Cyanobacteria Testing

MV CYANO is a collaborative initiative among Island Boards of Health and scientists from Great Pond Foundation (GPF) to monitor cyanobacteria on Martha’s Vineyard. 
 

Cyanobacteria, a.k.a. blue-green algae, are a group of microorganisms found in all Vineyard waters. When cyanobacteria grow rapidly or bloom, they can produce cyanotoxins, which when concentrated, can cause
adverse health effects in humans, pets, or livestock who wade in or ingest blooming waters. https://greatpondfoundation.org/mvcyano/
 

This past summer, two volunteers from Friends of Sengekontacket (FOS) sampled the waters of Sengekontacket Pond twice each month during low tide, starting in early June through mid-September. Water samples were taken for both the MV CYANO Project and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s (MVC) Water Resource Planner (WRP). Volunteers Kris
Vrooman and Dave Hobart, both members of the FOS Board, took water samples in three designated locations (as shown on the GPF’s MV CYANO website map, below) according to sampling procedures provided by both MV CYANO and MVC’s WRP. Kris and Dave measured water temperature and salinity, and recorded the date, time and location of samples which
were then presented to the two labs involved for cyanobacteria testing. As of the second test date in September, no cyanobacteria levels have been detected in Sengekontacket Pond.