Beaches around southeastern Australia's coastline reopened after a red algal bloom that glowed a phosphorescent blue at night forced them to close to the public. <\/p>\n
The algae, noctiluca scintillans, forced swimmers and surfers out of the water at Sydney's Bondi and a number of neighbouring beaches earlier this week, and it spread along the fringes of two states. <\/p>\n
One of the worst affected beaches, Clovelly in Sydney, reopened Friday, just in time for a predicted heatwave over the weekend. <\/p>\n
\"There is no sign of the red algal bloom that kept the beach closed from Tuesday to Thursday this week,\" the local council said, a sentiment echoed by other councils along the city's northern beaches. <\/p>\n
\"It is now safe to swim, at the moment,\" a Surf Life Saving NSW official told reporters. <\/p>\n
\"We'll continue to monitor the situation.\" <\/p>\n
Aerial footage shot over parts of New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria state showed huge blooms of the oily red to pink scum this week, which has a fishy odour and can irritate the skin and eyes but is not dangerous to humans. <\/p>\n
One of the most striking features was the way it glowed blue at night, earning it the nickname \"sea sparkle\". <\/p>\n
The Sydney South Coast and Hunter Regional Algal Coordinating Committees said the blooms typically occur as a result of currents bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. <\/p>\n
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Australia beaches reopen after red algal bloom<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Beaches around southeastern Australia's coastline reopened after a red algal bloom that glowed a phosphorescent blue at night forced them to close to the public. The algae, noctiluca scintillans, forced swimmers and surfers out of the water at Sydney's Bondi and a number of neighbouring beaches earlier this week, and it spread along the fringes of two states. Continue reading