Nitrate Runoff, Toasty Weather Bring Algae Blooms Across UK S. Coast - Up To 1 Foot Thick In Spots

A combination of calm, sunny weather and high concentrations of nitrate pollutants running into the sea from local farms and sewage works has caused thick mats of green algae to form at a dozen sites on the south coast. The Environment Agency said yesterday that it was concerned that the seaweed could cause long-term damage to the unique wildlife of some of the most important coastal mudflats which are being slowly starved of oxygen by the algae as it spreads over wide areas of the southern shoreline.

The development came as Britain suffered a north-south divide in the weather, with the south-east experiencing one of the warmest days of the year with clear skies and brilliant sunshine, while Scotland and Northern Ireland were covered in clouds with outbreaks of rain.

Sunny weather has helped the algae to grow. Near the Isle of Wight, the seaweed has formed layers up to a foot deep and the mud underneath has turned black because of lack of oxygen, said Dave Lothian, a marine scientist at the Environment Agency who is tracking the extent of the problem. "It's hard to gauge how bad it is this year but we know of several sites in and around the Solent that are affected. The point is, this is an unnatural state because there shouldn't be so much seaweed," Mr Lothian said.

"When you pull back the seaweed layer, the sediment underneath looks black because it has been depleted of oxygen. Some of the worms, which are vital for this ecosystem, disappear and others grow abundantly," he said.

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http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/heatwave-attracts-an-unwelcome-visitor-1774566.html