Scientists Dye Peter Lake Blue to Combat Algae, Face Unexpected Challenges
In 2024, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Center for Limnology conducted an experiment on Peter Lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, dyeing it blue with Aquashade to block sunlight from algae. This intervention was part of the long-running Cascade Project, which uses two nearly identical lakes, Peter and Paul, to study ecological responses. Peter Lake is manipulated, while Paul Lake serves as a control. After dyeing, fertilizer was added to Peter Lake to test the lake's resilience against algal blooms. Despite the blue dye, Peter Lake still turned green due to an algal bloom. The research team, including PhD candidate Danny Szydlowski, suspects that repeated rainfall washed out the blue pigment, allowing light to reach the algae. This outcome highlights the complexities of whole-lake experiments and the influence of environmental factors like weather on ecological interventions. The experiment aims to understand the tipping points for algal blooms and how much pressure a lake can absor... 
