Mollusk Graveyard
One might find it hard to link these two things, but it just so happens they are somewhat linked in this photograph. This image is a result of my trip to Magee Marsh to photograph warblers, and mistakenly not checking the weather forecast before I headed down there in the morning. Since it was one of my only days to get down there to photograph them, I decided to wait it out regardless of what the conditions may be. A fairly intense storm was headed directly for this popular migrant stopover.
The sky was looking quite wicked at dawn, intense, heavy cloud cover, and quite poor light in the treeline areas off of Lake Erie where you are most likely to find tired little birds. The early morning was pretty much a bust for being able to photograph any birds, and there were not many to be found anyway. Instead I headed to the beach, a 5 minute walk from the Magee Marsh boardwalk, to look for alternative subjects.
This Great Lakes shoreline of Lake Erie was covered in zebra mussel and clam shells. Piles upon piles of them like a massive die off had occurred. Zebra mussels are an invasive species to the Great Lakes that have been causing problems for years. It was a large mollusk graveyard with the distinctive smell of one! Desperate to make at least some photographs while waiting around for the storm, I thought why not. Taking a deep breath, holding my nose – I headed in.
Well, in post review of these images I still had this erie impression in my mind and a bizarre combination of elements – Lake Erie – Approaching storm – mollusk graveyard – and depressing results with warblers. It wasn’t destined to be a happy, vibrant landscape. I also had curiosity on why this beach was littered with so many shells. Lake Erie isn’t known for having a stellar reputation when it comes to water quality.
Algae Bloom Lake Erie
A bit of research led me to the problems Lake Erie has been having with the toxic blue-green alga Microcystis. This algae produces a toxin called microcystin which is quite dangerous to wildlife or pets drinking the water. It also happens to thrive on phosphorus, a common pollutant in Lake Erie. When this algae dies off, the decomposition depletes the water of oxygen causing massive dead zones in the lake.
A study by NOAA has shown that the zebra mussel, which filters the water of most kinds of algae, spits out Microcystis when it encounters it. With zebra mussels filtering most other alga, this toxic one then gains population strength as its competition is removed by the invasive mussels. Zebra mussels also tend to excrete any excess phosphorus they ingest that isn’t utilized, adding further to the strength of the blooms. (Phosphorus counts are on the rise, and a typical problem with runoff from fertilizers.) More blue-green alga, more depleted oxygen from the die offs, more dead aquatic life. No doubt more dead aquatic life will have a significant impact on the surrounding ecosystems, including the prime warbler stopping point near this shoreline.
While I am not certain this is what happened on this beach, it is highly suspicious. Dead mollusks could be the result of any number of pollutants and poor water conditions. I didn’t return with many keeper warbler shots this day, but did end up with a bit of Great Lakes aquatic life education and some erie images possibly linked to mussel spit.
Tags: algae bloom, dead zone, Environment, Great Lakes, Lake Erie, landscape photography, landscape photos, Magee Marsh, Microcystis, nature photography, nature photos, Ohio, zebra mussel
http://t.co/1xjuh7fT - posted on 22 hours ago
Dark and sad story, dark and sad photo. Otherwise the photo is greatly crafted.
Mark, a story of a failing environment of which similar symptoms are found almost everywhere. Sadly we may be documenting in photos the tipping point of mass changes in nature as we’ve known it, I pray not.
However, the photo is striking in detail and composition. The dark stormy sky certainly adds to the story it tells. A morning well spent I’d say.
Thank you Tomas, Earl. I agree, this one certainly does not communicate a happy situation.
I like the desolate kind of feel you captured in this image. For a while I worked security at a water treatment facility on Lake Erie, where I learned that Zebra mussles, although a problematic, invasive pest, had cleaned the lake of many of the old, pre-EPA pollutants. Ultimately I have little faith in humanity, anyway. Now that I live near New Orleans, I have whole new pollutants to try to bury my head in the sand over.
That must have been an interesting job Lana. As a diver, I can certainly appreciate the water clarity the zebra mussels have contributed to.
I can only imagine the devastation facing New Orleans and surrounding Gulf area ecosystems right now. Sadly the biggest consuming organisms of oil are land based.
Despite the story I love this photo! The composition is beautiful with those dead mussels in front covered by an impressive sky. The pastel silver color toning is beautiful.
Thank you Monique.
At first, of course, I was caught up in the striking photo and the way you used all tools to convey the mood. Then, thanks to the sad story, I returned to the image with an even deeper connection. Now, I keep coming back, time after time, turning over and examining all the thoughts and feelings.
Thanks Anita, the image is successful to me if it conveys part of that story.
This is a excellent image. It really represents your story well. The results make it all worth going in there even if it was smelly and good research too.