Thanks to the Babylon narrowboat crew for these pictures of the recent green algae invasion on the Lee River, London. Algae thrives on nutrients released by farmland fertilisers and sewerage systems. Meanwhile the Environment Agency says it is worried by the spread of algae that is
threatening to choke wildlife along the south coast of England, and the Japanese have invented algae that 'sweats diesel' which sounds like a good idea, unless it escapes.
• Because of so many foreclosed abandoned homes with stagnant swimming pools in Florida, USA, local health departments are now using a type of "Algae eater" fish from the Amazon called Pterygoplichthys to dump into the pools to eat up the algae. In California local 'Mosquito Abatement Districts' have been using 'Mosquito Fish' to eat up mosquito larvae in stagnant swimming pools. Unfortunately these fish are also being used to control the mosquito in the wild, and are decimating native amphibians in rivers and streams where ever they are introduced.
