What Water Reporter Photos are Revealing About Casco Bay
Every photo tells a story. In 2025, 157 community members across the Casco Bay watershed helped tell an important one through Water Reporter. By sharing observations of algal blooms, eelgrass, and changing water conditions—often from their own neighborhoods—they turned small, everyday moments into a powerful picture of what’s happening in the Bay right now.
Since January 1, Water Reporters have submitted 1,216 observations, helping our scientists and advocates spot patterns, ask better questions, and respond more effectively to emerging issues. Together, these shared observations show how community science is playing a growing role in understanding rapid change across the watershed.
As we look at the data, two examples stand out.
Algal Blooms: Making Invisible Pollution Visible
Nuisance algal blooms form when excess nutrients—often from stormwater runoff, wastewater, or fertilizers—collect in one place. Add warm temperatures and sunlight, and algae can proliferate quickly. Some blooms are short-lived, appearing and disappearing with weather and nutrient inputs. Others persist—and that persistence often signals a consistent source of nutrient pollution.
Because nutrient pollution is one of the biggest threats to Casco Bay, your observations are essential. Algal blooms help make invisible pollution visible.
That’s where Water Reporter observations come in.
What the maps are showing us
By combining hundreds of algal bloom reports, we can visualize where blooms are occurring—and how they’re changing year to year.
Click on the maps to enlarge.
- In 2024, medium-sized blooms were widespread.
- In 2025, the picture shifted: more areas showed either large blooms or no blooms at all.
Did the summer 2025 drought play a role? Are changing rainfall patterns or local pollution sources contributing? These are the kinds of questions Water Reporter data helps us ask.
A closer look at South Portland in 2025
In some places, consistent reporting reveals even more.
Click on the chart to enlarge.
This chart tracks the algal bloom observations recorded by Water Reporter Joyce Murty at three South Portland sites in 2025.
At three nearby sites—Mill Cove, Pleasantdale Cove, and the Antoine Creek outfall—Water Reporter Joyce Murty has been consistently documenting conditions over time. Each observation adds to a growing record that reveals clear patterns.
Pleasantdale Cove and Antoine Creek follow a familiar seasonal cycle, with blooms increasing in summer and fading as days grow colder and darker.
Mill Cove, however, breaks that pattern. There, algal growth persisted through fall and into early winter—pointing to a sustained nutrient source rather than a short-term spike.
Algae themselves are not bad—we love algae! But when blooms become very large and linger for months, they can harm the local ecosystem. Learn more here.
Eelgrass: Tracking Change Over Time
Water Reporters are also helping advance eelgrass science in Casco Bay.
This year, community observations collected through Water Reporter and the Seagrass Snapshot were shared with scientists and partner organizations multiple times—and the response has been enthusiastic. These data help researchers understand where eelgrass may be growing, struggling, or disappearing, and where future research should focus.
You can learn more about the Seagrass Snapshot and explore the map of posts here.
In the coming season, Friends of Casco Bay staff will continue monitoring conditions at eelgrass beds, tracking temperature, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and light availability. Water Reporters will once again play a key role during the next Seagrass Snapshot in summer 2026.
What’s Next for Water Reporter
Here’s what we’re exploring next:
- A more seasonal rhythm: Spring, summer, and fall will be the core Water Reporter season, with a slower pace in winter.
- More structured onboarding: Training events will focus on spring and early summer, making it easier for new participants to get started.
- Local Water Reporter groups: We’re exploring small, place-based meet-ups where neighbors can share observations and discuss local issues.
- Better data visualization: We’re continuing to improve how observations are shared back with the community.
- Expanding inland: Freshwater streams, ponds, and wetlands matter to Casco Bay, and inland perspectives are an important part of the story.
Want to Be Part of This Work?
You don’t need a science background to be a Water Reporter—just curiosity and a connection to the places you care about.
Water Reporters are community members who share photos and observations of local waterways across the Casco Bay watershed. Those everyday snapshots help make environmental change visible, inform scientific research, and guide our baykeeping work.
Whether you live along the coast or farther inland, your perspective matters. A photo of algae on the beach, a quiet stream in winter, or eelgrass at low tide can all add valuable pieces to the bigger picture.
Participation is flexible and seasonal, with most activity happening in spring, summer, and fall. You can report as often—or as occasionally—as works for you.
If you’ve ever noticed something in the water and wondered, “Is this normal?”—Water Reporter is a great place to start.
Thank you to our generous supporters, including Friends of Casco Bay members, volunteers, Bonnell Cove Foundation, and L.L.Bean, who make our Water Reporter Program possible. In addition, our Seagrass Snapshots have been generously supported by Bowdoin College Common Good, John Sage Foundation, Maine Community Foundation’s 2025 Community Building Grant, and Sprague Operating Resources LLC.
