The Stained Sea

Abstract

Here comes spring, and with it heat and light. It is the time for algae, utilizing the abundant nutrients that are dissolved in the seawater to proliferate, forming large populations that will become the basis of the food chain in every ocean. But not all proliferations are good for or edible by the organisms that live in the sea. Sometimes the algae proliferate abnormally, forming dense populations, from a few hundred cells per litre to tens of millions in the same volume. The worst is when, in addition, these algae have associated natural toxins and become what the specialists call harmful algal blooms, after exponential growth. They are the famous red tides, also known as discolourations (red, white, green), absolutely nothing to do with physical tides involving the rise or fall of the sea level. In some places, what was once a sporadic natural phenomenon has become a recurring nightmare for coastal residents, the creatures that inhabit the waters as well as the humans who live near the shore. Some species of algae produce toxins that enter the food chain in these organisms, killing or causing serious damage to those that consume them.