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Dangerous strain of toxic algae spreads along Spanish coast
The invasive species, which has been spotted on most beaches in Spain, causes flu-like symptoms
Spanish beaches are typically invaded by copious amounts of seaweed during the summer months which, although fairly unpleasant, doesn’t actually pose any risk to bathers. However, climate change and rising temperatures have brought a different kind of microalgae to the Spanish coast which is quite toxic and can cause health problems.
The species is called Ostreopsis and was spotted for the first time this year less than a month ago in the French city of Biarritz but has since spread to practically every beach in Spain.
The problem with this microorganism is that it produces toxins that float in the air and, if inhaled, can cause a host of flu-like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, scratchy throat and fever. Moreover, the invasive species wreaks havoc on native marine plant life.
Having arrived from the tropics in the 1990s the algae has bloomed in recent years and now flourishes in every corner of Spain, according to Dr. Magda Vila, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC).
To date, the species has been detected in large numbers in the Atlantic, areas of the Portuguese Algarve and the Cantabrian Sea as a result of climate change and the world’s rapidly warming waters.
And while the experts acknowledge that the spread of this algae “cannot be controlled”, its unsightly presence shouldn’t be any major cause for concern since symptoms are usually quite mild and disappear after a few hours.
Image: Project OstreoRisk
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