Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources (MAFWR) said that it has been observed recently that there has been a bloom of phytoplankton (green tide) in parts of the wilayats of Duqm and Masirah, resulting in the death of some fish.
The Ministry warned sea-goers not to catch and not consume fish affected by this phenomenon, as well as not to swim in these places.
According to experts, harmful algal blooms formed by fast-growing, ephemeral macroalgae have expanded worldwide.
Green tides are the proliferation of green seaweed under the morphological blade-type Ulva, directly related to the eutrophication of coastal waters.
Green tides located in mud flats develop in sheltered environments and are generally found in transitional waters (estuaries, rias) or coastal waters of closed seas.
The presence of green algae in these environments is naturally greater (up to a certain level), while the reference of good condition corresponds to the near-total absence of green algae for the two other types of green tides.
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