere — handy skills that ensured its survival in Pyramid Lake over the years.

It’s beautiful, but stay away

What’s fascinating about Nodularia spumigena, aside from its beauty, is its ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. This means it can create its own nutrients and outcompete other organisms when nitrogen levels in the water are low.

But there’s a flip side. Nodularia spumigena can produce a toxin called nodularin, which is harmful to both animals and humans. If you come into contact with water contaminated by this toxin, it can lead to serious health issues, especially affecting the liver.

That’s why when blooms of this cyanobacterium occur, health authorities often warn people to steer clear of the water until things return to normal.

Respectively, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe raised a safety flag on October 15, 2024, advising people to avoid contact with the water until it returned to its normal state.

Understanding cyanobacteria and phytoplankton

Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria are both tiny organisms that live in water, but there’s a key difference between them.

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are actually bacteria that can photosynthesize — they use sunlight to make food, much like plants do. Despite their name, they’re not true algae.

These little guys have been around for billions of years, and you can find them almost everywhere: in oceans, lakes, soil, and even in extreme environments like hot springs. Cyanobacteria are actually responsible for producing a lot of the oxygen that made life possible on Earth.

Phytoplankton, on the other hand, is a broader term that includes any microscopic organisms in the water that can photosynthesize. This group encompasses a variety of species, including algae and, interestingly enough, cyanobacteria.

So, in a way, cyanobacteria are a type of phytoplankton, but not all phytoplankton are cyanobacteria.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky. While cyanobacteria are crucial for ecosystems and the oxygen we breathe, some species can produce toxins that are harmful to animals and humans. If you’ve ever heard about beaches closing because of harmful algal blooms, cyanobacteria are often the culprits.

So, they play a double role: they’re essential for life, but under certain conditions, such as this toxic bloom in Pyramid Lake, they can pose some serious health risks.

Pyramid Lake: Past, present and future

Pyramid Lake is a piece of history. It’s a remnant of the ancient Lake Lahontan, created during the last ice age.

Scientists speculate that the cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena has been a part of this ecosystem since that era.

This lake isn’t just about the water or the spectacular algae blooms. It’s home to the endangered cui-ui fish (Chasmistes cuius) — a species held in high regard by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

Anglers will also recognize it as the site where a world-record Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) weighing a whopping 41 pounds was caught in 1925.

Monitoring the bloom

To keep a pulse on these blooms and their implications, scientists and environmental organizations utilize various tools.

For instance, the San Francisco Estuary Institute‘s water quality analysis tool indicated a surge in levels of chlorophyll-a between late September and mid-October.

This invaluable data helps researchers understand the occurrence and potential impacts of such blooms.

Preserving Pyramid Lake for the future

This beautiful, toxic bloom underscores the importance of monitoring and conserving our aquatic ecosystems.

Factors like temperature shifts, nutrient levels, and changes in water conditions can spark cyanobacteria growth almost anywhere on Earth.

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe is keeping residents and visitors up-to-date on the lake’s condition.

By heeding safety recommendations and staying informed, we can all play a part in safeguarding ourselves and this delicate ecosystem.

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NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photo by Luke H. Gordon. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

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