The St. Croix Watershed Research Station is very pleased to share a new video by popular YouTube channel MinuteEarth. The Research Station sponsored this video with funding from the McKnight Foundation.
The video explains in plain language the ancient and important organisms called cyanobacteria, which are a key area of study for our scientists. When provided with too much fertilizer or warm weather or other factors, they can turn lakes toxic for people and animals.
The Research Station has multiple studies underway seeking to better understand when, where, and why harmful algae bloom. (Research funding is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.)
Thanks largely to MinuteEarth’s 2.1 million subscribers on YouTube, the video has more than 120,000 views after just two days online.
The team at MinuteEarth has lots of experience translating fascinating but complex ideas about nature and science into fun, understandable animated videos. We love what they did with this topic. Thank you to script writer Peter Reich, editor and director David Goldenberg, illustrator Sarah Berman, narrator Julián Gómez, and others.
Please watch and share the video, thank you! Click here to view it on YouTube.
Learn more:
- Five super powers of cyanobacteria
- Watching when, where and why harmful algae happen in Minnesota lakes
- Studies of Lake of the Woods show how water can struggle with a legacy of pollution
- Remote lakes on Isle Royale are turning toxic and we don’t know why — yet
- “Invisible” species of exotic algae threatens to poison Minnesota lakes
Field Notes 