New science on algae die-offs is too late for the Reflecting Pool

According to Science News, researchers have identified what triggers mass algae die-offs: a cellular death process called ferroptosis. When iron and hydrogen peroxide interact with algal cells, ferroptosis activates, releasing a cascade of killer molecules that spread through the entire population. The discovery came while studying the recent algal bloom at Washington's Reflecting Pool—though researchers wish they'd had these insights before the bloom had already peaked.

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