ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — It's a beautiful day and you decide to head to Canandaigua Lake to try and cool off from the summer heat. Upon arrival, you notice something in the water. Could that be foam you wondered. The answer to that question is yes! This is something called lake foam and it can form on any lake. Back up: What exactly is lake foam and how does it form? The foaming of surface waters is a natural process that has been going on for a long period of time in many different parts of the world. According to the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association(CLWA), "foam is created when the surface tension of water (attraction of surface molecules to each other) is reduced and the air is mixed in, forming bubbles." When organisms, such as algae, plants or fish die and decompose, they release cellular products (surfactant) into the water, which reduces the surface tension. When the wind stirs, the lake's waves disturb the surface, creating frothy white foam. Additionally, currents and boats introduce air to the organic materials in the water, leading to foam formation. This froth often appears in parallel streaks across the open water, a result of currents generated by the wind. Has any research been done? In recent years, CLWA launched a research with Global Aquatic Research to further examine the composition of the foam during the harmful algae bloom season. This research was conducted throughout the late summer and fall of 2019. Here is a summary of the research, given by the CLWA: New Research Conducted: Many chemical analyses were performed on the foam and the results were compared with the chemical signatures of tributary streams, lake water, invasive mussels, plankton, and seaweed, in order to identify the source of the foam. Carbon isotope and fatty acid signatures indicate the source of the foam comes from within the lake. Very high concentrations of carbon and low concentrations of nitrogen in the foam suggest it is enriched in one type of biological component that is low in nitrogen. This means that invasive mussel proteins are not the source. FTIR (fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), an advanced technique used to identify organic substances, indicated the foam is primarily made of carbohydrates, in particular polysaccharides, which are long chains of sugars. A range of aquatic organisms commonly produces these, but the FTIR signature of the foam was most similar to thephytoplankton sample from the lake. All measurements were consistent with Microcystis algae, the cyanobacteria that are responsible for the harmful algal blooms (HABs) and produce the microcystin toxins responsible for beach closures, as the source of these foam-causing polysaccharides What's Going on in the Lake? Plankton, which include all microscopic plants and animals suspended in the lake water, are filtered by the invasive zebra and quagga mussels. Microcystis cyanobacteria are a poor food source for the mussels. The mussels eat other plankton and spit the cyanobacteria out. Over time this selectively concentrates the cyanobacteria in the water. Phosphorous and nitrogen concentrations in the lake support phytoplankton growth, and during the summer when sunlight is abundant, cyanobacteria grow at fast rates. Microcystis cyanobacteria release polysaccharides outside of their cells in order to create large colonies and to regulate their environment. These “exopolysaccharides” or “EPSs” are produced in large quantities during phytoplankton blooms and change the chemistry of the surface of the lake. Invasive mussels get “sick” when feeding on the cyanobacteria and start producing polysaccharide rich mucus of their own while recycling and ejecting the cyanobacteria EPSs, exacerbating the problem. Over time, these EPSs, which are not very soluble in the water and are stable in the environment, accumulate in the SML (see Foam Facts) and provide the right conditions for foam production. In fact, these types of polysaccharides are used in industries to stabilize foam and create emulsions. Credit: CLWA Can the foam be harmful? According to CLWA, "some foam can concentrate pollutants at much higher levels than in the surrounding environment....we have found microcystin toxins in the foam at higher concentrations than in nearby lake water, and in a few cases, higher than the NYS Department of Health's recreational limit." Is there anything we can to do to prevent this? CLWA recommends to limit nutrient inputs into the lake. This can help to control both cyanobacteria and mussels. The best ways to reduce nutrients, according to CLWA, are to: Use less fertilizer Control animal waste and wastewater discharge Reduce erosion Preserve and plant shrubs, trees, and groundcover along tributary streams. For more information about lake form, click here.