🔗 Share this article

Officials in Tasmania are working to identify a pink slime that has surfaced on a isolated coast, with certain experts worried it could be an algae outbreak.

Widespread Occurrence Across Shore

The pink-tinged sludge was found on a stretch of Randalls Bay about 60km south of the city. A comparable ooze has also been noted on sections of a nearby shore and Little Taylors Bay.

Samples Gathered for Analysis

Examples have been gathered and provided to the environmental agency for analysis. A spokesperson stated that "phytoplankton proliferations are a natural event in reaction to changes in nutrients, temperature, rain or light".

"The events are at times called red or pink tides because the proliferations can change the water reddish," the spokesperson noted. "Few phytoplankton events are dangerous, with several kinds functioning as a key source of food for animals in the oceanic food chain."

"The most common cause of reddish water in local waters is the oceanic algae Noctiluca scintillans, which can create glowing light shows at night."

Growing Rate Associated with Global Warming

Phytoplankton proliferations occur naturally but their frequency has increased in recent times, in part due to climate change and environmental waste that join together to create mineral-filled seas primed for the quick expansion of dinoflagellates.

Dinoflagellates are a phytoplankton species that normally function as the ocean's garbage cleaners. During a bloom, there is a quick expansion in their populations that disturbs the proper operation of ecosystems.

These events have been likened to underwater bushfires and can persist in growing as long as the environment is suitable. In worse situations, sensitive marine ecosystems can be devastated as aquatic animals is eliminated or suffocated, supplying more food for the outbreak.

Past Catastrophic Outbreak in a neighboring state

A southern state in the past dealt with a catastrophic algal bloom along its southern coastline after a series of marine heatwaves, which spread across an extensive zone. The outbreak left surfers with sore eyes and severe coughing and may have killed up to 250,000 marine animals across hundreds of species, according to agency assessments.

Scientist Opinion on the Current Situation

A marine expert, who assisted in examining the beginning of the previous outbreak commented, based on images of the current situation, the most likely species involved was Noctiluca scintillans, a form of dinoflagellate also known as "marine shimmer".

"We have seen numerous of these outbreaks around the island of late," she said.

The scientist explained this organism did not create toxins like the type involved in that devastating algal bloom, but it does consume microscopic animals and "lots of fish eggs", meaning marine life were particularly vulnerable.

"It's common to observe a bloom of the organism after a bloom of a different species, or an event such as a fish reproduction," she noted.

Appeals for Response and Community Health

Lilly Henley, who gathered specimens of the pink sludge in the state, stated it looked like the possible outbreak had "expanded greatly" and proposed the salmon farming industry was the probable cause, citing similar cases elsewhere.

"Thus the state needs to send a strong warning here, the officials and the EPA need to act to this. We need to analyse the specimens we've collected and we need to inform the public here," she stated.

She said she had concerns for community health after feeling a tingling sensation along her limbs and skin while being exposed with tainted seawater.

Reports of Lifeless Sea Creatures and Calls for Leadership Action

An environmental foundation has documented dead octopus and deceased marine life appearing on the coast, with a longtime environmental campaigner describing the event as an "natural disaster" and calling on the government head to see and "assume command the reaction that officials must be making".

"He needs to realize this is a crisis in the happening, economically as well as environmentally."

Official Reaction

Addressing the media, the premier commented he was not aware of any connections between the algal bloom and the farming business, emphasizing scientific testing was necessary before conclusions could be drawn.

"We need to ensure our rivers and seas are safe for nature and sustainable," he added.

"The 1,200 beaches across the island are our assets and we need to ensure the public and our industry can live together to enjoy our aquatic resources effectively and responsibly."