Algal Bloom Turns Ocean Red

In October of 2014 a large algal bloom formed off the coast of North Carolina near the Pea Island National Park, turning the waters red. In response to this unusual and potentially toxic bloom, students from the Phytofinders team of First Flight High School (FFHS) in Kill Devil Hills, NC, travelled south to collect water samples. Their goal was to examine and identify the genera or species of the organism(s) populating the spreading bloom. The analysis, reported in this paper, revealed that the bloom and resulting discoloration of the coastal waters were due to Mesodinium rubrum. This ciliate is well known for turning the waters red during mass blooms, but it has no other known harmful effects. While the observations and analysis of the Phytofinders had established that the bloom was unlikely to contain harmful constituents, the release of Barnacle, a protected loggerhead sea turtle that had completed a rehabilitation program at the North Carolina Aquarium, was delayed as a precaution.