Apalachicola OSPREY Program
Tar Balls and Mousse Substance on SGI
Collected for possible analysis, a mousse like substance coming in off the Bay of St.George Island's West End,near Sawyer Dr.
Orangey-brown mousse-type substance congealed in areas with a pudding-like consistency along shoreline.
Substance was very dense/heavy and was easily collected into sample baggies.
Possible tar balls were also seen along edge and bottom of the Bay.Several were collected from shoreline.
A definite petrol/chemical smell was detected and was much stronger than the organic decaying smell that was also detected.
Substances are similar in nature to what's already been previously recorded by videoagrapher.
Official reports claim this to be an algae bloom but no evidence to substantiate has been provided at this time. UPDATE: FWRI HAB listserve reports the following on 2/25/11 - "Widespread discoloration and bioluminescence in waters stretching across Okaloosa County and western Walton County as far as 60 miles offshore is due to a bloom of the non-toxic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans. No adverse effects have been reported as a result of this bloom". Samples shown in these videos were submitted to biological scientists on 2/25/11 for independent verification. We are awaiting the results of their analysis.
Update:03-01-11
Two expert Fl. Marine-biologists examined sediment samples here are their findings:
"We examined several aliquots from different levels of the sample container with light microscope.The sample had sediment that was brown in color except for a much darker layer at a depth of a few centimeters.The dark brown deposits or structures were not algal in origin.We are not even sure such deposits are biogenic.There was no significant algal growth of any kind in the sample as a whole except for some diatom cells that appeared to come from the sediments.The sample is almost barren of life forms except for some bethnic diatom cells.There was no sign of infestation of algae let alone "brown algae"."
Video by Robin Bailey
Tar Balls and Mousse Substance on SGI
Collected for possible analysis, a mousse like substance coming in off the Bay of St.George Island's West End,near Sawyer Dr.
Orangey-brown mousse-type substance congealed in areas with a pudding-like consistency along shoreline.
Substance was very dense/heavy and was easily collected into sample baggies.
Possible tar balls were also seen along edge and bottom of the Bay.Several were collected from shoreline.
A definite petrol/chemical smell was detected and was much stronger than the organic decaying smell that was also detected.
Substances are similar in nature to what's already been previously recorded by videoagrapher.
Official reports claim this to be an algae bloom but no evidence to substantiate has been provided at this time. UPDATE: FWRI HAB listserve reports the following on 2/25/11 - "Widespread discoloration and bioluminescence in waters stretching across Okaloosa County and western Walton County as far as 60 miles offshore is due to a bloom of the non-toxic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans. No adverse effects have been reported as a result of this bloom". Samples shown in these videos were submitted to biological scientists on 2/25/11 for independent verification. We are awaiting the results of their analysis.
Update:03-01-11
Two expert Fl. Marine-biologists examined sediment samples here are their findings:
"We examined several aliquots from different levels of the sample container with light microscope.The sample had sediment that was brown in color except for a much darker layer at a depth of a few centimeters.The dark brown deposits or structures were not algal in origin.We are not even sure such deposits are biogenic.There was no significant algal growth of any kind in the sample as a whole except for some diatom cells that appeared to come from the sediments.The sample is almost barren of life forms except for some bethnic diatom cells.There was no sign of infestation of algae let alone "brown algae"."
Video by Robin Bailey