TACLOBAN CITY – There’s nothing to worry about the Eastern Visayas bays which have remained free from red tide toxins.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-8) has attributed the status to the current weather condition which is not favorable for red tide microorganisms to bloom.
The red tide is a phenomenon that is caused by millions of algae gathering under the sea in what is termed as algal blooms. These massive algae formations which cause discoloration of waters are common during warmer, summer months.
Red tide usually occurs when after a long dry-out period, a sudden downpour occurs, paving the way for a series of upwelling, moving the sediments laden with cyst stages of red tide microorganisms, thereby exposing its high densities of organic matter. That causes the red tide to bloom.
With the rainy season already being felt in the region, the algal formation is not likely.
Still, the bureau said that it will regularly monitor the seawater of 31 bays in Eastern Visayas through passive surveillance despite being red tide-free.
The seawater and shellfish samples are tested weekly for red tide, especially since the rainy season is already being experienced in the region.
Region 8 was last declared red tide free on June 9, 2017.