This photograph generated many thousands more.
On July 27th, a photograph on Instagram drew the attention of our in-house social media expert Sarah Lyman. She messaged Maine Drone, asking if the photographer might be interested in flying a drone over Back Cove in Portland. We wanted to document a disturbing development that our Executive Director Cathy Ramsdell first had noticed a few weeks earlier. As soon as Sarah posted this photo, people began reporting slime-covered coves elsewhere. The image generated inquiries about Green Slime from print, radio, and TV reporters.
Abundant sunshine and high temperatures, along with ample amounts of nitrogen, created ideal conditions for thick mats of green algae to flourish, to the detriment of sea creatures underneath. Our own photos show that beneath the green algae, mud dwellers are struggling to survive in low oxygen and high acidity.
These photos show our summer intern Josh Clukey at Mill Cove, South Portland with slime and a dead clam.
