News

Fish kills and the death of other marine life last week were due to the unusually rapid fall in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water column. When any portion of such a large bloom collapses, this can be expected.

The red tide appears to be greatly reduced in Knysna although still evident in Tsitsikamma and surrounds, authorities (SANParks, Knysna Municipality and the Knysna Basin Project) have had no incidents of human illness reported to them as a result of the red tide.

Restaurants were delighted to receive news that the water in the estuary is now safe to use for the storage of filter feeders (mussels and oysters).

Professor Brian Allanson of the Knysna Basin Project says extensive research should continue but partners would have to think about costs associated with such a project.

What are these phytoplankton organisms?

Phytoplankton are microscopic, single-celled organisms that float in the sea, according to a Marine and Coastal Management Guideline from the Department of Environmental Affairs. They are able to photosynthesise and form the basis of food chains in the oceans. There are three types of red tide organisms, dinoflagellates, diatoms and ciliates. Dinoflagellates usually lie dormant on the seabed until they are lifted to the surface during upwelling where the ideal conditions of temperature and light trigger their germination.

Issued By

South African National Parks (SANParks) Garden Route Communications
Tel: 044 302 5633

Enquiries

Nandi Mgwadlamba
Regional Communications Manager, SANParks
Tel: 044 302 5633; Cell: 078 702 9663
Email: [email protected]