Agencies in Tasmania are attempting to pinpoint a rosy sludge that has appeared on a remote shoreline, with certain experts worried it could be an algae outbreak.
The magenta-hued slime materialized across a portion of a southern bay about 60 kilometers south of Hobart. A similar sludge has also been recorded on parts of another local beach and Little Taylors Bay.
Samples have been gathered and sent to the environmental agency for examination. A official commented that "algal blooms are a natural occurrence in reaction to changes in nutrients, warmth, precipitation or light".
"These blooms are occasionally called reddish tides because the proliferations can color the water reddish," the representative said. "Only some algal blooms are dangerous, with numerous types serving as a major source of nourishment for marine life in the marine food web."
"The primary reason of reddish water in these seas is the oceanic algae Noctiluca scintillans, which can create glowing light shows at night."
Algae outbreaks are natural events but their occurrence has grown in recent times, partly due to environmental shifts and contamination that combine to create nutrient-rich waters primed for the fast proliferation of dinoflagellates.
Dinoflagellates are a phytoplankton species that typically function as the ocean's garbage cleaners. During a proliferation, there is a fast increase in their populations that disturbs the proper operation of aquatic systems.
These events have been equated with marine infernos and can keep expanding as long as the environment is suitable. In severe cases, vulnerable aquatic environments can be destroyed as aquatic animals is eliminated or smothered, offering more nutrients for the proliferation.
Another region in the past dealt with a devastating phytoplankton proliferation along its southern coastline after a series of marine heatwaves, which spread across an extensive zone. The outbreak resulted in surfers with sore eyes and severe coughing and may have caused the death of up to numerous aquatic species across hundreds of species, according to agency assessments.
A marine expert, who was involved in studying the beginning of South Australia's outbreak said, based on photos of the local event, the likely culprit involved was Noctiluca scintillans, a type of dinoflagellate also known as "sea sparkle".
"We have seen lots of these events around Tassie of late," she said.
The expert stated the algae did not create toxins like the organism involved in that devastating event, but it does consume tiny creatures and "numerous fish eggs", meaning fish and crustacean species were in greatest danger.
"You usually see a bloom of this algae after a outbreak of a different species, or an event such as a marine breeding," she added.
Lilly Henley, who collected samples of the pink sludge in Tasmania, stated it looked like the possible outbreak had "expanded greatly" and indicated the salmon farming industry was the primary suspect, pointing to similar cases in other places.
"So we needs to issue a firm alert here, the government and the environmental agency need to react to this. We need to study the examples we've gathered and we need to put word out the community here," she said.
Henley said she had concerns for people's well-being after noticing a tingling sensation along her body while being exposed with contaminated seawater.
An conservation group has stated lifeless animals and deceased marine life being found on the beach, with a prominent conservationist calling the circumstances as an "natural disaster" and calling on the local leader to visit and "lead the reaction that government must be doing".
"The leader needs to know this is a catastrophe in the unfolding, financially as well as environmentally."
Talking with journalists, the premier stated he was not aware of any links between the algal bloom and the salmon industry, stating scientific testing was necessary before judgments could be drawn.
"We need to ensure our waterways are ecologically sound and viable," he said.
"The 1,200 beaches across the state are our resources and we need to make sure the community and our industry can operate side-by-side to enjoy our seas effectively and sustainably."
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.