Residents in Tonga who were alarmed when
the sea turned red have been given an
explanation, it's reported.
Locals in the Pacific island's Vava'u district
were baffled
by the sea's colour change at
the end of December, with some imagining it
was a biblical sign the world was ending,
according to the New Zealand Kaniva Pacific
website . But an expert says the crimson
tinge was caused by overgrown algae
releasing toxic gases, Radio New Zealand
International reports. The toxins can kill
aquatic organisms and create a nasty smell,
says Vailala Matato, a specialist in oceans
and fisheries, adding that the process
usually happens when the sea temperature
rises.
Algal blooms, also called red tides, are a
common sight in some parts of the world.
On Florida's Gulf Coast they occur almost
every year, and have been blamed for killing
hundreds of manatees. In 2012, an algal
bloom turned the sea around the Australian
city of Sydney blood red. On that occasion
experts said the algae were not particularly
toxic to humans but could cause skin
irritation.
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