The Lake is Beautiful, the Algae Aren’t

By Changcheng Pu

In September 2017, thick mats of algae appeared in the Skaneateles lake, just southeast of Syracuse, N.Y., one of the cleanest lakes in the United States. The algal bloom, which scientists think may be related to climate change, raised concerns about potential health risks and shocked many of the residents in the area. In April, we interviewed scientists and local government officials about the algal bloom, and went to the lake to talk to residents, including one man who talked about the algae while standing on his head.