Red Sea

[Aja]

Not the real one but the Firth of Clyde. In Rothesay yesterday the whole Bay had a red slick or film. Probably some algae bloom or other but I haven't seen the usual warnings re the consumption of shellfish.

We came back to the Kyles long ways about and even over towards the Cock of Arran the water was at best peaty brown at least to a depth that no jelly fish could be seen. You must be talking billions of gallons/litres of contaminated sea.

Donald

 

[asteven221]

We were in Port Bannatyne marina at the weekend and the water was a sort of maroon. Really strange and I have never seen it before. Except last week when I could see a slight red in the water and that was out in the main channel between Kip and of Toward Point.

Everyone was curious but nobody seemed to know what it is.

We were in Rothesay Friday night and left late morning to go round to Port Bannatyne. Might have seen you if you were in the outer harbour.

 

[dunedin]

Wow. Just seen this red brown water, with lots of dead looking jellyfish, entirely covering the northern hall of West Kyle.
Like others, have never observed this before in the Clyde. Hope it is not endangering sea life.

 

[Kukri]

I think you are speaking of a “red tide” event. Common (but bad) in the tropics.

Don’t swim, don’t eat fish or shellfish that have been in it, don’t breathe the air downwind of it,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

It’s extremely bad news for anything alive in the sea.

I suspect the people who went swimming or stroller on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea were breathing gas given off by a red tide event.

 

[Hydrozoan]

… I suspect the people who went swimming or stroller on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea were breathing gas given off by a red tide event.

An interesting suggestion, though none of the reports I have read indicated any unusual colour of the water - nor in somewhat similar cases in Worthing in August and Eastbourne in 2017 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-49481930). OTOH, I am not aware of a definitive cause having been established in either of those cases. I imagine - but perhaps wrongly - that the samples taken would be investigated for evidence of the possible presence of dinoflagellates. Perhaps we shall know more before very long.

 

[Aja]

Lots of kids in swimming in Rothesay with people throwing sticks for dogs etc. I was anchored for the night on Sunday at the Isle of Bute sailing club and it wasn't possible to see the bottom at all when I went ashore.

Strolled along to the inner harbor where it seemed there was a red slick.

Donald

 

[asteven221]

There was no smell that I noticed. Nobody else mentioned a smell either.

 

[dunedin]

The water certainly caused an amazing explosion of colour when pumping the heads in the dark! Seen a lot of fluorescence in water, but nothing on that scale by a long way.

 

[Hydrozoan]

The water certainly caused an amazing explosion of colour when pumping the heads in the dark! Seen a lot of fluorescence in water, but nothing on that scale by a long way.

Strictly, perhaps, bioluminescence if 'prompted' not by incident light but by agitation?
https://www.qualitymarine.com/News/...luminescence,-and-Phosphorescence:-(10/07/15)

 

[Wansworth]

Quite common in galician rias and makes shellfish prohibited,no mention of no bathing though