The Beagle
Oct 12, 2018
Jenny Edwards of Nature Coast Marine Group passed on this photo surfers by the red tide at South Broulee
Jenny told the Beagle "No doubt many people saw the red slick in the ocean on Friday. It was very obvious at Broulee.
"The microscopic algae which cause these red tides often appear in spring usually when there has been an influx of nutrients into the water.
"This may be due to run-off from the land or up-welling of nutrient-rich water from the deeper ocean.
The red blooms can be caused by a variety of algae but if you know the bloom is visible during the day have a look at night. Sometimes the blooms are caused by the microscopic "animal" Sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) - a dinoflagellate which luminesces when disturbed.
If this is the culprit you will see the waves glow in the dark.