In Kachemak Bay, Kotzebue and beyond, Alaskans are on the lookout for harmful algae blooms

In Kachemak Bay, Kotzebue and beyond, Alaskans are on the lookout for harmful algae blooms

A bright-green cyanobacteria bloom in Kotzebue on Sept. 30, 2022, collects on the surface of the water. (Photo by Alex Whiting/Native Village of Kotzebue)Algae is vital to a healthy marine system, and most of the hundreds of varieties in Alaska’s waters are beneficial or benign. But the handful that are harmful are, like other algae, proliferating in warmer conditions and releasing or threatening to release toxins that can sicken people and wild…