Sea sparkles off the coast of Lorne

THE Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is responding to a suspected sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) event that affected marine waters near Lorne last week.

The event took place during the afternoon and evening of October 31, and readers of this newspaper sent in several pictures of the waves of Louttit Bay illuminated with a blue light.

Sea sparkle is one of the most commonly occurring bioluminescent organisms in the world and during blooms can produce toxic levels of ammonia that can lead to fish deaths.

Weather conditions have prevented sampling of the affected water, with offshore winds pushing the bloom away from shorelines and beaches.

Aircraft observations found no evidence of the bloom on Friday morning.

When present, blooms produce a spectacular glowing light at night, but as a precaution, members of the public are advised to avoid direct contact with sea sparkle and affected water.

Direct contact may cause allergic reactions such as skin rashes or itchiness, sore ears and nose or, if swallowed, gastroenteritis, nausea or vomiting.

Wash immediately with fresh water if you do come in contact with sea sparkle and seek medical advice if experiencing illness after contact with affected water.

DELWP are monitoring coastal waters for blooms and will provide more information as the situation changes.

For more information on algal blooms, head to betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Harmful-algal-blooms.