See the following links for WCAI’s special coverage of Cape Cod’s Cyanobacteria outbreak.

Part One:

‘I Felt Like I Was Poisoned’; Toxic Cyanobacteria Blooms Imperil Region’s Ponds
In early August, carpenter Michael Forgione told his mother that he was heading out to go crabbing in the brackish waters of Chilmark Pond on Martha’s Vineyard. Carol Forgione, a 72-year-old nurse practitioner, wished him a good catch…

Part Two:

Ecologist Kevin Johnson collects water samples in Santuit Pond in MashpeeHealth Officials Struggle to Confront Toxic Algae Blooms
On a rainy Monday morning in Mashpee, ecologist Kevin Johnson balances on one foot while trying to pull on a pair of waders. “I’ll wade out … around knee- to waist-deep and take my sample there,” he said…

Part Three:

Karen Malkus works at her lab bench in Barnstable Town offices.What Will it Take to Rid the Region’s Ponds of Toxic Cyanobacteria Blooms?
Biologist Karen Malkus’s laboratory in the Barnstable Town Offices features a marble vanity with a mirror framed by light bulbs. “It used to be …  the ladies’ room, which is now converted into the lab,” she said recently…

Additional Coverage

Reporter’s Notebook: Toxic Algae Blooms and What to Do About Them
As CAI reported this week, algal blooms in local ponds can be dangerous to humans and animals. They are also a sign of a bigger problem; pollution from human sources like septic systems and more recently, the effects of climate change…

‘How Do I Know if My Local Pond Has a Cyanobacteria Bloom?’ And 11 More Frequently Asked Questions
What does a cyanobacteria bloom look like? Are there other signs that my pond has a toxic bloom? Is there anything I can do to determine whether there’s cyanobacteria in my local pond or just an overabundance of more beneficial types of planktonic algae? I think the algae I see matches the description of cyanobacteria. Who do I call? …