Visitors to Chonburi’s Sriracha Beach greeted with foul-smelling seawater and dead fish
People visiting Chonburi’s Sriracha Beach on Saturday were met with an ugly sight of dirty greenish seawater and small dead fish on the sand.
This was the result of a sudden plankton bloom, which occurs when sunlight and nutrient conditions are just right. The conditions make the micro-organisms so dense that they change the colour of the water around them.
Besides turning the water green, the surge in micro-organisms also results in a sharp drop of oxygen in the water, causing small aquatic animals to die.
The explosion and subsequent mass deaths make the water smell foul and may even cause skin irritation for some.
The phenomenon usually lasts about seven days before the water returns to its natural colour and the smell gradually dissipates.
A similar phenomenon occurred in Chonburi’s popular Bang Saen area last week, much to the disappointment of holidaymakers, who had flocked to the beach for the long Mother’s Day weekend.
