Unidentified Algal Bloom in Coastal Water

Observation by Scott Jorgensen:

Looked like there were clumps of floating sawdust or coagulated grease on the water, stretching from Kingsmill Point all the way up to Pybus Bay. It had a yellowish color to it, not a lot of texture, and no smell. It was thicker than sea foam, but not quite as firm as a marshmallow. Didn't see any impact to fish or wildlife in the area. Shared on the phone with Erica Lujan, on July 10, 2019

Chris Whitehead, Environmental Program Manager with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, writes:

Looking at the pictures and discussing with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association), it is most likely Phaeocystis.

Dean Stockwell, Biologist and Oceanographer with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Marine Science Program, writes:

There are several algal species that can bloom like Phaeocystis and Noctiluca which are generally non-toxic. In a shallow cove or lagoon with high water temperature and when the bloom starts to die, the decaying material can use up the oxygen in the water and you can occasionally get fish kills. If you are in fresh water, you can get blue-green algal blooms. These types of blooms can likewise carry toxins and are considered HABs. I think the blooms should be reported either way. It sometimes takes days to get them diagnosed as harmful or not. Err on the side of safety.

Comments from LEO Editors:

In order for a positive ID, water samples are usually required.

As background information, Phaeocystisis a genus of phytoplankton that includes six different species. Three species, Phaeocystis antartica, Phaeocystis globosa, and Phaeocysits pouchetti create unique floating colonies during a bloom. Phaeocystis grow in to large colonies, and are too big to serve as a food source for the copepods that feed small fish. Blooms usually dissipate when they have depleted the available nutrients in the water. During disintegration, phaeocystis will release foam that sometimes collects on beaches. Phaeocystis is not toxic, and are not included as a harmful algal boom (HAB). Source: ISECA article Phaeocystis and foaming beaches by Jacco C. Krompkamp, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). Erica Lujan