Apr 20, 2015
Pollinated? Coastal Waters Run Yellow
Sara Mirabilio goes in search of the source of yellow ocean water. Perhaps it is Trichodesmium erythraeum, a marine cyanobacterium found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. The blue-green algae blooms seasonally off the North Carolina coast. Charter boat captains regularly share accounts of “marine pollen” or “sulphur” when describing an occurrence of yellow coastal waters, which likely are spottings of Trichodesmium blooms.
Along with 31 other volunteers, Sara Mirabilio helped collect marine debris from two sites on Roanoke Island in the middle of January. In this post, she offers a pictorial journey — and an education on what washes up on our shores.