Red Phytoplankton Bloom

Observation: I was traveling by boat to in Tutka Bay on Wednesday evening and I notice a red hue to the water in some areas, mostly near the overhead power line. This has happened in Tutka Bay in the past. An article in the Homer Tribune in August 2011 described similar conditions which turned out to be non toxic algae. We are concerned about red tides as an indicator of environmental change and because of the possibility that the shellfish may be toxic. We do not eat shellfish here in the summer, but other people do.

LEO says: Our friend Dean Stockwell at UAF writes that this was the same kind of bloom (Mesodinium rubrum) that was reported by Aaron Merculief last September in St. George titled, "Water red in harbor (Algae)". M. Brubaker

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Consult: Kris Holdreid from NOAA writes on the outcome of the testing of the algal bloom: "We just got identification of the algae bloom species that caused our big brown water event in Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet. Our Beaufort (NC) Lab colleagues analyzed the DNA and positively identified it as Karenia mikimotoi. That species is identified as causing fish and invertebrate kills in some places -potentially due to decreased oxygen from dense blooms and/or a weak toxin(mechanism not well known). The brown water bloom was in late September and the cells are still present, though at much lower concentrations now. Have not heard of any adverse effects from it and wouldn't expect anoxia issues here (due to tidal current flow) except maybe in sub-bay areas with restricted circulation."