In Melbourne, Australia, officials have taken precautionary measures by closing two beaches due to an unusual natural incident. The closure follows reports of dead fish and a peculiar off-white foam found along the coastline, as well as surfers experiencing adverse health effects, according to authorities.
The South Australian Environment Protection Authority has attributed the cause to a microalgal bloom, which may have been exacerbated by uncommon weather patterns, causing illness in both humans and marine life. This phenomenon has resulted in a foam stretching across hundreds of meters of the coastline, explained Sam Gaylard, principal scientific officer.
‘This situation is quite alarming,’ Gaylard commented on the situation with media outlets. ‘An event of this magnitude is not something we typically see, especially during this part of the year, although we do observe occasional isolated blooms under certain weather conditions. However, the scale of this instance is notably rare,’ he detailed further.
In response to the ‘fish mortality event in the region,’ the Department for Environment and Water has closed Waitpinga Beach and the adjacent Parsons Beach, both located south of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia since Monday. ‘We aim to reopen the beaches as quickly as possible once it is safe to do so,’ the department assured in a statement following the closure.
Anthony Rowland, a local who surfed at Waitpinga on Saturday, reported that surfers have been experiencing symptoms like sore eyes, sore throats, and coughing since the weekend after exposure to the water. ‘We began coughing while out surfing,’ Rowland mentioned. His online post detailing his experience prompted many other surfers to report similar symptoms, expressing concern over the matter.
To identify the toxic organism, marine scientists collected water samples from the foam—a decay byproduct of these harmful organisms on Monday. However, identifying the organism may take until the end of this week, Gaylard stated.
Gaylard explained that the microalgae bloom, caused by microscopic single-celled organisms, could have resulted from a recent bout of prolonged hot and dry weather conditions, characterized by minimal wind and low tides. He also noted that increased ocean swell since Sunday might disrupt the algae, producing additional foam in the process. ‘We are unsure how long this situation will persist,’ Gaylard disclosed, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the force and duration of the bloom.
