During the last week my pond has developed a green scum that appears to look like foam. It floats around with the wind currents when I don't have my aerator turned on. When the wind blows it to one end it is quite heavy and totally covers the water. With the green color I assume it is some type of algae, but don't remember seeing this before. I've had lots of algae problems the last couple years, but this one is different. If this is some kind of algae bloom should I disregard and let it go away by itself?? Doesn't appear to be getting any worse, but covers a good part of my pond, especially when spread out. It would be hard to spray because it's all over the place.

Btian, have you picked any of it up? If so, does it seem like it's made up of a bunch of hairs?

No it's literally green foam. Hope these pictures help.

Yuck. What ever it is I wouldn't eat any of it.

Experts what is this stuff?

It has subsided quite alot today, we had some rain last night, tho not very much or heavy. So not sure if it is just going away naturally or beaten down by what little rain we had. Sure would like to know what kind of algae this is, if indeed it is algae. And if so is this considered a bloom??

By the way jeffhasapond, love your signature statement from Blazing Saddles!!

Thanks. It sort of fits my personality(ies).

I'd sure like to know what this green stuff is as well. Perhaps save some in a jar for future analysis.

It is very possible that the green foam is the result of aeration in the presence of a high amount of dissolved proteins in the pondwater that contains a green phytoplankton bloom. Excessive proteins in the water will form suds or foam like products when the water recieves lots of aeration or air mixing into the water. If the water has abundant green algae (a bloom) on the surface and or suspended in the water column the foam could incorporate the microscopic algae cells into the foam bubbles maiking it apprear green. If the underlying water is clear or there isn't any green films on the surface (visibility 3-8ft) with no type of algae bloom then my theroy is "all wet". Send me some foam and I can verify if it contains lots of microscopic algae. If you send me a sample, send two, one with primarily the foam and one with regular pond water collected a foot or two below the foamy surface layer. Samples should be preserved before mailing. Contact me for details.

Bill,
Thanks for the detailed reply, a ton of information in there. I went back to the pond yesterday and to be honest most of it was gone. Not sure where it went but just a small amount of bubbles present. Haven't been back there yet today but I'll see what's there and let you know as far as a sample. The water underneath appeared to be fairly cloudy from what I could see also. I'll let you know a little later after I see.

Lack of foam a few days later indicates most of the high protein content has decreased. Aeration bubbling transformed the overabundance of protein. Photochemical reactions break a lot of it down into inorganic compounds.

I don't run my aerator 24/7 , normally just the night hours. Don't know if that would affect the bubbling action with the excess protein. I have had alot of action in my pond this summer as it's my first full summer of aeration. I have had a few FA episodes this year, once nearly covering my pond. I tried to rake as much as possible but had to finish with a coat of Cutrine. Also bringing up LOTS of clumps of algae/leaves/weeds from the lower areas, even hard to rake them out they are so heavy. So I would assume I have lots or protein floating around to form whatever it decides to!! Hoping this is the worst and will get better the next few summers.

Had some rain showers the last few days and completely gone now. Water appears quite clear now so whatever I had floating ran it's course. If I see it again I'll get a sample to send to Bill so he can identify it.

Bill Cody,

I have some of this "green scum" now. I just turned off my aerator at the advice of the Pond Boss Forum a few days ago. It formed before that. I don't have that much of the stuff and I started to skim it off a couple days ago when the wind had it all captured in a small cove. Problem I ran into immediately is I couldn't skim the stuff off without getting a bunch of BG fry at the same time. They are right up under the stuff. Could they be eating it?

Green scum can mean numerous different things depending on who is observing it. If it is stringy then its FA and often micoinvertebrates (fry food) are associated with the "scum mat". If it is a bluegreen algae then it will soon disappear as the water cools more. Not sure why small BG (fry) were associated with patches or clumps of bluegreen algae.

I will head down tomorrow and scoop some out and take a closer look at the consistency. I will also try to spread some out and send a picture. The rest of the pond is clear water with visibilty down about 2 feet.

Hello,

I am currently taking biology and wanted to share a little information from my text book with you that may help determine what this green foam is. It reads:

"Phytoplankton grow in the photic zone, and rooted plants often inhabit shallow waters near shore. If a lake or pond is deep enough or murky enough, it has an aphotic zone where light levels are too low to support photosynthesis. In the benthic realm, large populations of micro-organisms decompose dead organisms that sink to the bottom. Respiration by microbes removes oxygen from water near the bottom, and in some lakes, benthic areas are unsuitable for any organisms except anaerobic microbes."

"Temperature may also have a profound effect on standing water biomes. During the summer, deep lakes have a distinct upper layer of water that has been warmed by the sun and does not mix well with underlying, cooler water."

"The mineral nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus typically determine the amount of phytoplankton growth in a lake or pond. Many lakes and ponds receive large inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus from sewage and runoff from fertilized lawns and farms. These nutrients may produce a heavy growth ("bloom") of algae, which reduces light penetration. When the algae die and decompose, a pond or lake can suffer severe oxygen depletion, killing fish that are adapted to high-oxygen conditions" (688).

Source: Reece, Jane B., et al. eds. Campbell Biology Concept & Connections. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2015. Print.

I am very curious to know if you have found any answers as to what this foam is exactly. My main reason for being interested in this, is because my local pond I visit has this same frothy foam on top of the pond and I would like to find out what it is during my observation I do today on it. Let me know if you have any updates Bill. I will attach a photo of the local pond I visit. Thanks!

If I didn't know better I would swear I was reading something from Bill!

If you are a biology student take some of it to school and put in on a slide under the student microscope. Have your teacher help. Maybe make it class project. Try a and put a good quality cell phone to the ocular for and snap a picture of it at 100X, 200X. Then we can maybe give more information.