TPWD News Release — April 20, 2010 According to Melissa Tidmore,
a biologist on TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Kills and Splills Team,
golden alga is a naturally-occurring, microscopic alga that,
under certain environmental conditions, can cause massive fish
mortality by releasing a toxin that inhibits fishes’ ability to
breathe. Golden alga was first identified in Texas in the
mid-80s in the Pecos River. Since then, golden alga blooms have
affected numerous public water bodies in Texas including 33
major reservoirs, numerous community fishing lakes, and two
state fish hatcheries. The effects of toxic golden alga blooms
can be devastating to fisheries. Since 2001, golden alga blooms
have caused more than 130 major fish kills and resulted in the
loss of more than 34 million fish valued at more than $14
million. TPWD continues to work closely with golden alga experts
and researchers from around the world, as well as seven
different Texas universities, and to date has focused more than
$4 million toward golden alga res