Dog walkers are being urged to be vigilant after a deadly blue-green algae was found at Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park – with fears it could be elsewhere in Scotland too.
Sepa and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority issued the warning after the algae was found at Duck Bay.
It blooms in warm still water, which due to recent warm weather, has allowed it to thrive – raising fears it could be in other lochs across Scotland too.
The algae, which looks like a layer of blue-green scum on the water’s surface, can produce harmful toxins, which can be deadly to dogs and wild animals.
We have received a report of potential Blue-green Algae at Duck Bay.
Blue-green algae can produce toxins that can kill dogs and other animals. In humans it can cause rashes after skin contact and illnesses if swallowed:https://t.co/UUYtk7SP5T
— Loch Lomond & The Trossachs (@lomondtrossachs) September 13, 2021
Humans can develop a rash if the algae comes into direct contact with skin and causes illness if ingested.
People are advised to avoid and report sightings of the algae so that the park authority can rope off the area with warnings to visitors.
Predicting when blue-green algae is likely to appear is difficult as it can appear within a few hours of warm weather and dissapate when temperatures drop.
The algae blooms can form on a still morning around sheltered shore areas, but then get broken up by rain or waves if the wind picks up.
The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology have verified four recent reports of blue-green algae in Loch Lochy on the west coast as well as seven in Loch Tay in the last month.