By: Jessica Jin

Unlike other algae, rock snot or didymo grows in low nutrient waters. A river in Michigan, Upper Manistee River, has low nutrients so rock snot grows there while other algae don’t. When it blooms, it grows quickly and forms thick layers of snot like material on the bottom and top of lakes and streams.

This is a dangerous matter because it harms habitats in the rivers in Michigan. Since the rock snot spreads quickly, it covers many areas in the rivers. Since it is thick and goopy, it is hard for native species to live in the waters. For example, birds who rely on the river to find fish or other sources of food, can’t find them easily. It is nearly impossible because the thick rock snot covers the surface of the water. The algae create an opaque wall causing the birds to not see into the water.

The rock snot grows on anything that is stationary, such as a rock or the bottom of the river floor. It can also grow on grates and other water systems. Rock snot is very thick, growing to 8 inches wide. When it covers things like grates, it stops water from flowing through those things. Rock snot can also grow around native plants in the rivers, causing more damage to the ecosystem.

Rock snot spreads very quickly by sticking onto things and growing there. It spreads to humans when we do activities in the rivers. For example, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. It can stick onto clothes, boats, and fishing hooks, and lines. Since it stars as a microorganism, it is impossible to see it with just the human eye. It can stay on a surface for weeks. People who go to the rivers in Michigan are being told to clean their equipment, such as boats, clothes, and fishing equipment.

Researchers still don’t know how to get all the rock snot out of the waters, but they are still trying to learn more about it by looking at the rock snots’ life cycle and how it spreads.

Sources: How is ‘rock snot’ affecting rivers in Michigan_ – CBBC Newsround.pdf , what rivers in michigan are covered in rock snot – Google Search, Invasive Species: Didymo or “Rock Snot” – Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov), Google