Carigara Bay in Leyte now affected by red tide

TACLOBAN CITY – The presence of red tide in Eastern Visayas expanded this week to include Leyte province, with 10 bays now having toxic organisms from the nine previously reported in the region, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Wednesday.

In its advisory, the BFAR said the red tide was also detected in Carigara Bay in Leyte province, based on the latest seawater sampling.

Last week, the bureau said nine bodies of water in Samar, Eastern Samar, and Biliran province had been contaminated with red tide toxins, with some parts of the sea showing red discoloration.

These were Matarinao Bay in the towns of General MacArthur, Quinapondan, Hernani, and Salcedo in Eastern Samar; the coastal waters of Biliran Island in Biliran province; Villareal Bay, the waters of Daram Island and Zumarraga Island; Maqueda Bay in the towns of Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, and Hinabangan; Cambatutay Bay in Tarangnan; Irongirong Bay in Catbalogan City; and the coastal waters of Calbayog City, all in Samar.

“The interplay of unusual weather patterns is seen to have a direct impact on unpredictable weather conditions in Eastern Visayas. El Niño and the onset of occasional heavy rainfalls could have triggered the upwelling of inner shallow bays, bringing up sediments laden with red tide microorganism cysts,” the BFAR 8 (Eastern Visayas) said in a statement.

“These microorganisms then used the organic load that comes with the sediments to start the bloom. This occurred as a series of events in different inner bodies of water and was further intensified by the ever-changing current patterns in these areas, further spreading the red tide blooms.”

Although a local red tide alert has been raised in 10 bays in the region, these areas were not yet included in the latest national shellfish bulletin as samples must be examined by the BFAR central office laboratory.

Currently, red discoloration has been observed in some parts of the Samar Sea. According to the analysis of seawater taken from this area, there is the presence of Pyrodinium bahamense, a toxic microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Red tide occurs when certain types of algae grow out of control.

The name “red tide” comes from the fact that the overgrowth of algae can cause the color of the water to turn red.

The visible discoloration indicates a high presence of toxic microorganisms.

The public is strictly advised not to collect, sell, or eat any type of shellfish, including small shrimp from the Samar Sea, the BFAR advisory said. (PNA)