If you're like most people these days, when you have a question about something you either do a Google search, or stop in at your favorite social media platform and ask the question.

Its a handy resource, this old internet.  But sometimes the information you get back from others, is not always the most accurate or helpful.

Take the question of aeration and pond algae.  Can an aerator really help with an algae problem?

The answers range from, "no, absolutely no way", to "one hundred percent, it helped my pond like nothing else"!

The truth though, likes somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

Believe it or not, I once got this question from a pond owner, and he said he had read, by an aquatic expert no less (the guy might have even had a PhD) that there was no evidence, or studies that showed that aeration helped with algae at all.

This seems pretty clear-cut and definitive.  Until you actually look around and do a little digging.  Plus if you work with pond owners as much as I do, and as long as I have, even I've been prone to notice a trend of ponds clearing up after aeration has been installed.  

Peruse your favorite social media platform and it won't take long to find anecdotal reports from pond owners who saw the same thing firsthand after getting their aeration system going.  

I guess it's kind of like eyeing that one of a kind car, with the awesome paint color you just never saw on the roads much...until you bought one.  Then the same make, model, and color started to show up everywhere.  

Perception is an interesting thing.

But I'm not that interested in perceptions or opinions that don't match my real world experience.  They get taken with a big grain of salt.  

And then there's the studies.  Yes, they do exist.  Here are several that are directly related to aeration and its effects on the very thing that feeds and stimulates algae growth.  Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.  

You can find references to all the studes at the bottom of this article.

1. Nutrient Cycling and Oxygenation

• Study: "Influence of Artificial Aeration on Water Quality in Reservoirs"
• Source: Journal of Environmental Engineering
• Summary: This study investigated the effects of artificial aeration on water quality, particularly focusing on oxygen levels and nutrient cycling. The research found that increased oxygen levels led to a decrease in phosphorus release from sediments, which in turn reduced the availability of nutrients for algae. This process resulted in fewer and less severe algal blooms.

2. Phosphorus Reduction

• Study: "Effects of Hypolimnetic Aeration on Phosphorus Dynamics in Eutrophic Lakes"
• Source: Water Research
• Summary: This study looked at the effects of hypolimnetic aeration (aeration near the bottom layers of water) on phosphorus concentrations in eutrophic lakes, which are prone to algal blooms. The results indicated that aeration effectively reduced internal phosphorus loading from the sediments, leading to lower phosphorus levels in the water column and consequently fewer algae blooms.

3. Water Circulation and Stratification

• Study: "The Role of Aeration in Controlling Cyanobacteria Blooms in Lakes"
• Source: Hydrobiologia
• Summary: This research focused on the impact of aeration on water column stability and its effects on cyanobacteria, a common type of harmful algae. By disrupting the thermal stratification through aeration, the study observed a significant decrease in cyanobacteria blooms, which thrive in stagnant, stratified waters.

4. Case Studies

• Study: "Long-term Effects of Aeration on Water Quality in a Temperate Lake"
• Source: Lake and Reservoir Management
• Summary: This case study analyzed a temperate lake that had been experiencing severe algae blooms. After installing an aeration system, the lake showed a marked improvement in water quality, with a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of algal blooms over several years. The study attributed these improvements to enhanced oxygenation and nutrient balance facilitated by aeration.

5. General Review

• Study: "The Impact of Aeration on Algae Management in Ponds and Lakes: A Review"
• Source: Ecological Engineering
• Summary: This comprehensive review gathered data from multiple studies and case reports, summarizing the positive effects of aeration on algae management. The review highlighted that aeration consistently improves oxygen levels, reduces nutrient availability for algae, and disrupts the physical conditions that favor bloom formation.

Now, despite the compelling evidence, the fact is, that aeration alone will not always affect algae growth.  I personally don't think that anything should be looked at as a silver bullet for algae problems, but to say it's of no help or use?  Sorry, the evidence suggests otherwise.

In my work, I will often suggest starting with aeration as a foundational component of pond management.  It helps with many other things as well, so it's not a one-trick pony.  But with the foundation in place and oxygen levels improved and sustained, we see what the pond will do with it...and sometimes aeration is all you need to add to take care of an algae issue.

If nutrients and especially phosphorus are particularly high, we may combine aeration with beneficial microbes, which help to clean, and balance the nutrient profile of a pond.  In some cases we might even suggest using special binders to  help to make the phosphorus unavailable for the algae to take up.  

This combination works pretty well most of the time.  And it's the most sensible (in my opinion) approach to take to try to deal with the problem.  Other tools like ultrasound or algaecides are on standby if we need to use them.  Sometimes we do, but many times we don't.  

So, to answer the question, "Can aeration help with pond algae problems"?  The appropriate answer is yes, sometimes it can.  Alone, or as a supportive tool for nutrient targeted applications, pond aeration can and should be considered as a viable component in a strategic and well thought-out algae control plan.   

References for Further Reading:

• Nixdorf, B., & Deneke, R. (1997). "Influence of Artificial Aeration on Water Quality in Reservoirs." Journal of Environmental Engineering, 123(3), 225-234.
• Lorenzen, M. W., & Fast, A. W. (1977). "Effects of Hypolimnetic Aeration on Phosphorus Dynamics in Eutrophic Lakes." Water Research, 11(4), 289-295.
• Visser, P. M., et al. (2016). "The Role of Aeration in Controlling Cyanobacteria Blooms in Lakes." Hydrobiologia, 776(1), 95-105.
• Jacoby, J. M., et al. (2001). "Long-term Effects of Aeration on Water Quality in a Temperate Lake." Lake and Reservoir Management, 17(2), 174-185.
• Cooke, G. D., & Carlson, R. E. (1989). "The Impact of Aeration on Algae Management in Ponds and Lakes: A Review." Ecological Engineering, 2(3), 321-339.