Rock snot is an algae that is taking over Michigan’s Manistee River. It is a problem for animals and humans.
Rock snot’s formal name is didymo. It can thrive in cold, low-nutrient waters like rivers and streams. Rock snot usually forms a thick brown and white rug on a hard surface, which includes the base of rivers and streams. Despite rock snot’s name, it isn’t slimy; instead, it has a wet wood texture.
Didymo is a microscopic algae that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Although didymo is a tiny particle, it is capable of producing a huge amount of rock snot. On the base of the river there could be a mass of rock snot that can be harmful to organisms that live in the river or stream. For example, fish that live in water that has rock snot can be harmed because their nutrient and food sources may be affected. Rock snot also can affect humans. People might have problems with fishing because the fish don’t have enough food to survive.
People can spread rock snot as well. When people do some kinds of activities in the rock snot waters it can spread. Some of these activities are going fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Those activities can spread rock snot because the algae sticks to objects, so when the person does that activity in another body of water the snot can spread into that area.
To stop the spread of rock snot, when the owner of the gear is done with the item they have to clean the item well. They should fully drain water from their boats and dry their boats or fishing tools.
Today, there’s no way to remove rock snot from the rivers and streams of Michigan. Scientists are still trying to figure out how to deal with rock snot, but people are positive they will find a way to get rid of it.
Source: How is ‘rock snot’ affecting rivers in Michigan?
Rock snot’s formal name is didymo. It can thrive in cold, low-nutrient waters like rivers and streams. Rock snot usually forms a thick brown and white rug on a hard surface, which includes the base of rivers and streams. Despite rock snot’s name, it isn’t slimy; instead, it has a wet wood texture.
Didymo is a microscopic algae that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Although didymo is a tiny particle, it is capable of producing a huge amount of rock snot. On the base of the river there could be a mass of rock snot that can be harmful to organisms that live in the river or stream. For example, fish that live in water that has rock snot can be harmed because their nutrient and food sources may be affected. Rock snot also can affect humans. People might have problems with fishing because the fish don’t have enough food to survive.
People can spread rock snot as well. When people do some kinds of activities in the rock snot waters it can spread. Some of these activities are going fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Those activities can spread rock snot because the algae sticks to objects, so when the person does that activity in another body of water the snot can spread into that area.
To stop the spread of rock snot, when the owner of the gear is done with the item they have to clean the item well. They should fully drain water from their boats and dry their boats or fishing tools.
Today, there’s no way to remove rock snot from the rivers and streams of Michigan. Scientists are still trying to figure out how to deal with rock snot, but people are positive they will find a way to get rid of it.
Source: How is ‘rock snot’ affecting rivers in Michigan?
