Just as wildlife on land has predators and prey, so do creatures in the marine world. Substantial numbers of marine animals, ranging from the massive whales to the smallest fish, rely on plankton as their primary food source. However, nature has a peculiar way of inducing chaos, and much like anything in excess, an overabundance of plankton can swiftly shift the ecosystem balance, leading to a deadly phenomenon known as a bloom.
Renowned marine scientist Tanuspong Pokavanich, central to our story, described his surprise at the unprecedented occurrence of plankton bloom unfolding along the Chonburi coastline in Thailand. In his eloquent words, “This is the most significant plankton occurrence I have witnessed in my lifetime, signalling the severity of this year’s bloom.” His comment came as the team surveyed the eerie sight of a lifeless sea eel floating atop the ocean surface, marking the sea’s quiet yet defiant protest against the bloom.
The devastation struck a quarter of Thailand’s Upper Gulf, whereby the waters displayed a perplexing colour palette of bright greens and murky browns. Pokavanich’s team attribute the green hue to thriving plankton, and the brown to an unsettling mix of pollution and deceased plankton.
To better understand this phenomenon, Pokavanich explained, “Plankton residing in the water either devour all nutrients and prosper, or they perish due to lack of sufficient sunlight. The deceased ones then sink to the seafloor and begin to decompose.” This decomposition process depletes the water’s oxygen levels, causing further harm to marine life.
The ramifications of the bloom have been harsh, particularly for mussel farming; one of Chonburi’s significant economic drivers. Observations revealed an alarming pattern where more than 80%, of the 260 mussel farming plots strewn along the coastline, have taken a substantial hit from the bloom.
Consider this daunting figure from the Department of Fisheries: Chonburi produces 2,086 tonnes of mussels every year, earning over 26,655,000 THB ($1 million). Amidst the current circumstances, however, these numbers are under serious threat.
Local fisherman and owner of over ten farming plots, Suchat Buawat, laments the impact of the bloom on his livelihood. His despondence is evident as he inspects his lifeless mussels and says, “Look at this, they just tumble off when you shake them. Not a single one left alive, including the oysters.” He estimates his losses to exceed 500,000 baht ($14,000).
The origins of the uncommon green sea phenomenon are yet to be identified with certainty. Meanwhile, Tanuspong and his team are investigating potential correlations with climate change and natural weather occurrences like the El Niño. Their relentless pursuit of answers hopes to equip maritime communities with the knowledge to predict such events and their impact on the local sea life.
The scientific probe led to the discovery that the Noctiluca species of plankton, inactive at first but returning during the ’19/20 El Niño, dominates the current bloom. Tanuspong aims to use this data to forecast future plankton blooms, which would aid fishermen in predicting the ideal times to cultivate and harvest.
Tanuspong believes that science can only get us so far, however, and that real change will come only when we actively contribute towards Earth’s conservation. This year we’ve witnessed marine heatwaves causing panic globally, leading to thousands of dead fish appearing on Texas beaches and predictions of algal blooms along the British coast due to rising sea temperatures.
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