Worried about a repeat of the terrible algal bloom from the summer of 2016, OPET hired the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod (APCC) to sample the pond for cyanobacteria in the latter half of the summer. Their report for the 2020 season is now available. Levels remained low from the late August to early October sampling period, very good news! Next summer we will expand the sampling and start in May. The APCC recommends we continue sampling for several years to gain a fuller picture of what is happening in Oyster Pond.
As stated in the report :
Monitoring over multiple years would provide greater understanding of cyanobacteria concentrations and communities in Oyster Pond. More years of data will allow us to draw better predictions year over year. Continued monitoring will also allow us to track changes in the pond, as harmful cyanobacteria blooms are considered linked to nutrient loading and climate change. Monitoring will shed light on such changes and will help to inform actions to protect and potentially rehabilitate the pond. Monitoring in the early and late season will also lead to an increased understanding of cyanobacteria community trends and types of cyanotoxins present.