MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Team Herald
CANACONA: The locals were witness to the sea water turning green at Patnem in Canacona on Wednesday, at the other beaches in the taluka it was no different.
The tourists were discouraged to venture into the waters as most were of the opinion that some chemicals had got mixed up in it.
Moreover, hundreds of dead jelly fish which had also got washed ashore contributed to the fears of the tourists who thought it is wise not to risk their life at the deadly sting of these poisonous marine species.
While tourists felt that some industrial waste may have got released in the sea water, the locals familiar with this type of incidents in the past said that the excessive growth of algae has prompted the sea water on the shore line of the coast in Canacona to turn into a murky green shade.
When Herald contacted Dr Cajie Silva, who holds a PhD in Marine Biology, to enquire about the unusual phenomenon, he informed that this colouration is due to the algal bloom.
When asked to elaborate Dr Silva added that it is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems, and is often recognised by the discolouration in the water from their pigments.
"Algal blooms are the result of a nutrient, like nitrogen or phosphorus from fertiliser runoff, entering the aquatic system and causing excessive growth of algae. An algal bloom affects the whole ecosystem. Consequences range from the benign feeding of higher trophic levels, to more harmful effects like blocking sunlight from reaching other organisms, causing a depletion of oxygen levels in the water and depending on the organism, secreting toxins into the water," informed Dr Silva.
"Blooms that can injure animals or the ecology are called ‘harmful algal blooms’ (HAB), and can lead to fish die-offs, to understand this further a mandatory study is required,” added Dr Silva.
Meanwhile, hundreds of jelly fish that were found washed ashore at Patnem and Rajbagh Beaches prevented both the locals and tourists from entering into the sea and the lifeguards had breather, who otherwise, have a hectic time controlling unruly tourists.
