A form of red algae was spreading across Australia’s eastern coast last week, turning the water red and forcing ten beaches, including Sydney’s Bondi Beach, to close. Aerial footage showed the algal bloom spread through the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The bloom glowed blue at night, which earned it the nickname ‘sea sparkle’.
Algal blooms such as these occur when unicellular organisms, in this case dinoflagellates called noctiluca scintillans, reproduce quickly under optimal conditions. These blooms typically occur when currents bring cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.
Algal blooms can be harmful to fish. When the algae die they sink in the shallow coastal water; when they decompose they take oxygen from the water column, leading to temporary low oxygen zones. Depending on the amount of oxygen depletion, marine animals can die. Some dinoflagellates are associated with saxitoxin, which is a shellfish toxin that has been known to cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans. The algal bloom off the coast of eastern Australia had a fishy odour and irritated the skin and eyes of some people, but was otherwise not harmful to humans.
The beaches reopened on November 30 and were declared safe for swimming by Surf Life Saving NSW. The photo shows a girl checking out the red algal bloom in the water at Clovelly Beach in Sydney.
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http://phys.org/news/
Image: Newspix / Rex Features
Algal blooms such as these occur when unicellular organisms, in this case dinoflagellates called noctiluca scintillans, reproduce quickly under optimal conditions. These blooms typically occur when currents bring cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.
Algal blooms can be harmful to fish. When the algae die they sink in the shallow coastal water; when they decompose they take oxygen from the water column, leading to temporary low oxygen zones. Depending on the amount of oxygen depletion, marine animals can die. Some dinoflagellates are associated with saxitoxin, which is a shellfish toxin that has been known to cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans. The algal bloom off the coast of eastern Australia had a fishy odour and irritated the skin and eyes of some people, but was otherwise not harmful to humans.
The beaches reopened on November 30 and were declared safe for swimming by Surf Life Saving NSW. The photo shows a girl checking out the red algal bloom in the water at Clovelly Beach in Sydney.
http://
http://phys.org/news/
Image: Newspix / Rex Features
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