Mysterious Black Algae washes up on Destin beaches.. OIL??

Just came across this and searched around to see if it was already posted and couldn't find it.. If i missed it, sorry!.. Anyway, looks like some black muck washed ashore and for some reason they called in "BP" themselves to examine it.. Of course, they call it "black algae".

Check out the link since I stink at posting videos and such!..

WEAR ABC report on black algae

Seems to me that the locals would know of "black algae" as they've lived there all their lives.. Seems strange to call in the perps of the crime to come and examine the crime scene... I've done no research on "black algae" and i'm sure there is some form of it that exists however, the placement and timing seems to point there possibly being a little more to it.. But, who knows!!

Would be nice to have some experts who aren't tainted by the industry to come and examine it!

This report simply brought tears to my eyes, mainly because we just dont know what the corexit did to the Gulf and will continue to wash up on shore. This is not something I as a Pacific Coast Surfer ever encountered and it just does not feel natural.

You know *edit to say* that algae and seaweed when mixed with corexit could have created this monster. I just cant stand it, did you ever find 'anything' on black algae?

It leaves to be seen when independednt testing of the goo happens, surely someone will have taken samples.

Meantime I am just sickened by this news. Hopefully the sun bathing swimmers are not going to be hurt by it.

reply to post by antar


Agreed...

It's disheartening to have BP whoosh in to the rescue and slam their "black algae" speak in to the mainstream and expect everyone to just gobble it up... Hopefully, we've come far enough to question what they say and demand some real examination done to it.

As I said before, my first natural instinct is to agree that it's some sort of oil.. Whether it's on seaweed or something else, who knows.. The oil went somewhere and with the storms rolling through, chances are high that it will wash up somewhere!!

Originally posted by antar
You know *edit to say* that algae and seaweed when mixed with corexit could have created this monster. I just cant stand it, did you ever find 'anything' on black algae?

edit on 8-9-2010 by antar because: (no reason given)

Agreed.. i've looked and looked for a default answer on "black algae" and I can't find anything.. Anything I search for brings up an algae that turns black in swimming pools... Nothing in relation to the ocean. So, it's obviously not some common, run of the mill occurance. My guess, it's a pile of something, whatever it may be, smothered in oil!!

I would assume that we'll see more and more of these types of occurances... Unfortunately, you won't hear about them on the big mainstream news channels. Hopefully independent sites and the good people of ATS will continue to report on such instances and keep the people informed!!

a quick google search for black algae seems to show that it generally only forms in swimming polls, etc.

Hopefully someone actually...gasp... tests some of this stuff to have a fact-based source of information beyond the speculation from laymen and nonsense from BP.

I also looked for black algae found one or two sources for something they use in Japan and the aquarium thing.
Nothing, black algae does not exist in the gulf.
Somebody needs to be called on this.

Lyngbya majuscula is a floridian "mat forming" algae as shown in the picture it is black and tarry looking.here
deepbluespring.com...
That said with the increase in nutrients due to die off and the oil itself we can expect a larger number of surface blooms of various algae. This is part of the real "clean-up" and carries its own dangers as there are many blue-green algae which produce deadly toxins of their own. Just one local brackish lake algae causes mass die offs of local animals and can cause liver damage from just swimming in it. It is interesting in that although human caused nutrient pollution is the primary factor it is becoming known that the "blooms" always begin in shallow coves that the prevailing winds carry any oil or gas from the marina. Always the same coves in a bee line to the marina on the wind.
www.oregon.gov...
So even if a natural process which may be helping remove the oil it is no guarantee it is less toxic than the oil itself.
Best advice is stay the hell out of knakky water, especially in the gulf for many yrs.

All that said my money is on oily, corexit infused kelp dead and looking pretty foul, remember corexit allows the oil to penetrate the cell membrane which would account or the black appearance.

N.

reply to post by N.of norml


Wow..

Excellent response! Sounds like it sucks no matter how we slice it.. And if what you say is correct, it's an unfortunate natural response to an UN-natural occurance that shouldn't have happened in the first place!

reply to post by Ouroborus2012


I sure hope so, and also to find out just exactly it is... man the bad part is that if it is not being taken responsibility for then it probably is something from the slick and really really bad stuff...

What are we going to do?

Are there any close ups of the "black algae" in Destin? The Lyngbya majuscula pictures look nothing like the stuff on the Destin beaches. But the Destin pics are also not close ups.....if we could see some closer pics that would be better.

I've lived in or near Destin for the past 12 years, and I have never seen "black algae" or anything sludge-like in all that time. On the other hand, I was enlightened to some "organic peat" that I didn't know existed several feet below the surface of the white sand over here near Apalachicola, Alligator Point, and Bald Point. I had no idea that it was there until this oil spill and subsequent water testing began.

I advice anybody with any doubts to contact Cloudsinthesky or visit his Test The Rain website to volunteer to send in water samples. I have done so, and it is a first class project. It has national attention and support of many Universities.

Here are the related threads and my videos from the Gulf Coast panhandle region:

Test The Rain Project thread

First Hand Account Florida Beaches Polluted

Part II Firsthand Video of Oil on Beaches

Some of the stuff in my videos is probably Organic Peat as was pointed out by a Biologist that runs a Marine Aquarium very near to this beach. However, his lab has also spent over $100,000 and implemented new testing procedures because he is fairly certain that dispersants and oil are hiding in the water and he doesn't want his fragile marine life harmed. His aquarium is now volunteering water samples to the TestTheRain project. I have also sent samples into the project.

Anyone concerned with their Ocean water or Rain water should visit that site and send in samples to the project.

reply to post by concerned190


I dunno about the close ups.... I literally came across that news feed and figured i'd post it on here. I was actually surprised at the lack of response to it so, I kinda tossed it aside figuring the whole oil spill was out of everybodies mind! I didn't look in to it any farther minus trying to see what "black algae" was... Which is obviously another crock from BP...

GetReady, great idea for sending in samples.. Wish I lived there to do it, perhaps somebody who lives nearby will! Not sure of how "organic peat" holds up to what was actually at the beach.. I wasn't there so, I can't attest to whether it is one and the same or not... My thought though is that those people have lived there all of their lives and have probably seen a lot of the strange things that the ocean brings.. If they describe this as "oily" and unlike anything they've seen, i'm inclined to believe just that.. But, who knows!!

Glad people are finally checking this thread out!!