Fish wash up as 'red tide' hits Muscat's coastline

Muscat: Residents of Muscat and the Batinah region have been enduring a foul smell along the coastline because an unusual amount of marine life, including fish, has died and washed up on the shore due to "red tide."

"Certain species of phytoplankton contain photosynthetic pigments that vary in colour from green to brown to red," Thurya Bint Said Al Sariri, Director of the Marine Conservation Department at the Ministry, told Gulf News on Saturday.

She also urged people not to panic as this was an annual phenomenon. She explained it usually occurs between July and September due to monsoon winds and currents.

"The upwelling of seawater sometimes happens even in February and March," she said.

She agreed there was a high number of dead marine life washed ashore, mostly in Muscat.

However, she said: "The number is not as high as in 2001 to 20002 when 27 tonnes of dead fish came ashore along Batinah, Sur and south of Oman when red tide caused a massive mortality of marine organisms."

And, the foul smell, she pointed out, could also be from the algae bloom.

The authorities in the country have worked swiftly to remove the dead marine life from the beaches of Muscat and Musanah in the Batinah region, she added.

She also said satellite images taken by the Ministry of Fisheries' centre showed that the water coming from the seabed in the Gulf of Oman has been hit by 'upwelling' phenomena.

"This phenomena causes the cold water layer from the seabed to come onto the surface, carrying with it a large amount of seaweed. Subsequently, this causes lack of oxygen," she said.

This lack of oxygen causes the death of marine organisms.

She also warned residents not to collect and eat the dead fish found along the coast as they may be affected by the "red tide" phenomenon and could be harmful.

She said her department was following up the event with the Regional Organisation for the Protection of Marine Environment (ROPME).

"We have collected samples and paid site visits to follow up the phenomenon and further studies will be carried out to see how the mortality of marine life can be minimised during the upwelling."

She said the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea contains oxygen-poor water at depths of about 100 metres below the surface due to the fact the whole northern Arabian Sea is so highly productive.

What is it?: Accumulation of algae

Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algal bloom, an event in which estuarine or marine algae accumulate rapidly in the water column, or "bloom".

These algae, more correctly termed phytoplankton, are microscopic, single-celled, plant-like organisms that can form dense, visible patches near the water's surface.