foaming at the south

It’s not something you can pretend not to notice. Our local beaches have been littered with sea foam for the past couple months. With a tinge of brown color, and laced with fragments of marine snow, this foam is in fact a byproduct of the recent red tide.

Red tide is a super bloom of microscopic algae, called phytoplankton. The specific species we find on our coast is Lingulodinium polyedra, and is part of a group more commonly referred to as dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates were given their name for the shape of the organism, and is derived from Greek and Latin words referencing a somewhat twisted structure and distinctive swimming patterns . We recently experienced a bloom of this algae, causing the foam build up on the beaches, as well as that overwhelming ocean smell, and the bioluminescence, or glowing ocean, at night.

Phytoplankton excrete a large amount of compounds that then get released into the air. This breakdown of the algae is what causes the foam. Sea foam is generally harmless to humans, although it is impossible to say with certainty that it’s safe. Agricultural runoff or pollutants can play a role in the production, and while most people are unaffected by it, some individuals can experience a mild sensitivity to it. Researchers are working to determine whether the red tide is directly related to the numerous fish deaths that have been reported in the area.

Sea foam can also be caused by severe agitation and turbulence in the ocean. However, when given a mix of a fresh water source containing organic materials, sea foam can grow to a much larger problem, reaching heights of three or more meters, with bubbles bonding together to create an even thicker, longer lasting foam. See an article HERE about the recent death of five experienced surfers in the Netherlands due to asphyxiation by sea foam.