The Portuguese Environment Agency have reassured the public that the high concentration of algae seen on several beaches in the Algarve “is a normal and recurring situation”, and does not affect the quality of bathing water."
“This is a natural phenomenon that has become increasingly frequent due to climate change, east (southeast) winds and sea currents and the warming of sea water, but it does not pose a danger to bathers,” specified a regional source from the APA.
The accumulation of large quantities of seaweed has been more visible in recent days on some rocky beaches in the western Algarve, such as Praia de Olhos d'Água, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos.
“They are native algae that have no impact on health, or the quality of bathing water. They are just 'unpleasant' for people who want bathe at the beach."
The phenomenon is monitored by the APA, an entity that analyses the quality of bathing waters on a daily basis, and no contamination caused by algae has been detected to date.
The mayor of Albufeira, José Carlos Rolo, said that the beaches in his municipality have frequently experienced the presence of these marine organisms, particularly during periods of wind and strong sea conditions, and “on beaches with large accumulations of algae, the local authority removes the algae, to avoid the odours that result from the drying of these marine organisms,” he said. "Often, the collection and cleaning of the sand is done one day and, sometimes, the next day, a new accumulation is found in the surf zone or even on the sand”.
“It is a natural phenomenon that the sea itself takes care of resolving, through the movement of the tides, and in areas that are difficult to access, its decomposition on the sand ends up being a natural process, with no impact on public health”, highlighted the mayor.
According to the APA, brown and red algae, typical of rocky bottoms, are more common in the western Algarve, while green algae are more abundant in the eastern Algarve.
Source and photo https://www.algarveprimeiro.com/
