Potentially toxic plankton that glows fluorescent blue at night has lit up waters off the Surf Coast.
Authorities warned water users to stay away from the blooms of ‘sea sparkle’ as they stretched offshore sporadically from Torquay to Eastern View on the weekend.
Several trails hundreds of metres long appeared off Jan Juc and Torquay on Sunday, with the masses of the tiny organisms appearing as a red or orange colour during daylight.
Beaches apparently escaped inundation as the sea sparkle, named ‘noctiluca scintillans’, mostly stayed 200 metres or more out to sea, said a regional commander from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELSP).
“When present, blooms produce a spectacular glowing light at night, however, as a precaution, members of the public are advised to avoid direct contact with affected water,” Aimee Haywood said.
“Direct contact may cause allergic reactions such as skin rashes or itchiness, sore ears or nose, or if swallowed, gastroenteritis, nausea and vomiting.
“Wash immediately with fresh water if you do come in contact with sea sparkle and seek medical advice if experiencing illness after contact with affected water.”
The department described sea sparkle as “one of the most commonly occurring bioluminescent organisms in the world”
But blooms could produce “toxic levels of ammonia that can lead to fish deaths”, DELWP warned.
“Blooms can look like a murky, sludge or oil-like substance floating in marine waters and washing onto beaches. Affected water can become temporarily discoloured and have an unpleasant smell.”
